Nebraska vs. Michigan State Prediction: Can Heinrich Haarberg, Cornhuskers Keep Rolling in the Big Ten?
The Big Ten weekend slate kicks off in East Lansing when Nebraska visits Michigan State. Can Heinrich Haarberg, Cornhuskers keep rolling in the Big Ten? Ben Rajavuori provides his Nebraska vs. Michigan State pick.
Ben Rajavuori - November 3, 2023, 4:15 PM EDT
7 minNebraska vs. Michigan State Prediction: Can Heinrich Haarberg, Cornhuskers Keep Rolling in the Big Ten?
The Big Ten weekend slate kicks off in East Lansing when Nebraska visits Michigan State. Michigan State will attempt to win their first conference game of the season tomorrow, as they have started 0-5 in conference play this year. A bowl game is surely out of the question for Michigan State, but not at all for Nebraska. If Nebraska wins tomorrow, they will become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016. Nebraska comes into this game as a 3-point favorite. Can they continue rolling the Big Ten and potentially make it to the Big Ten Championship?
Nebraska vs. Michigan State Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: November 4, 2023
- Game Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: FS1
Nebraska vs. Michigan State Prediction
Yes, you read that right. Nebraska could be in the Big Ten Championship. Nebraska is currently tied with Iowa and Minnesota for first place in the Big Ten, and their remaining schedule is favorable. Their toughest game left is against Iowa, which may decide who goes to the championship.
Matt Rhule has done an excellent job at Nebraska in his first season. The Nebraska defense is playing well, and the move to Heinrich Haarberg has proved a very good one. Jeff Sims started the season 0-2 against Minnesota and Colorado, then Heinrich Haarberg took over, and Nebraska is 5-1 since. That one loss was to Michigan, so an understandable loss.
Haarberg is a very athletic quarterback who is a true dual threat. Haarberg has outcarried the starting running back the last two weeks and has 102 carries over the last six games, averaging 17 per start. He has rushed for 70+ yards in four of those, and one of the two misses was against Michigan.
The Cornhuskers have played stingy defense and have been excellent against both the run and pass. They look like the best defense in the Big Ten West behind Iowa. Their suffocating run game has also been hard to deal with, as even the quarterback is a difficult runner to stop. This Cornhuskers team looks legit.
Michigan State has been struggling this season, starting with losing head coach Mel Tucker. They have also had a revolving door at quarterback after the starter Noah Kim was injured against Iowa. Playing his place have been Katin Houser and Sam Leavitt, neither of whom have impressed. Houser has a 57% completion rate with 5.7 average yards per pass with two total touchdowns and two picks. Sam Leavitt has thrown for 5.4 yards per pass with one touchdown and two picks. Houser has been the primary quarterback, but he has been pulled for Leavitt at times. The quarterback situation is not good for the Spartans right now and is a big reason the Spartans are 0-5 in conference play.
Michigan State has been relying on its run game, but that's not doing too hot, either. Nathan Carter leads Michigan State with 141 carries and has just 4.3 average yards per carry. Carter has topped 100 rushing yards just once in conference play despite getting nearly 20 carries every game.
Michigan State is 0-5 in conference play and hasn't won since starting 2-0 against Central Michigan and Richmond. The Spartans rely on short passes and hand-offs to move the ball, and it has not been working. They have topped 16 points once in conference play, and they still lose that game to Rutgers by three. Nebraska can run the ball all over this Spartan's defense. Nebraska will control the time of possession in a low-scoring game that sees Nebraska win by a touchdown or more. This will look a lot like Michigan State's 12-27 loss last week to Minnesota. Take the better team in better current form.
Nebraska vs. Michigan State Pick
2 Unit Pick: Nebraska -3 -110 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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