MSU Looks to Snap Losing Streak Against Nebraska, Northwestern Seeks First Conference Win

With only three weeks left for the Big Ten in regular season play before the December 7 Championship game, requisite wins are on the line and on Saturday, the #16 Michigan State (8-0, 5-1) vs. Nebraska (7-2, 4-1) game is the one to watch for this conference.

Should the Spartans win, they can clinch a portion of the Legends Division title and will just need one more win in their last two games to punch their ticket for December 7. But this week they’ll need to change history as the Cornhuskers have defeated them the last two consecutive seasons as a new conference foe and in all of their seven matchups, they’ve won every time.

Mark D’Antonio

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is aware of the history and said via The Associated Press, “We’ve never run from facing Nebraska, but that is the one football team that we have not beaten since coming here, so that remains a goal of ours. But I think there are bigger and more important things to worry about — we’ve got to beat Nebraska to accomplish our goals, and that’s why it’s such a big game.”

The team will enter the game after a bye week and in their previous game, they defeated rival Michigan (6-3, 2-3) two weeks ago, 29-6. This again came from strong play from their No. 1 nationally ranked total defense. This group is the only one in the country that has held opposing teams to less than 100 ground yards in a game every week. The one opposing offense that had the greatest luck against the Spartans did so by rushing for 64 yards.

Good luck to Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah, who has 1,213 yards and seven touchdowns to-date for the season. Last week against Michigan, Abdullah ran in the winning touchdown with 2:03 remaining in the game.

The Cornhuskers will again be without quarterback Taylor Martinez and Tommy Armstrong Jr. will get his sixth starting nod. Last week Armstrong went 11 of 19, 139 yards and that game-winning score.

It’s been a season of fourth quarter comebacks for Nebraska as they’ve done it in five games this season. All of these have come in Big Ten play.

Sitting with a 7-2 record, many have thought Nebraska coach Bo Pelini’s job has been on the line this season. Should the team lose two of their next three games and end with a four-loss season, this will represent the sixth straight time they have done so–all under Pelini’s watch.

Back in 1990s, the program won three national titles but those days are long gone. Some attribute this to recruiting challenges, resulting in a lack of talent but you also have to ask if it’s the Pelini effect.

But for now, Pelini will play out the season and hope for wins this week, then Penn State (5-4, 2-3) and Iowa (6-4, 3-3). Last year, the Spartans almost defeated Nebraska but Big Red staged an infamous fourth quarter comeback, scoring two touchdowns in the last seven minutes to win 28-24.

This week, Vegas thinks Sparty will buck the historical curse and defeat Nebraska (-6, 41.5 o/u).

Michigan vs. Northwestern

Michigan will try to snap a two-game losing streak by taking on Northwestern (4-5, 0-5) in Evanston. Fortunately they play well at Ryan Field with a 19-7 record.

Brady Hoke

For the Wildcats, they are yet to win a conference game and will be playing for that as well as hopes of going bowling. They’ve been close to a win in their last three games, only losing by one score but they join the Wolverines in having an inconsistent offense this season.

Interceptions have been a strength for this team (18 which ties them for a top spot with Florida State and Houston) and maybe it can help with this week’s much-needed win (-2.5, 49.5 o/u).