NEBRASKA Game: Nebraska vs. Missouri Game Time: 10/8/2009 9:00:00 PM Prediction: Nebraska Reason: I'm laying the points with NEBRASKA. I've had plenty of success with home underdogs on Thursday nights over the years. However, that doesn't mean that I'm not willing to back the occasional road favorite. In this case, I believe that the road team is offering us plenty of value. Naturally, this is a very big game. These teams are bitter rivals and both are very anxious to kick-off conference play with a victory. The Tigers have been tough at home in recent years. However, I feel that the Huskers are a stronger team and that they come in with a little more to prove. I say that as the Huskers have had little success on the road vs. ranked teams and they'd really like to get that monkey off their back. Additionally, the Tigers have blown out them out in back to back meetings and this is their chance to settle the score. Doing so at Faurot Field on National TV would be a statement that "Nebraska's back" and there would be nothing sweeter to the Huskers. The Tigers do come in with the better record. They're 4-0 while the Huskers are 3-1. However, the Huskers' lone loss came at Virginia Tech (Hokies were ranked #13 at the time) and that loss came by only one point, (16-15) with the Hokies scoring with 21 seconds left to earn the win. While the Tigers have beaten a pair of capable teams in Illinois and Nevada, both those programs have struggled so far. Their other two wins came against the likes of Furman and Bowling Green. The combined record of those four opponents is just 6-12, with Furman (a Football Championship Subdivision team) accounting for three of those victories - those coming against its Southern Conference foes. In other words, Nebraska and Missouri could easily have the same record, if they'd played the same schedule. The loss to V-Tech notwithstanding, the Huskers have been dominating their opponents. In fact, they've outscored Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State and Lafayette by a combined margin of 142-12. The offense ranks 19th in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 440 yards per game and ninth with 39.3 points per game. The defense has been even better. Indeed, the Huskers are first in FBS in scoring defense, allowing just seven points per game, and their 28 points allowed are their fewest yielded through four games since 1990. Last year was Bo Pellini's first year as coach of Nebraska and last year's game vs. Missouri was his very first within the conference. Not only did the Huskers lose but they were blown out by a score of 52-17. That was their most lopsided defeat at Memorial Stadium since 1955. Its safe to say that Pellini and co. haven't forgotten. While it hasn't been noticable yet, this year's Tigers had the fewest number of returning starters in the Big 12 and were tied (with OSU) for the fewest number of returning lettermen. Look for those personnel losses to finally catch up with them this evening, as the revenge-minded Huskers get some payback, covering the small number along the way. *8 Roast
Burns 10-8-09
Game: Nebraska vs. Missouri Game Time: 10/8/2009 9:00:00 PM Prediction: Nebraska Reason: I'm laying the points with NEBRASKA. I've had plenty of success with home underdogs on Thursday nights over the years. However, that doesn't mean that I'm not willing to back the occasional road favorite. In this case, I believe that the road team is offering us plenty of value. Naturally, this is a very big game. These teams are bitter rivals and both are very anxious to kick-off conference play with a victory. The Tigers have been tough at home in recent years. However, I feel that the Huskers are a stronger team and that they come in with a little more to prove. I say that as the Huskers have had little success on the road vs. ranked teams and they'd really like to get that monkey off their back. Additionally, the Tigers have blown out them out in back to back meetings and this is their chance to settle the score. Doing so at Faurot Field on National TV would be a statement that "Nebraska's back" and there would be nothing sweeter to the Huskers. The Tigers do come in with the better record. They're 4-0 while the Huskers are 3-1. However, the Huskers' lone loss came at Virginia Tech (Hokies were ranked #13 at the time) and that loss came by only one point, (16-15) with the Hokies scoring with 21 seconds left to earn the win. While the Tigers have beaten a pair of capable teams in Illinois and Nevada, both those programs have struggled so far. Their other two wins came against the likes of Furman and Bowling Green. The combined record of those four opponents is just 6-12, with Furman (a Football Championship Subdivision team) accounting for three of those victories - those coming against its Southern Conference foes. In other words, Nebraska and Missouri could easily have the same record, if they'd played the same schedule. The loss to V-Tech notwithstanding, the Huskers have been dominating their opponents. In fact, they've outscored Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State and Lafayette by a combined margin of 142-12. The offense ranks 19th in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 440 yards per game and ninth with 39.3 points per game. The defense has been even better. Indeed, the Huskers are first in FBS in scoring defense, allowing just seven points per game, and their 28 points allowed are their fewest yielded through four games since 1990. Last year was Bo Pellini's first year as coach of Nebraska and last year's game vs. Missouri was his very first within the conference. Not only did the Huskers lose but they were blown out by a score of 52-17. That was their most lopsided defeat at Memorial Stadium since 1955. Its safe to say that Pellini and co. haven't forgotten. While it hasn't been noticable yet, this year's Tigers had the fewest number of returning starters in the Big 12 and were tied (with OSU) for the fewest number of returning lettermen. Look for those personnel losses to finally catch up with them this evening, as the revenge-minded Huskers get some payback, covering the small number along the way. *8 Roast
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