*** 2017 Game 10 "Expert" Picks: Nebraska at Minnesota ***

[Saunders]

2017 Game 10 “Expert” Picks: Nebraska at Minnesota
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CollegeFootballNews.com
http://collegefootballnews.com/2017/11/nebraska-vs-minnesota-fearless-prediction-game-preview

The winner is still alive for a bowl game, the loser is, effectively, done. Even if Minnesota wins, it’s going to have a really, really tough time getting by Northwestern on the road and Wisconsin at home, but it will at least have a shot – it’s not winning both of those. Nebraska continues to fight and battle through a lost season, suffering a tough overtime loss to Northwestern last week that might have realistically been the end of the Mike Riley era – at least without a huge finishing run. With a trip to Penn State next week and Iowa to close, the Huskers desperately need this. Neither team is getting anything out of the offense, and neither team is a brick wall on D. The two are even in a measuring-stick moment for the P.J. Fleck era, and most likely a baseline point for Riley’s future, or the next Husker head man.

One Reason Why Nebraska Will Win
The Minnesota offense isn’t working. There’s no passing game whatsoever, but the backfield is talked and the offensive line is solid. But against Michigan, the offense couldn’t move the ball a lick, getting stuff for a hard 90 rushing yards, and with no passing from Demry Croft to make up for it. There’s a chance the Nebraska offense – as mediocre as it is – can come up with a big start and all but put the game away. This gets said every week, but the one advantage Nebraska has is the potential of Tanner Lee. He can push the ball down the field and put up 225 yards – like he did against Northwestern – and Minnesota can’t. However …

One Reason Why Minnesota Will Win
Just when it seemed like the interception problem went away, Lee threw three against the Wildcats. A massive issue over the first month of the season, Lee threw just one pick over a four-game stretch. Against Northwestern, the three giveaways were a problem in a tight game that came down to the little things. Minnesota needs those little things. The Gophers have to pound away from the start on a Husker run defense that can’t slow anyone down. Having problems with Wisconsin and Ohio State is one thing, but the Nebraska defensive front couldn’t stop Purdue’s ground game or Northwestern’s. Minnesota will run for 250 yards.

What’s Going To Happen
Nebraska might have a whole slew of massive problems, and there’s nothing the team can count on every week, but Minnesota simply doesn’t score enough. The Huskers will turn it over a few times, but they’ll overcome them with a few big pass plays in the fourth quarter to pull it out.

Nebraska 24 - Minnesota 17
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BTN.com
http://btn.com/2017/11/08/polls-its-time-to-pick-your-week-11-big-ten-football-winners-3/

Tom Dienhart: Nebraska 27 - Minnesota 26
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ESPN FPI
http://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=400935405

Minnesota - 59.8% Win
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Bill Connelly S&P+
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/11/9/16627662/college-football-picks-week-11-2017-predictions-odds-spreads

S&P+: Minnesota 26 - Nebraska 24 (54.7% Minnesota Win)
F+ Projection: Minnesota by 4 (51.4% Northwestern Win)
Adjusted S&P+: Nebraska by 4  (59.2% Nebraska Win)
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Athlon Sports
https://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-football-picks-expert-predictions-every-game-week-11-2017

Steven Lassan: N
Mitch Light: M
Bryan Fischer: M
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Daily Nebraskan
http://www.dailynebraskan.com/sports/football-score-predictions-nebraska-at-minnesota/article_663da5de-c2a9-11e7-8c26-73553c1d0d19.html

Stephanie Cavazos: Nebraska 34 - Minnesota 31
Zach Markon: Nebraska 21 - Minnesota 17
Anna Gleason: Minnesota 20 - Nebraska 17
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Barry Trammel
http://newsok.com/college-football-predictions-who-to-cheer-for-saturday/article/5571424

The Gophers are the Cornhuskers, only 40 years earlier. A Northern power that annually produced big-time football teams. It ended for Minnesota in 1961. It ended for Nebraska in 2002.

Nebraska 32 - Minnesota 20

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ESPN - Mitch Sherman
http://www.espn.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/143320/big-ten-week-11-picks-can-wisconsin-carry-the-leagues-flag-in-playoff-race
The Gophers are enduring the expected ups and downs of a team in transition, according to coach P.J. Fleck, who attempted to explain it this week with a poorly drawn graph. And what is Nebraska’s trajectory? Easier to draw, for sure, as the ship in Lincoln continues to sink with the Cornhuskers and coach Mike Riley aboard.

Minnesota 24 - Nebraska 21
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[Roll Skers]

Wow Barry -1

[4skers89]

18 minutes ago, Roll Skers said:

Wow Barry -1

That was rough. On the bright side we are 40 years away from becoming Minnesota if we can't turn things around. Oh wait that can't be correct since that would also be true next year. At what point do we become Minnesota?

[brophog]

It takes a lot of interceptions for Minnesota to overcome its lack of offense.

 

Just ask Purdue.

[grandpasknee]

I suspect, just to throw a monkey wrench into the whole current narrative, that Nebraska comes out and wins by two plus scores.  Will be a good little stirring of the pot.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

5 minutes ago, grandpasknee said:

I suspect, just to throw a monkey wrench into the whole current narrative, that Nebraska comes out and wins by two plus scores.  Will be a good little stirring of the pot.

 

Even if NU wins by 2 TD's, it's too little, too late.  The play on the field, along with the lack of leadership shown by Riley with his assistants has the AD ready to move on.

[grandpasknee]

13 minutes ago, ColoradoHusk said:

Even if NU wins by 2 TD's, it's too little, too late.  The play on the field, along with the lack of leadership shown by Riley with his assistants has the AD ready to move on.

Oh, I fully agree.  But I also know it will spark some debate among some people....

[brophog]

27 minutes ago, grandpasknee said:

Oh, I fully agree.  But I also know it will spark some debate among some people....

 

That debate isn't even simmering at this point.

[grandpasknee]

2 minutes ago, brophog said:

 

That debate isn't even simmering at this point.

 

2 minutes ago, brophog said:

 

That debate isn't even simmering at this point.

You seriously don't think there are some folks, on this board, that would fully support giving Riley another year?

[4skers89]

3 minutes ago, grandpasknee said:

 

You seriously don't think there are some folks, on this board, that would fully support giving Riley another year?

Launch code but Riley could totally blow the last 3 and he'd still be on board.

[Hilltop]

I wouldn't be upset either way...  In Moos I trust.  Basically because I don't have a choice lol.

[Mavric]

Minnesota radio guy was on 1620 this morning.  He said if the game is something like 17-14 Minnesota could win.  If it gets in the 20s, Minnesota is probably toast.  

[brophog]

11 hours ago, grandpasknee said:

 

You seriously don't think there are some folks, on this board, that would fully support giving Riley another year?

 

Teach keeps trying to find them, I don't think he has any yet.

[brophog]

13 hours ago, Mavric said:

Minnesota radio guy was on 1620 this morning.  He said if the game is something like 17-14 Minnesota could win.  If it gets in the 20s, Minnesota is probably toast.  

 

We are talking a team that in 2 of its last 3 games has 5 pass completions. They haven't completed over 50% in a game since conference play began, and they have only two conference games (Purdue/Illinois) in which they're averaging over 3.3 yards per rush. In 3 of the last 4 games, Minnesota hasn't hit 300 offensive yards, and their high since conference play began is 339 (Illinois).

 

 

 

[Danimal]

28 minutes ago, Husker_Bohunk said:

What if keeping Riley for one more year meant we could get Frost?

 

That "could" would have to be somehow be replaced with WILL. What if things are going great and that one more year he wants to give UCF becomes more? Riding our Riley decision on a hope that Frost is coming is a sketchy proposition. If Frost doesn't want the job and Riley hasn't somehow pulled some huge turnaround that could helps us save this class and keep fan interest then we have to look elsewhere. If need-be overpay a bit, would likely still cost us less than how much donations will dry-up with Riley staying after a 5-7 season.

 

 

As far as this game goes Minnie's O got killed by graduation this offseason, they have no blocking and no passing attack. Our run D sucks but we can mitigate that some against this team since we can get away with loading the box. On offense if Riley and Langs have any sense they are on Lee to be conservative and just take care of the dang ball. This will hardly be a shootout, we can afford to punt, we can't afford to give-up cheap scores off turnovers. No matter what the spread says this is not a team we have any business losing to. Not saying it won't happen, but it shouldn't.