Northwestern and Nebraska's Surprising Big Ten Rise

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00:00I really think this Northwestern-Nebraska game,

00:03which I would not have guessed, early in season,

00:06which would have had much ado about anything,

00:09but Northwestern also 3-1 in the Big Ten after beating UCLA and Penn State.

00:16So you feel pretty good about that.

00:17Nebraska losing a tough one last week, Schlegs.

00:20They're sitting there 2-2 in the conference, 5-2 overall as well.

00:24I feel like Nebraska has a much greater potential to maybe do something,

00:31possibly becoming that fourth Big Ten team in the CFP.

00:35Illinois, I know, is trying to stake their claim to it.

00:38But they've got USC next week, then UCLA, Penn State, and Iowa.

00:41They've got a manageable schedule should they be able to get some momentum

00:45and get some wins.

00:47Unfortunately, they lost one last week where they melted in the second half

00:50against Minnesota.

00:51But I think Matt Rule, if you're Nebraska, you want him to win.

00:56The more he wins, I think the better chance you have of keeping him

00:59versus leaving to go to his alma mater.

01:01USC, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, how they're kind of looking.

01:05That Minnesota-Iowa one matters because I think both of them are 5-2.

01:09We've got people in the chat picking Minnesota on the road.

01:11And Kinnick Stadium, that's a hard place to play.

01:14There's just – the thing is, the reason why these are all interesting

01:18is because there is Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, and then who is that next one?

01:24And that's what everybody's trying to figure out.

01:27Is it Minnesota?

01:28Is it Iowa?

01:29Is it Northwestern?

01:29Is it Nebraska?

01:30Is it Michigan?

01:31Is it Illinois?

01:32Is it Washington?

01:33Like, that's the mix.

01:34And that's why all these games matter.

01:36And while you were focusing on that Illinois going out to Washington,

01:39there's a lot of meat on that bone to where they can all go moving forward.

01:43So, Michigan-Michigan State, I mean, that's the big – in the battle for the –

01:47The rivalry.

01:48The rivalry.

01:49Like, that was a game that used to be big.

01:51But, you know, Michigan struggling a little bit after they got beat up pretty bad by USC.

01:56You know, this gets them back maybe into the conversation.

01:59I think there's still a world where they could potentially challenge.

02:01And they've got the big brand recognition.

02:04And can you get your freshman quarterback in Bryce Underwood to continue to improve?

02:08And Michigan State's like – they've been, like, very disappointing.

02:11They were 3-0 in the non-conference.

02:12I felt like, hey, it's a Michigan State team that could maybe go 8-4, you know,

02:17and put some things together.

02:18And they're sitting here at 0-4.

02:200-4, yeah.

02:20They just got beat by UCLA.

02:24And they're struggling mightily.

02:25And so, that game has lost a lot of the steam that I think we were hoping that it would have had

02:31had they been able to take care of their business.

02:34And, heck, at least if they were 2-2 in conference, they'd be sitting there at 5-2 right now.

02:38Well, if you look at what Michigan has remaining, Bob,

02:42they got Michigan State.

02:44Why that's important, it's a rivalry game.

02:46Who knows?

02:46It's at Michigan State.

02:47But then you got Purdue, Northwestern, Maryland, who's 1-3 in the conference right now.

02:52Then the game.

02:54Theoretically, they went out – they could be 9-2 going into the game, right?

02:59And then you look at SC, you got Nebraska, you got Northwestern, Iowa.

03:04Then you got Oregon and UCLA.

03:06Where do they fit in that mix?

03:08And that's why all these things are matter.

03:10But they all control their own destiny, but they got to go win and execute.

03:15And they can't be inconsistent.

03:16And that's – again, that's the thing.

03:18It's like Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, really consistent.

03:21And then who is that fourth, question mark?

03:24And there's been inconsistencies throughout, hey, Michigan goes out to the West Coast

03:29and gets manhandled, and then they come back and then they win.

03:33Like, who's the consistent one that is the fourth?

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