Saunders
Administrator
Game 6 “Expert” Picks: Nebraska @ Michigan State
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CollegeFootballNews.com
http://cfn.scout.com/2/1458917.html
Nebraska (5-0) at Michigan State (3-1) Oct. 4, 8:00, ABC
Here's The Deal: Nebraska still has to go on the road to face Wisconsin and Iowa, and Michigan State still has to deal with Ohio State and Michigan – stop laughing already; it is a rivalry game – so this might not be a preview of the Big Ten championship, but the two schools have been a part of each of the first three conference championships and at least one of them will likely make the trip to Indianapolis.
It only seems like these two might have a decent history, but this is just the ninth meeting with the first a Nebraska 24-0 shutout in 1914, followed up by a 35-7 pasting in 1920 – this is just now turning into something interesting, with last year’s 41-28 Spartan win the first in the series. This time around, the spotlight will be on to see which one will stay alive in the race for a possible spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Nebraska can lose and still be in the hunt, but it would have to win out on the way to a Big Ten title, while a two-loss Michigan State – even if it wins the Big Ten championship – would almost certainly be done. Either way, the Big Ten season could be defined here. If Michigan State wins, it’s the unquestioned star of the show and the league’s best hope to get into the fun. If Nebraska wins, then boom – 6-0, bowl eligible, the lone unbeaten conference team.
Nebraska might have been really, really shaky in the win over McNeese State a month ago, but it’s been an unstoppable machine ever since, and in the opener against FAU, scoring 41 points or more in four of the five games led by the nation’s No. 2 rushing attack. Ameer Abdullah has turned into a legitimate Heisman contender, and the defense is starting to jell into a good enough group to hold serve and let the offense do its thing.
Michigan State has played about 20 lousy minutes in its first four games, and almost all of them came late against Oregon. The other three games have been brutally ugly blowouts, with head coach Mark Dantonio making a statement about how dominant a team might have to be to get into the playoff, beating Eastern Michigan and Wyoming by a combined score of 129-28 over the last two weeks. Considering the road slate isn’t that bad, and Michigan and Ohio State have to come to East Lansing, this might be it. This might be the one big barrier between Sparty and 11-1 with a shot at the title. Or it’s Bo Pelini’s moment to show the Big Ten that he and his program are the stars.
And yeah, okay. This might be Round 1. These two are that good.
Why Nebraska Might Win: Nebraska is going to run the ball, and it’s going to run the ball well. It was able to rip off 182 yards on the ground averaging 5.7 yards per pop against the Spartans last season, and that was without a passing game. Tommy Armstrong might be inconsistent – he connected on 69% of his throws against Miami and just 48% against Illinois – but he’s providing just enough balance when needed to keep the offense moving. The Huskers have cranked out 801 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground over the last two weeks against Miami and Illinois, and while they won’t put up 400 yards against the Michigan State D, they should be more effective than even Oregon was. The Husker O line has turned into a killer, paving the way for Abdullah and allowing just three sacks on the year. Armstrong might not be Aaron Rodgers, but he shouldn’t have too much of a problem with the entire stadium having Ameer fear.
Why Michigan State Might Win: Michigan State has a bit of a running game of its own. After getting slowed to a crawl by the Oregon D, the Spartans have cranked it up big time with 336 yards on the ground and seven scores against Eastern Michigan, and 338 yards and five touchdowns against Wyoming. There’s a consistent commitment to the ground attack, running 50 times or more in three of the four games. Yeah, yeah, every year is new and every team is different, but Nebraska is 0-9 since 2008 when teams are able to run the ball 50 times or more. Add in Connor Cook and the nation’s fifth-most efficient passing game, and the Spartans are balanced, too.
Who To Watch Out For: Ameer Abdullah should’ve been a Heisman candidate last season, but no one seemed interested in noticing. He cranked out 11 100-yard games with a 98-yard day against UCLA and an 85-yard effort against Iowa – both losses, with nine touchdowns averaging over six yards per carry to go along with two receiving scores. This year, instead of getting paid lots and lots of money by the pro types, he’s turning in a special campaign with three 200-yard games and eight rushing scores, averaging 7.3 yards per pup. Held in check by McNeese State with just 54 yards and a touchdown, he made up for it with a game-winning catch-and-run for a touchdown that would be a perfect Heisman moment, except it came against McNeese State. If he has a big day against the Spartan defense and Nebraska wins, he’ll be on everyone’s top five list to go to New York.
What’s Going To Happen: Connor Cook. Nebraska missed Illinois quarterback Wes Lunt, faced a freshman in Miami’s Brad Kaaya, and didn’t really have to worry about Fresno State’s Brian Burrell or FAU’s Jaquez Johnson throwing it. The Michigan State quarterback is hitting 69% of his passes with two picks – both against Oregon – and nine touchdowns. Nebraska’s defense isn’t going to get exposed, but it’s about to have a hard time dealing with Cook through the air and Jeremy Langford – who ran for 151 yards and three scores against the Huskers last year - on the ground.
Prediction: Michigan State 34 - Nebraska 24
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BTN.com
http://btn.com/2014/10/01/week-6-see-our-predictions-for-all-six-big-ten-football-games/
Sean Merriman: Nebraska 28 - Michigan State 31
Brent Yarina: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 34
Tom Dienhart: Nebraska 29 - Michigan State 28
Joe Rexrode: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 34
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ESPN Big Ten Blog
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/108380/big-ten-predictions-week-6-4
Why Michigan State will win: Improvement was expected all along on offense, but seeing the Spartans on top of the league in scoring at this point still qualifies as a surprise. Connor Cook’s development at quarterback makes Michigan State even more dangerous than it was a year ago, when it won the Big Ten relying heavily on its defense, and the roster looks capable of winning either a slugfest or a shootout. Heisman Trophy candidate Ameer Abdullah might be able to make this one the latter, but the Spartans are the most talented team in the league, their playoff hopes are on the line and they’re at home. That’s too much to overcome for the Huskers. -- Austin Ward
Why Nebraska could win: The Huskers, under Bo Pelini, usually find a way to match up well with Michigan State because the Spartans, especially on defense, coach with a mindset similar to the Nebraska style. MSU lost to Nebraska in 2011 and 2012 and beat the Huskers 41-28 last year, with help from five Nebraska turnovers. Such understanding helps the Huskers find weaknesses. There’s no doubt Nebraska will attempt to establish the running game. Likely, though, it’ll need help from quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. to extend the field -- his strength in the passing game. If it works, Nebraska can eat clock and play keep-away from Cook. -- Mitch Sherman
Brian Bennett: M
Josh Moyer: M
Dan Murphy: M
Adam Rittenberg: M
Mitch Sherman: M
Austin Ward: M
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Athlon Sports
http://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-2014-week-6-preview-and-predictions
This could be the most important game in the Big Ten this season, at least until the league championship game. Nebraska is the league’s only undefeated team but hardly has the resume to put the Cornhuskers into the College Football Playoff conversation. That changes with a win in East Lansing. Meanwhile, Michigan State will look to atone for the loss at Oregon, one in which quarterback Connor Cook was a week removed from a shot to the knee.
Nebraska is one of the few teams in the country that has moved the ball consistently on Michigan State’s defense in the last four season. Michigan State has allowed six yards per play just four times in the last four years, and Nebraska has done it twice. Nebraska in 2013 is one of three teams to rush for 150 yards and pass for 200 against Michigan State the last four seasons, and the Cornhuskers' 313 rushing yards in 2012 is the most against Sparty in that span. Heisman contender Ameer Abdullah has been a part of both of those games, and now he’s in the middle of a career year. Michigan State will look to limit Abdullah and put the pressure on 54-percent passer Tommy Armstrong to win the game with his arm.
David Fox: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 35
Braden Gall: Nebraska 21 - Michigan State 42
Steven Lassan: Nebraska 20 - Michigan State 27
Mitch Light: Nebraska 17 - Michigan State 28
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CBS Sports
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/features/writers/expert/picks/straight-up/6
Dennis Dodd - M*
Jeremy Fowler - M*
Jon Solomon - M
Jerry Palm - M*
Tom Fornelli - M*
Jerry Hinnen - M
Chip Patterson - M*
* Not covering -9.5 spread
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Big Red Wrap-Up
http://netnebraska.org/interactive-multimedia/sports/big-red-wrap-michigan-state-prediction-1
Kevin Kugler: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 31
Blake Lawrence: Nebraska 35 - Michigan State 31
Adrian Fiala: Nebraska 27 - Michigan State 24
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AP - Ralph D Russo
http://collegefootball.ap.org/article/big-weekend-big-red-nebraskas-chance-rise
In the most interesting and important Saturday of the college football season so far, no team faces a more crucial test than Nebraska. The 19th-ranked Cornhuskers visit No. 10 Michigan State on Saturday with a chance to leap into national title contention. It's one of six games involving 12 ranked teams that will help sort out the playoff race. There was a time that national title contention was a given for Nebraska. It's been a while.
The Cornhuskers (5-0) haven't started 6-0 since 2001, which was also the last time Nebraska played for the national championship. Since then the Huskers have rarely been in the top 10 once fall rolls around. The last time Nebraska was 5-0 was 2010. Those Huskers were ranked fifth heading into a game at home against Texas. The Longhorns won 20-13. Nebraska hasn't been ranked better than eighth since then, and no better than ninth after September.
The Huskers haven't won a conference title since 1999 in the Big 12. All that at least partially explains the skepticism about these Huskers. That and a way-too-close-for-comfort victory at home against McNeese State in September. A victory against Michigan State would go a long way toward changing the perception of Nebraska as a program stuck in a rut — better than most but no longer capable of being elite. It also sets up the Huskers for a strong run into November. Nebraska's next three games: at Northwestern, Rutgers and Purdue. And a big day by Huskers star Ameer Abdullah against the Spartans' usually stingy defense would give the running back's Heisman Trophy chances boost.
If Nebraska losses to Michigan State? Sure, the Huskers could bounce back and still win the Big Ten, maybe even make the college football playoff if everything lined up perfectly. Realistically, though, this is Nebraska's chance to get back on the big stage. A chance for Nebraska to look like Nebraska again
#FearAmeer: Abdullah ran for 123 yards and 5.6 per carry in last season's 41-28 loss to Spartans
Nebraska 28 - Michigan State 24.
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Sporting News
http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2014-08-27/week-6-picks-spread-alabama-ole-miss-auburn-lsu-michigan-state-nebraska-oregon-arizona/slide/11
Bill Bender: Nebraska 21 - Michigan State 34
Ken Bradley: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 28
Teddy Greenstein: Nebraska 20 - Michigan State 27
Matt Hayes: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 27
Dave Matter: Nebraska 28 - Michigan State 34
Cory McCartney: Nebraska 20 - Michigan State 31
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CollegeFootballNews.com
http://cfn.scout.com/2/1458917.html
Nebraska (5-0) at Michigan State (3-1) Oct. 4, 8:00, ABC
Here's The Deal: Nebraska still has to go on the road to face Wisconsin and Iowa, and Michigan State still has to deal with Ohio State and Michigan – stop laughing already; it is a rivalry game – so this might not be a preview of the Big Ten championship, but the two schools have been a part of each of the first three conference championships and at least one of them will likely make the trip to Indianapolis.
It only seems like these two might have a decent history, but this is just the ninth meeting with the first a Nebraska 24-0 shutout in 1914, followed up by a 35-7 pasting in 1920 – this is just now turning into something interesting, with last year’s 41-28 Spartan win the first in the series. This time around, the spotlight will be on to see which one will stay alive in the race for a possible spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Nebraska can lose and still be in the hunt, but it would have to win out on the way to a Big Ten title, while a two-loss Michigan State – even if it wins the Big Ten championship – would almost certainly be done. Either way, the Big Ten season could be defined here. If Michigan State wins, it’s the unquestioned star of the show and the league’s best hope to get into the fun. If Nebraska wins, then boom – 6-0, bowl eligible, the lone unbeaten conference team.
Nebraska might have been really, really shaky in the win over McNeese State a month ago, but it’s been an unstoppable machine ever since, and in the opener against FAU, scoring 41 points or more in four of the five games led by the nation’s No. 2 rushing attack. Ameer Abdullah has turned into a legitimate Heisman contender, and the defense is starting to jell into a good enough group to hold serve and let the offense do its thing.
Michigan State has played about 20 lousy minutes in its first four games, and almost all of them came late against Oregon. The other three games have been brutally ugly blowouts, with head coach Mark Dantonio making a statement about how dominant a team might have to be to get into the playoff, beating Eastern Michigan and Wyoming by a combined score of 129-28 over the last two weeks. Considering the road slate isn’t that bad, and Michigan and Ohio State have to come to East Lansing, this might be it. This might be the one big barrier between Sparty and 11-1 with a shot at the title. Or it’s Bo Pelini’s moment to show the Big Ten that he and his program are the stars.
And yeah, okay. This might be Round 1. These two are that good.
Why Nebraska Might Win: Nebraska is going to run the ball, and it’s going to run the ball well. It was able to rip off 182 yards on the ground averaging 5.7 yards per pop against the Spartans last season, and that was without a passing game. Tommy Armstrong might be inconsistent – he connected on 69% of his throws against Miami and just 48% against Illinois – but he’s providing just enough balance when needed to keep the offense moving. The Huskers have cranked out 801 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground over the last two weeks against Miami and Illinois, and while they won’t put up 400 yards against the Michigan State D, they should be more effective than even Oregon was. The Husker O line has turned into a killer, paving the way for Abdullah and allowing just three sacks on the year. Armstrong might not be Aaron Rodgers, but he shouldn’t have too much of a problem with the entire stadium having Ameer fear.
Why Michigan State Might Win: Michigan State has a bit of a running game of its own. After getting slowed to a crawl by the Oregon D, the Spartans have cranked it up big time with 336 yards on the ground and seven scores against Eastern Michigan, and 338 yards and five touchdowns against Wyoming. There’s a consistent commitment to the ground attack, running 50 times or more in three of the four games. Yeah, yeah, every year is new and every team is different, but Nebraska is 0-9 since 2008 when teams are able to run the ball 50 times or more. Add in Connor Cook and the nation’s fifth-most efficient passing game, and the Spartans are balanced, too.
Who To Watch Out For: Ameer Abdullah should’ve been a Heisman candidate last season, but no one seemed interested in noticing. He cranked out 11 100-yard games with a 98-yard day against UCLA and an 85-yard effort against Iowa – both losses, with nine touchdowns averaging over six yards per carry to go along with two receiving scores. This year, instead of getting paid lots and lots of money by the pro types, he’s turning in a special campaign with three 200-yard games and eight rushing scores, averaging 7.3 yards per pup. Held in check by McNeese State with just 54 yards and a touchdown, he made up for it with a game-winning catch-and-run for a touchdown that would be a perfect Heisman moment, except it came against McNeese State. If he has a big day against the Spartan defense and Nebraska wins, he’ll be on everyone’s top five list to go to New York.
What’s Going To Happen: Connor Cook. Nebraska missed Illinois quarterback Wes Lunt, faced a freshman in Miami’s Brad Kaaya, and didn’t really have to worry about Fresno State’s Brian Burrell or FAU’s Jaquez Johnson throwing it. The Michigan State quarterback is hitting 69% of his passes with two picks – both against Oregon – and nine touchdowns. Nebraska’s defense isn’t going to get exposed, but it’s about to have a hard time dealing with Cook through the air and Jeremy Langford – who ran for 151 yards and three scores against the Huskers last year - on the ground.
Prediction: Michigan State 34 - Nebraska 24
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BTN.com
http://btn.com/2014/10/01/week-6-see-our-predictions-for-all-six-big-ten-football-games/
Sean Merriman: Nebraska 28 - Michigan State 31
Brent Yarina: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 34
Tom Dienhart: Nebraska 29 - Michigan State 28
Joe Rexrode: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 34
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ESPN Big Ten Blog
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/108380/big-ten-predictions-week-6-4
Why Michigan State will win: Improvement was expected all along on offense, but seeing the Spartans on top of the league in scoring at this point still qualifies as a surprise. Connor Cook’s development at quarterback makes Michigan State even more dangerous than it was a year ago, when it won the Big Ten relying heavily on its defense, and the roster looks capable of winning either a slugfest or a shootout. Heisman Trophy candidate Ameer Abdullah might be able to make this one the latter, but the Spartans are the most talented team in the league, their playoff hopes are on the line and they’re at home. That’s too much to overcome for the Huskers. -- Austin Ward
Why Nebraska could win: The Huskers, under Bo Pelini, usually find a way to match up well with Michigan State because the Spartans, especially on defense, coach with a mindset similar to the Nebraska style. MSU lost to Nebraska in 2011 and 2012 and beat the Huskers 41-28 last year, with help from five Nebraska turnovers. Such understanding helps the Huskers find weaknesses. There’s no doubt Nebraska will attempt to establish the running game. Likely, though, it’ll need help from quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. to extend the field -- his strength in the passing game. If it works, Nebraska can eat clock and play keep-away from Cook. -- Mitch Sherman
Brian Bennett: M
Josh Moyer: M
Dan Murphy: M
Adam Rittenberg: M
Mitch Sherman: M
Austin Ward: M
—————
Athlon Sports
http://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-2014-week-6-preview-and-predictions
This could be the most important game in the Big Ten this season, at least until the league championship game. Nebraska is the league’s only undefeated team but hardly has the resume to put the Cornhuskers into the College Football Playoff conversation. That changes with a win in East Lansing. Meanwhile, Michigan State will look to atone for the loss at Oregon, one in which quarterback Connor Cook was a week removed from a shot to the knee.
Nebraska is one of the few teams in the country that has moved the ball consistently on Michigan State’s defense in the last four season. Michigan State has allowed six yards per play just four times in the last four years, and Nebraska has done it twice. Nebraska in 2013 is one of three teams to rush for 150 yards and pass for 200 against Michigan State the last four seasons, and the Cornhuskers' 313 rushing yards in 2012 is the most against Sparty in that span. Heisman contender Ameer Abdullah has been a part of both of those games, and now he’s in the middle of a career year. Michigan State will look to limit Abdullah and put the pressure on 54-percent passer Tommy Armstrong to win the game with his arm.
David Fox: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 35
Braden Gall: Nebraska 21 - Michigan State 42
Steven Lassan: Nebraska 20 - Michigan State 27
Mitch Light: Nebraska 17 - Michigan State 28
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CBS Sports
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/features/writers/expert/picks/straight-up/6
Dennis Dodd - M*
Jeremy Fowler - M*
Jon Solomon - M
Jerry Palm - M*
Tom Fornelli - M*
Jerry Hinnen - M
Chip Patterson - M*
* Not covering -9.5 spread
—————
Big Red Wrap-Up
http://netnebraska.org/interactive-multimedia/sports/big-red-wrap-michigan-state-prediction-1
Kevin Kugler: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 31
Blake Lawrence: Nebraska 35 - Michigan State 31
Adrian Fiala: Nebraska 27 - Michigan State 24
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AP - Ralph D Russo
http://collegefootball.ap.org/article/big-weekend-big-red-nebraskas-chance-rise
In the most interesting and important Saturday of the college football season so far, no team faces a more crucial test than Nebraska. The 19th-ranked Cornhuskers visit No. 10 Michigan State on Saturday with a chance to leap into national title contention. It's one of six games involving 12 ranked teams that will help sort out the playoff race. There was a time that national title contention was a given for Nebraska. It's been a while.
The Cornhuskers (5-0) haven't started 6-0 since 2001, which was also the last time Nebraska played for the national championship. Since then the Huskers have rarely been in the top 10 once fall rolls around. The last time Nebraska was 5-0 was 2010. Those Huskers were ranked fifth heading into a game at home against Texas. The Longhorns won 20-13. Nebraska hasn't been ranked better than eighth since then, and no better than ninth after September.
The Huskers haven't won a conference title since 1999 in the Big 12. All that at least partially explains the skepticism about these Huskers. That and a way-too-close-for-comfort victory at home against McNeese State in September. A victory against Michigan State would go a long way toward changing the perception of Nebraska as a program stuck in a rut — better than most but no longer capable of being elite. It also sets up the Huskers for a strong run into November. Nebraska's next three games: at Northwestern, Rutgers and Purdue. And a big day by Huskers star Ameer Abdullah against the Spartans' usually stingy defense would give the running back's Heisman Trophy chances boost.
If Nebraska losses to Michigan State? Sure, the Huskers could bounce back and still win the Big Ten, maybe even make the college football playoff if everything lined up perfectly. Realistically, though, this is Nebraska's chance to get back on the big stage. A chance for Nebraska to look like Nebraska again
#FearAmeer: Abdullah ran for 123 yards and 5.6 per carry in last season's 41-28 loss to Spartans
Nebraska 28 - Michigan State 24.
—————
Sporting News
http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2014-08-27/week-6-picks-spread-alabama-ole-miss-auburn-lsu-michigan-state-nebraska-oregon-arizona/slide/11
Bill Bender: Nebraska 21 - Michigan State 34
Ken Bradley: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 28
Teddy Greenstein: Nebraska 20 - Michigan State 27
Matt Hayes: Nebraska 24 - Michigan State 27
Dave Matter: Nebraska 28 - Michigan State 34
Cory McCartney: Nebraska 20 - Michigan State 31
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