Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting Picks: What to Expect from Matt Rhule's Team in Week 1

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting Picks: What to Expect from Matt Rhule's Team in Week 1

The Big Ten college football season starts tonight with a matchup between two rivals, as the Minnesota Golden Gophers host the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Huntington Bank Stadium. The clash between these Big 10 rivals promises an intriguing battle, given the circumstances with lots of turnover on both sides, including coaches as well, as former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule takes the reins at Nebraska. It will hopefully be an up year for the program, but their defense improved more than the offense. With these two teams clashing, the total is set at 43. That is an interesting number.

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Date, Time, Odds and Where to Watch

• Date: August 31, 2023
• Time: 8:00 pm ET
• Where to Watch: FOX

Click here to get the latest Minnesota vs. Nebraska odds

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Prediction

The Cornhuskers, under the leadership of new head coach Matt Rhule, are on a journey of rejuvenation. Rhule is renowned for his ability to turn teams around as he did in college football before trying his hand in the NFL. He has undertaken similar tasks at Temple and Baylor, yet the job ahead of him at Nebraska will prove historically challenging. As Nebraska aims to return to its former glory, both offensive and defensive transformations are underway.

The Nebraska offense is under transition, as Marcus Satterfield takes the reins as offensive coordinator. A shift towards a pro-style, under-center offense is expected, differing from the spread and uptempo strategy under the previous coaches. The man under center will also feature a change, with Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims stepping in. Sims is notably a great runner, but his passing skills are still a work in progress. Last season, he posted a PFF passing grade of 52.0, an average of 5.9 yards per attempt, and only five big-time throws compared to 10 turnover-worthy plays. On the ground, Sims has carved defenses. Although he had his slowest year on the ground last season, he still had 302 rushing yards in seven games.

The Cornhuskers, with the addition of a run-happy quarterback, will likely look to attack on the ground a lot this season. The Nebraska offense will have the help of 120 returning starts across the offensive line. With running backs Anthony Grant and Gabe Ervin in the backfield, the Cornhusker's best plan of attack will be on the ground.

On the other side of the field, the Minnesota Golden Gophers are entering their seventh season under P.J. Fleck's leadership. Following a nine-win season and a second-place finish in the Big Ten West last year, the Gophers face massive turnover on both sides of the ball. Long-time starting quarterback Tanner Morgan is gone, along with running back Mo Ibrahim, who was one of the best running backs in the country. Along with several significant pieces from the defense leaving, the Gophers have some holes to fill.

Athan Kaliakmanis is set to take the reins as the Gophers' starting quarterback. Kaliakmanis actually started the final five games of the season last year, so he has some decent experience in this role, but he is still adapting. While the offensive strategy could evolve to incorporate more passing, the absence of a powerhouse like Ibrahim will prove to make that a challenge.

Defensively, Minnesota has a tough task at hand as only three starters return in the front seven. Key players in the secondary have moved on as well. The Gophers concluded 2022 with a strong ranking of 15th in Success Rate Allowed, and they ranked 4th in points per game allowed overall, but that may be hard to replicate with much of that defensive production gone.

With much of Minnesota's defensive line gone and a new, run-heavy quarterback under center for Nebraska, I expect the Cornhuskers to attack the line of scrimmage and eat up clock on the ground. On Minnesota's side, while Ibrahim is gone, Sean Tyler was brought in from WMU, and he brings veteran experience as a senior, so the Gophers will likely look to him to get a lot of carries on the ground tonight. Minnesota was a highly defensively-minded team last season, and that shouldn't change too much this season. With the new clock rules and the clock continuing to run after first downs outside of the final two minutes of each half, the clock will be running all night with the ball staying out of the air on both sides. This is set up to be a low-scoring, back-and-forth affair. I like Minnesota to edge out a close victory in a 21-17 style game.

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting Pick

• Pick: Minnesota/Nebraska Under 43 @ -110 (Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this betting pick)