The Prediction: Nebraska Cornhuskers
· Yahoo Sports
On Saturday night, the 4-3 Huskies will go into a tough road matchup in Lincoln, as they face the 5-2 Nebraska Cornhuskers. It sure seems like a game that could turn the tide of their season, and our staff has their predictions below!
Andrew Berg (4-2 SU, 4-2 ATS)
Going into this season, I had my eye on this game as maybe the most pivotal one on the entire schedule. Instead, at 4-3, the season already looks mostly lost, at least from the perspective of preseason expectations. Of course, this game hinges on some of the same things that have caused the letdown so far. Namely, Demond Williams may or may not play at QB after Elijah Brown sparked the offense in Demond’s stead. Whoever plays at QB will have to deal with a defense that has given up only 15.4 points per game and leads the nation in third-down defense. Whoever lines up under center will be missing Landen Hatchett, who is out for the rest of the year, forcing an already jumbled offensive line to reshuffle once again.
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The Dawgs’ hopes depend on the defense’s ability to contain QB Anthony Colandrea and receiver Kwazi Gilmer. UW has had trouble in limited exposure to mobile QBs. If they can’t contain Colandrea, it could lead to extend possessions. It’s not a given that Nebraska’s offense will excel. They lost their last two against Oregon and Indiana with 14 and 17 points, respectively. The Huskies will cover if Nebraska’s offense plays like that again, but I have concerns about whether the defense can get off the field enough.
Nebraska 28 – Washington 20
Raymond Lucas Jr. (5-0 SU, 2-3 ATS)
Regardless of which quarterback walks into Lincoln Memorial Stadium as Washington’s starting quarterback, he will be in for a long night. It is always a difficult environment to play in and there are several elements that will make it the toughest UW will play in this season.
For starters, Nebraska is 5-2 (2-2 Big Ten) on the year. That record is good enough to inspire hope. I can guarantee you there will be fans in that stadium that believe Nebraska will not lose another game this season. Why? Because its toughest remaining game is against Ohio State… at home… against a likely Julian Sayin-less Buckeyes squad. It’s worth nothing Matt Rhule has a horrendous record against ranked teams. He is 2-26 dating back to his time at Temple. He has not beaten a ranked team at Nebraska. Nebraska hasn’t beaten a ranked team in TEN years. You could argue Rhule will end up on the hot seat if Nebraska beats UW, Illinois and Rutgers but falls to Ohio State (if Sayin is still hurt). If he isn’t, he should be. Especially with what Bob Chesney is doing at UCLA. I mean, Curt Cignetti won a national championship at Indiana. There is no excuse for mediocrity in the modern era. I say all of this, to say Nebraska still has plenty to play for.
Long story short… finishing the campaign without another loss will give Nebraska a shot at the College Football Playoff. Expect that stadium to sound like it.
If Demond Williams plays, he won’t be 100% and the passing attack has been lackluster regardless of how healthy he is.
If Elijah Brown plays, he’s very likely to turn the ball over after his three interception outing in the win over Purdue.
Nebraska is the better team. Playing at home. At night. On Halloween. In a high stakes game.
Nebraska 34- Washington-17
Mark Schafer (4-2 SU, 1-5 ATS)
If you’re an optimist like myself, you’d say that this game comes down to who starts at quarterback. In my opinion, Elijah Brown has made this offense hum more than Demond Williams and you don’t want to risk further injury to your starting QB. If Demond plays in a hostile environment, not at 100%, he might be liable to continue the struggle that has been his 2026 season. If Brown plays, he may be better, but he also is susceptible to turnovers, especially in Lincoln, in front of 85,000 fans dressed in black. It might be a long game for an offense with a line that has lost some veteran experience in Landen Hatchett, in front of a hostile crowd, facing a team that is hungry to prove that they can swing with the big boys.
Defensively, it starts and ends with containing Anthony Colandrea, the dual threat dynamo who has been very efficient and effective. UW has struggled in containing these kinds of quarterbacks, as they start well, but the levee breaks eventually. Add in skilled receivers like Kwazi Gilmer and it might spell a long day for the Husky defense.
It all adds up to…not a lot of hope from me. It’s been a long season, and I hope against hope that I’m wrong, but I haven’t seen anything that would suggest that I would be. Nebraska is a team that has something to play for and will certainly be motivated to make a statement, while the Huskies look to be overmatched. I think Nebraska will have it in control, which hurts to say.
Nebraska-35, Washington-24
Straight Up: Nebraska-3, Washington-0
Against The Spread: Nebraska-3, Washington–0
As always, let us know your prediction in the comments! Go Dawgs!