Super Official Nebraska vs Michigan State Game Week Thread
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Rule number 1: Don't go backwards
Pretty decent original rap tune for this vid. Turn up the volume.
Pretty decent original rap tune for this vid. Turn up the volume.
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Listen, I absolutely HATE those stupid leprechauns, but right now, despite the Ishrish rather lame schedule, they are considered an elite team so being favored by 30 makes sense. Nebraska, currently, is NOT considered an elite team hence the 4.5 spread.
To your point though, that's why the games are played and not simulated.
That is an amazing comparison...athletically. I don't think Rule has Phillip's sheer breakaway speed, but he's more than fast enough.
This is an important game, more than it should be imo. I know it's hard for the team to shut out all the noise, but they are going to have to imo, to get where they want to be. I have little doubt that we are the better team. Imo we are a more talented, deeper, athletic, and skilled team.
The Iowa game from a few years back keeps haunting me. We beat them everywhere but on the scoreboard. The same thing could happen to a number of our games this year. What I want to see is what Colandrea seems to have........"forget the last play and let me prove I'm right all over again". "One play at a time".....seems to be a good motto. Win or lose there will still be more hills to climb.....eg. beat a ranked opponent, beat Iowa, win more games than we did last year, stop making dumb penalties, stop the run from BIG teams, get more three and outs against BIG teams......the list goes on and on. But it can start this week. Play like they are capable and I think we win by two scores. Let the negative voices in and we might not win at all.
The Iowa game from a few years back keeps haunting me. We beat them everywhere but on the scoreboard. The same thing could happen to a number of our games this year. What I want to see is what Colandrea seems to have........"forget the last play and let me prove I'm right all over again". "One play at a time".....seems to be a good motto. Win or lose there will still be more hills to climb.....eg. beat a ranked opponent, beat Iowa, win more games than we did last year, stop making dumb penalties, stop the run from BIG teams, get more three and outs against BIG teams......the list goes on and on. But it can start this week. Play like they are capable and I think we win by two scores. Let the negative voices in and we might not win at all.
For what it is worth, based on what I have seen, I am cautiously optimistic--and I can't really quantify why.
The last two years Nebraska has gone 3-0 in their non-conference games and then the rest of the season didn't go so well.
In 2026 thus far, we've won the 3 non-con games and will face Michigan State on the road in our conference play opener in a couple days. So how is this year different from the last two? Honestly, I don't know, except to say that it feels different. I can't measure or quantify it, but the way Nebraska's offense and defense, especially the defense, are playing, it just feels right. The defense, they way they line up, the way they read their keys, the way they attack, but simultaneously play with discipline--everything just feels like it is right. Gawd I hope this post ages well.
I really enjoyed your whole post, redfred. A lot of good stuff to chew on.
Colandrea was (in my mind) the big question mark going into the Ohio game. I was both encouraged--as well as frightened--of AC's "gunslinger" label. I liked the attitude but thought we'd see an equal amount of wow plays and turnovers. But I have been really impressed with his overall command of the offense. He's sharp and plays quick and decisive.
From my perspective, his "gunslinger" tag has come from the times he's thrown his laser-like darts through small windows to his receivers. Before the start of the season, I interpreted "Ant's" style as a swashbuckler as occasionally wild with his throws. But through three games, I've come to see it more as extreme confidence in his ability to "thread the needle." In the B1G, we play enough talented DBs that one or two of them may make him pay for it. But that remains to be seen.
It remains to be seen how we handle the road this Saturday, but I like this team's on-the-field maturity. Yeah, we've had too many penalties to this point--BUT, it's primarily been with our young players on special teams. I think we'll see a team that's focused in on the task at hand. Like you, I expect a double-digit win.
I think the coaching staff set the expectation back in January that they need to block out all the fishbowl negativity (and praise) and just focus on the task at hand, day by day and game by game. If they do, I suspect this team is gonna be "climbing a bunch of hills" this season.
I disagree to the extent that I consider every game Nebraska plays a "must win." Also, to continue to demonstrate growth and development, Nebraska has to keep beating teams we should (meaning games where we're favored) and start beating teams we're "not supposed" to. We have three teams on our schedule (Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State) that I would classify as "not supposed" beat. So win the games you're favored in and beat at least one of those three and that's good enough in terms of growth and development for this season.
I was going to hold off saying anything until after Saturday's test, but I've gotta admit to Husker99, I feel the same way.
It's the same comforting sense I remember having throughout the Devaney, Osborne, and early Solich years. To be clear, it wasn't that I had supreme confidence we were going to win every game. It was the gut sense of watching a quality college football program. It was observing our play and thinking to myself, 'Yeeeeeeeah, this looks right!'
And to be brutally frank, it's been a HELL OF A LONG time since I've felt it.
The first time I remember it slipping away was the year after Eric Crouch graduated and Jammal Lord became our QB. I remember a game that year when fans got so disgusted with Lord's indecisiveness in the pocket that you could literally hear the fans in Memorial Stadium yell in unison, "THROW THE DAMN BALL AWAY!!!!!" It was the first time I remember looking at Husker football and thinking, what's going on here??!?
Since then, it's never been one complete package. It's always been something that's had me shaking my head--offense, defense, special teams--or (sigh) ALL of the above! I've felt good about our last couple non-con seasons, but, for whatever reason, I felt a bit gun-shy about what was coming. By contrast, I left Memorial Stadium Saturday night feeling that old Husker fan 'mojo' again.
I don't know if it will stick around another week but it felt damn good to have it return. It gives me a sense of confidence going into our B1G season opener against Sparty.
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While I can't put it in quantifiable terms, I do think there are some indicators:For what it is worth, based on what I have seen, I am cautiously optimistic--and I can't really quantify why.
1) Colandria, despite the level of competition, reads the field well, throws on target both short AND deep throws (I can't be the only one who felt Dylan's deep throws were going to be off 90% of the time), he is mobile plus when he runs vertically it usually means there is an opening worth exploiting, and you have to like the guys demeanor.
2) On defense our third down stop rate has been good. Imo this will be very, very important Saturday. It will certainly help if we can minimize opponents' success on first down, but with a Fitzgerald team you need some three and outs......the more the better.
3) We have done better at stopping the run. I will give you that it will be much, much harder going forward, but if our preseason opponents had run rough shod over us like has happened in the past, I would be much more uncomfortable.
4) I am getting more and more convinced we have a decent defensive backfield. Throw in the fact that we are improving our qb pressure (mostly the last game) and I start to feal our pass defense will still be good without robbing from the run defense.
5) We're managing to get some turnovers........more than we're giving up.
6) I for one think that Matt has made some major upgrades on his staff.
I really wish there were a few more things I could add eg Not making dumb mistakes, special teams were a little more "special", and that no one was going to move our D-line, but those are going to have to wait for now. At least, I'm finding more good than bad. It's a good start.
Same. And, to expound a bit more, I think if Nebraska goes into East Lansing, handles business, and looks good doing so, I think that is a clear sign that things are definitely improving and on the way up; because Pat Fitzgerald is an excellent football coach whose teams, while not the most talented, always play tough, are physical, and well-coached. I agree with (I think) Sean Callahan who said he thinks Michigan State's plan for this game is to get Nebraska into a dull knife fight--meaning keep it ugly, a 14-10 type of game going into the 4th Q. On paper, this is a game I think Nebraska should win by 17-20 points, but you never know how it will turn out until the clock hits 00:00 in the 4th Q.
