***Official Expert Predictions Thread: B1G Championship

[GSG]

Big Ten: Who will transform tomorrow?

 

Each Friday during the season, we'll be taking a look at a Big Ten player to watch when the games kick off Saturday.

 

This week's selection: Nebraska defensive end Eric Martin

 

Saturday assignment: vs. Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/66590/who-will-transform-tomorrow-13

[GSG]

From the hoodlums at Off Tackle Empire:

 

Ted Glover: Nebraska, 27-16

Graham Filler: Nebraska by 10

Hilary Lee: Nebraska by 2

Bama Hawkeye: Wisconsin, 24-10

Chad Bell: Nebraska, 31-17

Jesse Collins: Nebraska, 34-20

Brian Gillis: Wisconsin in a close one

MSULaxer27: Wisconsin, 24-19

MN Wildcat: Nebraska, 35-27

Babaoreally: Nebraska, 31-20

 

http://www.offtackleempire.com/2012/11/30/3708342/b1g-big-ten-championship-game-nebraska-wisconsin-predictions

[GSG]

Tom’s pick: Nebraska, 35-33 – Like last year’s game, this figures to be a back-and-forth affair. Each team will be able to run the football. The difference will be the quarterbacks. Taylor Martinez will make more plays than Curt Phillips, whose lack of big-game experience will shine through.

 

Brent’s pick: Nebraska, 31-20 – Simply put, Nebraska’s offense boasts too many playmakers, from Taylor Martinez to one of the conference’s deepest collections of running backs and wide receivers. Plus, its defense isn’t too shabby, either.

 

http://btn.com/2012/11/30/vote-now-we-predict-big-ten-title-game-winner/

[GSG]

Stewart Mandel from Sports Illustrated:

 

No. 14 Nebraska (10-2) vs. Wisconsin (7-5)

The first game between these two, a 30-27 Huskers win on Sept. 29, featured two seemingly evenly matched teams. Then Nebraska got blown out by Ohio State the following week. But the Huskers have won six straight since, with quarterback Taylor Martinez playing the best ball of his career, while the Badgers' offense continues to struggle. Nebraska will leave Indy with roses.

 

Nebraska 27-10

 

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/stewart_mandel/11/29/week-14-pickoff/index.html#ixzz2Din0i6G1

[hskrpwr13]

http://cfn.scout.com/2/1244656.html

 

What Will Happen: It’s so hard to win a rematch. Michigan State beat Wisconsin in heartbreaking fashion in the regular season last year, and the Badgers returned the favor in the Big Ten championship. Nebraska has been playing with fire all season long, and Wisconsin hasn’t found a way to get on the right side of the breaks over the last several weeks, but now the tables will turn.

 

It’s almost as if the Badgers have been in a holding pattern for the last few months. It’s not like they’re not trying to win, and it’s not like they don’t appear to be coming up with the maximum effort, but there hasn’t been the sense of urgency needed to come up with a stellar year. All the close losses were followed up by some sort of a comment about how all of the team’s goals were still in place, and this is it. Now the team is at the goal, and now is when the focused, effective effort will come.

 

Each team will try to be more physical than the other; the Badgers will win that battle. The bigger key, though, will be the +3 turnover margin that will carry Bucky to a third straight trip to L.A.

 

CFN Prediction: Wisconsin 27 … Nebraska 23 …

 

ATS Consultants Line (Click for more lines and picks) Nebraska -3 O/U: 49

Must Watch Rating (5 – Crossfire Hurricane, 1 – Comic Book Men: 4.5

Ahh, CFN.

 

The epitome of butthurt this season.

 

Keep in mind that this is only Fiutak's prediction. Heres the CFN staff picks list (against the -3 spread):

 

Fiu Rich Matt Russ Phil Terry Clucko PICK

UW NE NE NE UW UW NE NE

http://cfn.scout.com/2/557925.html

[irafreak]

From the hoodlums at Off Tackle Empire:

 

Ted Glover: Nebraska, 27-16

Graham Filler: Nebraska by 10

Hilary Lee: Nebraska by 2

Bama Hawkeye: Wisconsin, 24-10

Chad Bell: Nebraska, 31-17

Jesse Collins: Nebraska, 34-20

Brian Gillis: Wisconsin in a close one

MSULaxer27: Wisconsin, 24-19

MN Wildcat: Nebraska, 35-27

Babaoreally: Nebraska, 31-20

 

http://www.offtackle...sin-predictions

Short of Taylor, Rex, Ameer, Bell and half the oline going down to injury, there is no way Wisconsin keeps us to 10 points. What a poor prediction.

[Saunders]

From the hoodlums at Off Tackle Empire:

 

Ted Glover: Nebraska, 27-16

Graham Filler: Nebraska by 10

Hilary Lee: Nebraska by 2

Bama Hawkeye: Wisconsin, 24-10

Chad Bell: Nebraska, 31-17

Jesse Collins: Nebraska, 34-20

Brian Gillis: Wisconsin in a close one

MSULaxer27: Wisconsin, 24-19

MN Wildcat: Nebraska, 35-27

Babaoreally: Nebraska, 31-20

 

http://www.offtackle...sin-predictions

Short of Taylor, Rex, Ameer, Bell and half the oline going down to injury, there is no way Wisconsin keeps us to 10 points. What a poor prediction.

It's an Iowa fan.

[ADS]

From the hoodlums at Off Tackle Empire:

 

Ted Glover: Nebraska, 27-16

Graham Filler: Nebraska by 10

Hilary Lee: Nebraska by 2

Bama Hawkeye: Wisconsin, 24-10

Chad Bell: Nebraska, 31-17

Jesse Collins: Nebraska, 34-20

Brian Gillis: Wisconsin in a close one

MSULaxer27: Wisconsin, 24-19

MN Wildcat: Nebraska, 35-27

Babaoreally: Nebraska, 31-20

 

http://www.offtackle...sin-predictions

[It'sNotAFakeID]

Something to take a look at about our turnovers too:

 

Since the Northwestern game, where we lost the turnover battle by 3 (3-0):

 

Michigan, we won that battle 3-2 (+1)

Michigan State, we lost that battle 3-2 (-1)

Penn State, we won that battle 3-2 (+1)

Minnesota, broke even, 2-2 (0)

Iowa, broke even, 2-2 (0)

 

Total TO Margin for the last 5 games: +1

 

 

Wisconsin:

 

Minnesota, won that battle 2-0 (+2)

Michigan State, won that battle 1-0 (+1)

Indiana, won that battle 3-0 (+3)

Ohio State, lost that battle 1-0 (-1)

Penn State, lost that battle 1-0 (-1)

 

Total TO Margin: +4

 

 

What all that boils down to is this: Nebraska turns the ball over at a much higher rate than Wisconsin. However, Nebraska does a lot better job at forcing turnovers than the Badgers. I think we lose or tie the turnover battle tomorrow, but only by 1 (2-1, or 3-2) or 0 (2-2), a margin I feel won't be enough for the Badgers to hang around in the game.

 

We're indoors, we have played our last 3 games in strong winds, thus our offensive numbers have been lower than they would be otherwise. We put up 30 points on the Badgers despite turning the ball over 2 times in our own territory. If those don't happen, Wisconsin doesn't score 27, they score 20 at most. They simply don't have the offense to score. Their path to winning comes from the defense, if they can stop Nebraska (or if we stop ourselves with turnovers) and only manage 23, this game could be closer than it should.

 

 

What will happen: Nebraska will turn the ball over twice, but it'll be on Wisconsin's side of the field and the Badgers won't be able to capitalize off either turnover, while throwing 2 INTs of their own. Eric Martin will get past the over-hyped offensive line of Wisconsin and record 2 sacks on Phillips. Montee Ball will turn in a similar performance that he had against the Huskers in September, 93 yards, but only 1 TD on 25 carries as Bucky will try to ride him to California again. It won't be enough though as a healthy Rex Burkhead rushes for 130 yards, 2TDs while Taylor throws for 200 and a couple of TDs, one to Jamal Turner and the other to Kenny Bell.

 

Huskers 31

Badgers 17

[GSG]

Corn Nation guys:

 

Jon: Nebraska 30-27

Aaron: Nebraska 35-21

Mike: Wisconsin 35-31

James: Nebraska 28-24

Cornhead: Nebraska 27-23

Salt Creek: Nebraska wins on last second field goal

DM: Nebraska 34-24

Brian: Nebraska

 

http://www.cornnation.com/2012/11/30/3711942/predictions-championship-week-b1g-nebraska-football

[huskerhandy35]

This game worries me more than most any other this year except Ohio State. Every time a game has really worried me, we've lost!

 

I may get flak for this, but I worry primarily because of Taylor Martinez. I, worry about him being prone to turn the ball over, especially when running into traffic. He doesn't take care of the ball well, while being tackled . Also, his high reward/high risk style of play is always 50/50 which way it goes. I will say that i think he has improved on the 50/50 reward/risk percentages and is now playing more of a 70/30 split. He still needs to play fumble free football for us to win! I can't accept an INT or maybe even two, but i can live with it should it happen!

 

* Side note : Beating a team twice in same year is always harder to do rather than easier to do. I, just hope, our guys play with intensity and focus, for what is the most important 60 minutes of their lives tomorrow!

[Notre Dame Joe]

predicts a lot of Red in the rose bowl.

[Animal_Mother]

No. 12 Nebraska versus Wisconsin

 

Adam Rittenberg: Nebraska is three games better than Wisconsin in the win column, but the teams are fairly evenly matched, as we saw Sept. 29 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Wisconsin has been in every game this season and, with a few bounces here and there, could have the same record as Nebraska. The championship game ultimately will be a microcosm of both teams' seasons. Nebraska starts sloppily and commits two first-quarter turnovers, one of which Wisconsin converts into a Montee Ball touchdown run. The Badgers attack the middle of Nebraska's defensive line effectively in the first half and lead 14-10 at halftime. But Nebraska makes the right personnel adjustments and turns in a big third quarter behind Rex Burkhead (120 rush yards, 2 TDs). Wisconsin's defense stabilizes in the fourth, and Curt Phillips leads a late scoring drive to tie things up and send it to overtime. In the extra session, Nebraska's defense holds Wisconsin to three points, setting up a game-winning touchdown run by Taylor Martinez. Nebraska 27, Wisconsin 24 (OT)

 

Brian Bennett: Overtime, eh? I see you're predicting a long night for us at Lucas Oil Stadium. Wisconsin wouldn't want to see an extra period, since the Badgers are 0-3 in overtime games this season. Every Badgers game is close, but I don't see a lot of ways that they can upset Nebraska, which has gotten a lot better on defense since Sept. 29. The Huskers fell behind big early in that one primarily because of turnovers, which are always a concern for Bo Pelini's team. I don't think Nebraska will be as sloppy with the ball in this one, but I could see the Huskers coming out a little tight as the favorites with more to lose. A Ball touchdown run puts the Badgers up early as Wisconsin pounds the ball at a defensive line missing Baker Steinkuhler. Ultimately, though, Nebraska's speed and depth wear down a very good Wisconsin defense on the turf with its endless array of sweeps and quick-hit passes. Martinez throws for two touchdowns and runs for another, and Burkhead breaks off a long scoring run against a tiring Badgers D in the second half. Curt Phillips and the Wisconsin passing game struggle against what has become one of the nation's best pass defenses, and Ciante Evans shows All-Big Ten voters what they missed with a key interception. Nebraska pulls away late and celebrates with roses. Nebraska 28, Wisconsin 20

 

Final regular-season records

 

Adam Rittenberg: 76-20 (.792)

Brian Bennett: 71-25 (.740)

 

http://espn.go.com/b...ame-predictions

 

Well, if Jeremiah Johnson agrees...what the hell? It's settled. The dude did take out an armed camp single handed.

[Ziebol]

Todd McShay and Robert Smith both predict a Wisconsin win. They were stating to how the first game was and how Wisconsin has improved so much from them. I'm sorry, but have we not improved? It makes 0 sense why we ate getting over looked so much even to the point where we seem like the under dogs.

[Saunders]

Last night, Dr. Lou picked Wisconsin and Mark May Picked Nebraska because of Martinez and Burkhead.

 

On Gameday this morning, Matt Ryan (guest picker) and Kirk Herbstreit picked Nebraska, while Lee Corso went with Wisconsin because we commit a bunch of turnovers.