Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Northwestern Wildcats Prediction: The Wildcats to put up an impressive performance at home

Nebraska Cornhuskers and Northwestern Wildcats of Dublin, Ireland, will kick off the 2022 college football season for the Big Ten Conference. The Cornhuskers have only won 15 games in Scott Frost's four seasons as head coach, but they are on the verge of a breakout season. Mark Whipple, the new offensive coordinator at Nebraska, will take charge of a strong team that ranked second in the Big Ten in total offense a year ago.

Last season, the Nebraska Cornhuskers put up 27.9 points per game and averaged 446.6 yards in total offense. Last year, Nebraska's defense gave up 22.7 points and 366 yards per game on average. Nebraska will need to fill many roles this year, including quarterback, offensive skill positions, and defensive back. After 33 attempts as quarterback last year, Logan Smothers is in the running to take over for Adrian Martinez. While Rahmir Johnson is the Cornhuskers' highest returning runner with roughly 500 running yards and four touchdowns, Omar Manning is the team's leading returning receiver with 450 yards and two scores. On defense, Nebraska welcomes back starters Garrett Nelson with five sacks. Myles Farmer, one interception, and senior leader Luke Reimer, 109 tackles. Since leaving UCF, Frost has been a severe underachiever, so it's reasonable to ask if he's the ideal coach for the job. Fans must be getting restless after three straight years without a bowl appearance, regardless of the status of the team's roster.

The Wildcats of Northwestern University scored 16.6 points per game on average and gained 318.3 yards per contest. Last season, Northwestern's defense gave up 29 points and 429.8 yards per game. After a season in which he threw for 978 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions, Ryan Hilinski is back under centre. Among the returning players on offense, the receiving tandem of Malik Washington and Evan Hull accounted for 800 yards and four touchdowns. In comparison, Anthony Tyus III rushed for 200 yards and one score. Bryce Gallagher is back on defense after placing second on Northwestern with 89 tackles. Adetomiwa Adebawore had 4.5 sacks, and A.J. Hampton, Jr. had 12 pass deflections. The offensive unit for Northwestern, which ranked 125th in scoring offense a year ago, will include a lot more experience, particularly at quarterback. Northwestern's defense is returning several starters and experienced players. Ultimately, Fitzgerald is a competent leader who gets the most out of his team. Ultimately, I don't think we'll have to endure these fights for long.

Considering that Nebraska needs to replace a large number of players from last season, and coach Frost has not been able to do at Nebraska what he did at UCF, this line seems a touch off. The Wildcats are far more seasoned than they were a year ago, and Fitzgerald, one of the best coaches in the country, almost always coaxes improved play from underwhelming squads. With Frost at the helm, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have failed to live up to expectations, as they have lost 5 of their previous ten games as a favored team, going 5-10 against the spread. If I'm being sincere, I don't understand this line. Please award Northwestern the bonus point. The Wildcats are 1-5 against the spread in their last six games overall and 1-5 in their last six conference games. In their last 21 games played on grass, the Cornhuskers have posted a 14-5-2 ATS record. In Cornhuskers' last seven games, the total has gone Over. The total has gone under in 4 of the Wildcats' last five games played on grass, with a 1-1 record. Cornhuskers' record against the spread in their previous five meetings reads 1-3-1. In their previous six meetings, the favorite is 4-1-1 against the spread.

• Northwestern Wildcats +14 for 1.72
• Over 50.5 for 1.90
• Total 2 Over 17 for 1.82