Nebraska vs. Illinois: HighStakes Ranked Matchup on Friday

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00:00tonight in Lincoln, Nebraska. The kids have the day off from school. The Huskers saying

00:08we are only caring about the football game on this Friday. It is the first ranked versus

00:14ranked game. The Huskers will host in Lincoln that features two teams inside the AP top

00:2025 in over a decade, Joe, since 2013, and it's over a touchdown in favor of Nebraska

00:2842.5 is the total as well. Number 22, Nebraska, number 24, Illinois. Joe, as you look at this

00:37game, more than a touchdown with a total only at 42 and a hook. Can the court Huskers be

00:43dominant enough to cover this number tonight? Well, it's it's a fascinating game because

00:51here we've got, I think, Ben, we've got two teams that are pretty even when it comes to

00:56the defensive side of the ball. I don't really give the edge to either one of these. Home

01:02field matters. Lincoln is going to be crazy tonight here. They haven't had a whole lot

01:08to celebrate in a long time there, Ben, but they got something to be excited about now.

01:13And I think that place is going to be absolutely bonkers. Offensively, though, I don't think

01:19it's close. I think Illinois is a mediocre offensive team. I think Nebraska is much better

01:25than mediocre with Dylan Riola as his quarterback here. Seventy four percent completion rate.

01:32This is the time always every time with Matt rule where he takes over a struggling program.

01:38The biggest move is always in the second year. That's when you see what he does and how he

01:44takes these these teams and these schools and elevates them. They win tonight on the

01:50national stage like this and not only win, but win convincingly and cover where we're

01:56waking up to a different Nebraska next week in the standings for sure.

02:01And so, Joe, that's the thing, right? Because if they win and cover this game, it's dominance

02:06because the total is forty two and a half. That means they win comfortably in a game

02:10that features two teams that have been great defensively this year. Nebraska and Illinois

02:16are two of twenty three FBS programs around the country holding opponents to less than

02:21ten points per game. Both have been very good on that side of the football. They are two

02:27teams also that have covered the number in all three games. The Huskers, one of four

02:31FBS programs to be booked as a as a favorite in all three and cover. That's Tennessee,

02:38Texas, Ole Miss and Nebraska. The other three teams, by the way, ranked in the top six nationally

02:45in this country. But Illinois is also one outright against the ranked team, although

02:49Kansas is no longer ranked. They did week two at home in Champaign. Illinois defense

02:55has been great. They have forced eight takeaways. The biggest key in this game, Joe, is Illinois

03:01on the ground. Can they generate anything offensively against a Huskers defense that

03:06is now top ten once again in rushing defense with Tony White, the brilliant D.C. and Illinois

03:12is really good as we share defensively, but they're allowing a buck twenty five per game

03:16on the ground. Even Central Michigan ran for more than one hundred and forty last week

03:21in Illinois, won that game thirty to nine, covering as a twenty and a half point favorite.

03:27That is the key of doubt. If Dante Dowdell and Ramiro Johnson could have a big night

03:31on the ground and Dylan Riola continues to play clean football, Nebraska could cover

03:37as more than a touchdown favorite tonight.