CFN Fearless Prediction

[GSG]

Kansas (3-6) at Nebraska (8-1) Nov. 13, 7:00

 

Here’s The Deal … Both teams played improbable games last week for a variety of reasons. Kansas came up with 35 points in the fourth quarter as Colorado choked, lost, and fired its head coach. Was it the catalyst to turn things around for a woeful Jayhawk team that managed just 40 points over the previous four games? If not, it was a heck of the way to end the season with Oklahoma State and a trip to Missouri to close things out after this week’s date in Lincoln. The offense hadn’t done much all year, and the defense has been miserable, but this has been a team that comes up with interesting performances out of nowhere, okay, two, beating Georgia Tech early this year, but now KU has to use the Buff win as a catalyst. Meanwhile, the Huskers overcame a bad game and a great outing from Iowa State to survive in overtime, and now they’re two games away from playing for the Big 12 title. With a trip to Texas A&M up next and the Colorado game on Thanksgiving weekend, there’s still time to win the North with a gag this weekend, but it’ll take a special type of meltdown for Nebraska to lose. The Huskers had won 36 in a row in the series from 1969 up until 2004, and they’re back on track winning the matchup the last two seasons.

 

Why Kansas Might Win: How did Iowa State come so close to pulling off the monster upset last week? It helped that Taylor Martinez was out, but KU can’t rely on that. The offense was able to keep the chains moving connecting on several key third down plays, while the offense got just enough out of the running game to balance out, at least a little bit, the passing of Austen Arnaud. KU’s offense has to stay on the field, and while Nebraska can hit the home run at any time, and time of possession won’t really matter, moving the chains is a must. The KU defense might be a disaster, but it managed to keep the Georgia Tech ground game to a semi-manageable 291 yards and two touchdowns with a great-gang tackling effort from Steven Johnson and the linebackers. KU kept Yellow Jacket QB Josh Nesbitt to 33 rushing yards, and it’ll have to take away Martinez first.

 

Why Nebraska Might Win: The Georgia Tech game was a complete and utter aberration. The Jayhawk run defense has been awful thanks to a defensive line that doesn’t generate any pressure whatsoever and allows way too many yards in chunks. Colorado’s Rodney Stewart ran for 175 yards and three touchdowns last week, Iowa State’s Alexander Robinson ran for 117 yards, and Texas A&M’s Cyrus Gray ran for 117 over the last three weeks. The KU back seven is decent at swarming around the ball down the field, but they also aren’t athletic enough to avoid getting gashes when Martinez and Roy Helu fly through the holes and openings. Pencil in Nebraska for at least 300 rushing yards, and give the Nebraska defense at least four takeaways. To win, KU will have to win the turnover margin by ten miles, but it has only come up with eight takeaways on the year. Only Cincinnati has forced fewer turnovers.

 

What To Watch Out For: Martinez missed the Iowa State game with an ankle injury, but he’s expected to go. For Kansas, the comeback against Colorado was helped by the sharp game from Quinn Mecham, who completed 23-of-28 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns and two picks, and he ran for 20 yards as he made every throw needed when the chances were there. Also coming up with a breakout performance was James Sims, who ran for 123 yards and four touchdowns with a dominant fourth quarter. The tough JUCO transfer has run for scores in three games this year with on against Georgia Tech, two against New Mexico State, and four last weeks. KU is 3-0 when he has rushed for a touchdown and 0-6 when he doesn’t.

 

What Will Happen: At least last week was fun. The joy of the Colorado game will disappear on Nebraska’s opening drive of the game as Martinez and Helu each run for over 100 yards in the easy win.

 

CFN Prediction: Nebraska 52 … Kansas 13 … Line: Kansas -35

Must See Rating: The Best That Never Was: The Marcus Dupree Story – 5 … Conan -1 … 2

 

http://cfn.scout.com/2/1020734.html

[HuskerJosh]

We need another 3 100-yard rusher day.

[DTrain2020]

Ha look at the line, if that was the honest line id bet the kitchen sink on nebraska, but I think there should be a + sign next to kansas.

[NUance]

Why Kansas Might Win: The entire NU team could contract ebola and enter into a zombie-like state by game time.

 

Why Nebraska Might Win: All other possibilities.

[AllTheGoodNamesAreTaken]

Why kansas might win: see sdsu, texas, iowa state

Why nebraska might win: see all other games

[huskerswrkhavoc]

Ha look at the line, if that was the honest line id bet the kitchen sink on nebraska, but I think there should be a + sign next to kansas.

 

 

I was gonna say the same thing.. i'll drop the house on it, plus whatever else i can muster up to put on it.

[Bradr]

I love it where every analysis outside of Nebraska from last week fails to mention how we were down our first AND second string quarterbacks, AND our third stringer was exhibiting concussion-like symptoms.

 

Bad game - maybe, but you would figure the informed one or two would give some credit to the team for pulling through in those circumstances .

[Ringer02]

"Conan - 1"

 

...bastards....

[TRIPP]

i feel bad for turner gill this week. i know some think we will win, but not big because of the Ne ties, but i feel a dominating game this weekend. We need a big game to climb back up in the ranks.

[RedDenver]

"Conan - 1"

 

...bastards....

Their rating system always sucks. I often have to use the game match-up to figure out whether their 1 or 5 rating is "good".

[HuskerJosh]

"Conan - 1"

 

...bastards....

Their rating system always sucks. I often have to use the game match-up to figure out whether their 1 or 5 rating is "good".

They nailed this one.

[RedDenver]

"Conan - 1"

 

...bastards....

Their rating system always sucks. I often have to use the game match-up to figure out whether their 1 or 5 rating is "good".

They nailed this one.

That's the problem, I disagree. At least this time I've heard of both of the shows.

[husker B-rent]

i would say they got it right. i have stopped watching that channel cuz all the stupid connan commercials. how dumb?

[no_name_needed_2001]

conan is a 5

 

but that Marcus Dupree story is too. Glad he didnt come play for us!