Week 2 Predictions: Huskers vs. Buffalo

Jill: More non-conference shenanigans to try and predict!

Nate M: Just win this week. It’s going to be a difficult game against a team that is used to winning. With that said…

Storming through the party like my name was El Niño. When I’m hangin’ out drinking in the back of an El Camino. As a kid, was a skid, and no one knew me by name. Trashed my own house party ‘cause nobody came.

I know I’m not the one you thought you knew back in high school. Never going, never showing up when we had to. Attention that we crave, don’t tell us to behave. I’m sick of always hearing “act your age”

Patrick: Shufflin’ off to Buffalo.

Andy: Ok, we’ve proven we can cut mistakes against a 1-AA team. Or FCS. Whatever. Now can we do it against a successful Group of 5 squad? And if we don’t, will the internuts say Frost is having an affair with a male cheerleader?

Mike: Not that there’s anything wrong with that. (Well, Mrs. Frost probably would disagree with that statement…)

Iowa (+4.5) at Iowa State

Jill: Iowa looked really good last week. Iowa State did not. ISU always does that the first week and then comes back to win games against good teams. If you ask me again in five minutes, I’ll probably flip my pick. Cyclones 24 Hawkeyes 27

Nate M: I don’t want to waste my time. Become another casualty of society. I’ll never fall in line. Become another victim of your conformity and back down

Iowa by two scores, unfortunately.

Patrick: University of Iowa 27 Iowa State University 24

Andy: When Iowa’s sitting in their usual spot at #22 in the country and Iowa St. is unranked, the Cyclones often give the Hwakeyes fits. But much like I observed with North Carolina (10-17 vs. unranked Va Tech) and predicted with Indiana (not to cover #18 Iowa), teams not accustomed to expectations seem to have trouble living up to them. Iowa fans may seldom remember their debit card PIN, but the Hawkeyes prove me right for the second straight week. Iowa 31 Iowa St 21

Mike: Iowa State always seems to mail it in during week 1 (especially against Northern Iowa), so I’m not sure how much stock to put into that. The flip side is that I didn’t expect Iowa to thump Indiana like they did last week. Bottom line to me is that (a) I believe it Matt Campbell and Iowa State more than Kirk Ferentz and Iowa and (b) Iowa State is overdue after losing the last six in this series. Clones 34 Squawkeyes 24

Washington (+7) at Michigan

Jill: Washington got big embarrassed by Montana last weekend. Michigan lost their big wide receiver to a season-ending injury. The deciding factor for me? This one’s at the Big House. Michigan 21 Washington 14

Nate M: Because you don’t know us at all, we laugh when old people fall. But what would you expect with a conscience so small? Heavy metal and mullets, it’s how we were raised. Maiden and Priest were the gods that we praised

‘Cause we like having fun at other people’s expense and. Cutting people down is just a minor offense then. It’s none of your concern, I guess I’ll never learn. I’m sick of being told to wait my turn

Michigan wins by 10.

Patrick: University of Michigan 24 University of Washington 12

Andy: As much as I would enjoy watching Michigan fall flat on their face (no, I’ve never been on of these conference cheerleader types), the Huskies were not, um, impressive dominating showing promise mildly competent in their opener. Rodents 37 Mutts 10

Mike: I dare say that Washington isn’t as bad as they looked last week…and maybe they were caught looking ahead to this week. Still… Weasels 27 Udub 18

Rutgers (-2) at Syracuse

Jill: Rutgers is favored as a road team. I am not sure how to process this information. The ACC overall has looked pretty bad. Noah Vedral is still QBing Rutgers. Go Scarlet Knights. Rutgers 32 Cuse 27

Nate M: I don’t want to waste my time. Become another casualty of society. I’ll never fall in line. Become another victim of your conformity and back down.

I’m buying Rutgers stock. They win be 20.

Patrick: Rutgers University 32 Syracuse University 12

Andy: Ah, Jim Delaney. A man who was forward-thinking about the Big 10 Network and virtually nothing else after that including inviting Rutgers into the conference to corner a large metropolitan TV market with a product in which they weren’t remotely interested. I feel the same way about this game that the northeastern professional leagues-dominated market feels about midwestern college sports. But I hope Vedral does well. Rutgers 29 Syracuse 20

Mike: Ah, Andy… you are guilty of thinking that Delany was hoping that New York City would adopt Rutgers, which is false. What is reality is that by adding Rutgers, either Michigan or Ohio State (or Penn State, for that matter) make a road trip within an hour of the Big Apple. And if you don’t think there are Weasels in Manhattan….

But that’s immaterial. Syracuse is bad, and Rutgers isn’t Buttgers anymore. Rutgers 31, Cuse 9

Illinois (+10) at Virginia

Jill: You just had to include Illinois, didn’t you Mike? I picked them to lose Week 0. I picked them to win Week 1. I don’t think Bert reads my predictions. Week 0 Nebraska ineptitude continues to look worse. Virginia 38 Illinois 21

Nate M: Don’t count on me to let you know when. Don’t count on me, I’ll do it again. Don’t count on me, it’s the point you’re missing. Don’t count on me, ‘cause I’m not listening.

Illinois disappointed last week. I think they somehow pull this out and win by 3.

Patrick: University of Virginia 34 University of Illinois 27

Andy: Right there with Rutgers-Syracuse for yawner of the week. I’ll take some Cavaliers while Bert continues to stuff Big Montanas in his pelican trap and come to grips with the fact the opposition and the refs won’t hand him three touchdowns every week. Virginia 31 Bert’s Embattled Colon 13

Mike: Somebody said we should pick Big Ten games on here… so when we get a semicompetitive B1G game, on the list it goes. But yeah…nobody really cares. Virginia 27, Illinois 13

Buffalo (+13.5) at Nebraska

Jill: Another week with a team installing a new staff and new schemes? Buffalo won handily enough in Week 1 that they didn’t need to put much on film. But this game is really about Nebraska. In Week 0, we saw three quarters of bad Nebraska fooball. In Week 1, we saw 1.5 quarters of bad football. The trendline is pointing in the right direction? On the flip side, Nebraska’s top units played one quarter of good-ish fooball vs Illinois and one quarter of good football vs Fordham (before the backups took over). That trendline is not pointing in the right direction. One quarter of good football won’t cut it this week. I fully expect to see another first half fan meltdown with Twitter wondering if Scott Frost will even be allowed to come out and coach the second half. He will and the Huskers painfully, slowly pull away and cover the spread. Barely. Nebraska 35 Buffalo 21

Nate M: I think Buffalo wins. While there is a new coaching staff and a bunch of players left, there is still a nice core sitting there who has gone 7-1 over it’s past 8 games. They know how to win, and at this point, I’m not convinced Nebraska knows how to win yet.

Patrick: University of Nebraska 384795 University of Buffalo 320283

Andy: Baby steps, baby steps. For many, the Fordham game meant nothing and anything short of a win over a Top 10 team and 8+ wins will mean nothing and before that has a chance, can we please just get our NEXT coach hired, now excuse me while I kick the dog, and GODDAMMIT YOU CALL THIS CRAP DINNER?? No, Charlene, I don’t even care anymore, why would I be mad??!

Buffalo is a tougher opponent and will be trying for 70-30 or so run-pass balance, so forcing that to 50-50 or so would be a good thing. Expect some early trouble with the run game but those gaps closing as adjustments and depth take over. Stepp appears to be cinching the number one RB spot but I’d still like to see what Gabe Ervin could do if ever run outside the guards.

Nonetheless, I believe mistakes will continue to be minimized (I’m guessing Cam has fielded his last punt) and Adrian will find a couple deep targets and get the ball in Toure’s hands again. People will wave it off as meaningless but Huskers get the rare back-to-back W. Huskers 34 Buffalo 21

Mike: I have to follow Dumbledore? The one thing I keep going back to is Buffalo’s lack of size. Unless the scale in Buffalo is malfunctioning, the Bulls look like they are smaller than Fordham. Yeah, they blew out Wagner…but Wagner hasn’t had a winning season since 2014. Just keep rolling fresh bodies out there in the heat, and the Huskers should wear them down in the heat. Note I said “should”. Husker 38, Bulls 17.