Quiet week compared to last. Could it be that the Huskers are settling into a groove after last weeks' close call? A win this week would prove it. That cold mistress Consistency is the biggest missing ingredient for Bo Pelini's program, and this weekend is a perfect opportunity to grab hold of it. Win against the Buckeyes on the road, and the Huskers might have turned a corner. Lose, and the same old questions pop up. Big test this week for the Huskers.
Overall, this is one of the best weeks of college football I can remember. #4 vs #10, #5 vs #6, #8 vs #11, #12 vs #21, #4 vs #23 and a whole bunch of important conference games. This is set to be one heckuva Saturday, and I'm going to be parked on the couch all afternoon.
(all rankings AP)
Nebraska
I re-watched the Wisconsin game on the Big Ten Network's football, and let me tell you, it looks a lot better for the Huskers with all of the between snap drama taken out. Yes, Nebraska played sloppy, yes there were too many fumbles, missed throws, and clogged running lanes, and yes the first 35 minutes mostly sucked, especially for the offense, but those last 25 minutes were about as pretty as you could ask for. Nebraska showed it's ability to weather an early storm, come back strong and beat a team into submission. That's encouraging, as another stronger team waits in Columbus.
Nebraska desperately needs Taylor Martinez to be sharp passing this week since the most glaring weakness for this Ohio State team has been through the air. Ohio State gives up an average of 276 yards per game passing, and Martinez should look to move that number North of 300. The Buckeyes have been strong against the run, so this might be a game in which the Huskers set up the run with the pass instead of vice versa. As much as it might pain the fan base, Rex Burkhead and Co. might need to take a backseat to Kenny Bell & Quincy Enunwa Inc. Oh, and it would be nice if we scored more TDs instead of field goals against a team like Ohio State.
This game is going to turn on the Blackshirts. If they can contain Braxton Miller (contain, not shut down, that's asking too much) then Nebraska has a real chance to win this game. Miller accounts for more than 70% of the Ohio State offense, and the Buckeyes would be in a world of hurt if he got injured like last year in Lincoln. But we can't count on that. The Husker defense needs to come out hot, make tackles, contain Miller in the pocket as much as possible, and for the love of Charlie McBride, force a turnover or two.
The Huskers go into this game as underdogs on the road, and that's typically where the Huskers play their best ball. I'm tempted to pick a Husker win, but it just doesn't feel right. I just can't trust the game to Martinez's arm. Lightning doesn't strike twice, and I think Miller plays the whole game and lights up the Huskers like he did in the first half last season. Buckeyes by 10 or so.
Big Ten
Like I said last week, now that the conference slates are under way, the Big 10 bashing has abated a little bit. That will continue to diminish if Ohio State and Nebraska put on a good show, and Northwestern continues its improbable run. The conference really needs Nebraska to eke out a win in Columbus to keep the Huskers in the top 25, and they need Michigan State and Michigan to get back in the win column as well. The Big 10's season isn't lost, but it could use a boost.
Saturday:
#24 Northwestern at Penn State: This will be the biggest test for the upstart Wildcats, but it's a game they are capable winning. If the Northwestern defense shows up to play, then the Wildcat offense should be able to outpace the Nittany Lion's improved bunch. This should be a good game.
Michigan State at Indiana: After games against Ohio State and Notre Dame, this is a welcome gimme game for the Spartans. Still, the Spartans must show up, play well, and beat the Hoosiers, but this is hardly a stressful game for anyone in the Michigan State program.
Wisconsin vs Illinois: The Illini have been downright pathetic so far this year, and I think the Badgers have a great opportunity to rebound and get back in the Leaders division race.
Purdue vs Michigan: It's hard to say that Team A is better than Team B because they had a closer loss to Team C, but Purdue did a much better job against Notre Dame than the Wolverines did, and I think there's a lot of momentum in the Boilermakers' program as they realize just how big an opportunity they've been given to take the Leaders division this year.
Top 25 rundown:
Bold print denotes winner
#2 Oregon vs #23 Washington
#3 Florida State at North Carolina State
#4 LSU at #10 Florida
#5 Georgia at #6 South Carolina
#7 Kansas State vs Kansas
#8 West Virginia at #11 Texas
#9 Notre Dame vs Miami (FL)
#12 Ohio State vs #21 Nebraska
#13 USC at Utah
#15 Clemson vs Georgia Tech
#15 TCU vs Iowa State
#17 Oklahoma at Texas Tech
#18 Stanford vs Arizona
#20 Mississippi State at Kentucky
#22 Rutgers vs Connecticut
#24 Northwestern at Penn State
#25 UCLA at California
Game of the Week: The most important game on so many levels, with more division, conference, and national title implications than any other, my pick for game of the week is Georgia at South Carolina.
Most overrated team: Still
Oregon State. It was nice to see them beat Arizona, but do they really deserve to be in the top 15? I don't think so.
Most underrated team: I think it's Northwestern. Obviously this week is a massive test for the Wildcats, but Northwestern is playing good football right now.
My Heisman top 5:
1.Geno Smith, West Virginia QB: 10 TD passes and 8 incompletions in one game? That's just silly. He'll need assistance from his defense to stay in front in this race.
2. Collin Klein, Kansas State QB: Klein's stats should be a little more gaudy this week against a soft Kansas defense. If he wants this award, K-State needs to win out.
3. EJ Manuel, Florida State QB: Manuel didn't play as well last week, but he didn't need to. The Seminoles should roll again this week against NC State.
4. Aaron Murray, Georgia QB: Put up or shut up time for Murray. If he can lead the Bulldogs to a win on the road against a top 10 team, he'll move up.
5. Braxton Miller, Ohio State QB: The sophomore showed toughness and resiliency in leading the Buckeyes to a close win at Michigan State. He's the heart and soul of Ohio State's offense.
More to Prove: Johnathan Franklin, De'Anthony Thomas, Sammy Watkins
Darkhorses: Manti Teo, Jarvis Jones, Rex Burkhead, Taylor Martinez
Husker NFL MVP week 4:
Lavonte David of Tampa Bay made 14 tackles (12 unassisted and 3 TFLs) in a last second loss to the Redskins last Sunday and therefore he gets the nod. David has been impressive as a rookie starter for the Bucs, and he has a bright future in the NFL.
That
wraps up this week's preview. Every weekend seems more and more important to the Huskers' title hopes, and even though I'm picking the Buckeyes this week, I will not be even a little bit disappointed if the Huskers pull off the win. Thanks for reading!
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