NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS VS NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS (+375)
Last season, Nebraska had the worst pass-blocking grade in the Power Five by double-digit points. Enter transfer QB Casey Thompson, formerly of University of Texas, who doesn’t handle pressure too well. His 7.8% turnover-worthy play rate under duress last year was the sixth-highest in the Power Five. Northwestern will rely on Adetomiwa Adebawore to create most of its pressure, but he’s proven to be more than capable. His 78.2 pass-rush grade in 2021 is the third-best by a returning Big Ten edge defender.Nebraska’s strength is their defense, led by edge defenders Garrett Nelson and Caleb Tannor. However, they should be neutralized by Northwestern LT Peter Skoronski, PFF’s top offensive tackle in the country. RT Ethan Wiederkehr is also a strong player, posting a 70.8 grade last year that ranked in the top-15 among Big Ten tackles. Northwestern should be able to both create pressure on Nebraska while keeping pressure away on offense, making an upset more feasible than the listed odds would suggest.
Best Bet: Northwestern ML (+375)
While both sides of the trenches have improved from the disaster that was last season, going to have to see how things fare against better B1G competition to get a real sense of how much of an improvement.
Concerned about the D giving up big plays by being out of position; also seemed that the game plan/personnel grouping wasn't prepared for Nebby's 3-4 WR sets at the onset.
Hilinsky played well, but he should have with the protection he got and with the separation that the receivers were getting against Nebby's secondary, not to mention the run support.
The true test for Hilinsky will be when he is facing pressure, when he has to throw into a tight window or when he has to lead a drive down the field without much time on the clock.
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