HuskerMax Predictions: Nebraska Football vs. Colorado

The Nebraska Cornhuskers welcome their old Big 12 opponent Colorado and coach Deion Sanders. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CDT and will be televised on NBC.

The HuskerMax and Nebraska Cornhuskers teams at SI give their predictions for Saturday night. The average prediction is 34-23 for Nebraska.

The best prediction for Nebraska vs. UTEP last week was ThotDoc ​​​​with a 38-10 forecast, That was only five points less than the final score of 40:7.

*Shows the best prediction from the previous week and the number of “wins” throughout the season.

The Why

Caleb Henry: Nebraska's defense is bigger and faster than North Dakota State's, which should keep Colorado in check. Shedeur Sanders will come into his own, especially with weapons like Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr., but the lack of a running game will hurt the visitors. On the other side of the ball, the Huskers shut them down after 2 1/2 quarters and still scored 40 points last week. The Buffaloes are faster than UTEP and, again, Hunter, but a physical running attack from the Big Red should make the difference.

Eric Hess: I expect the game to be very back and forth for 50 minutes, with the Blackshirts getting a few more stops than Colorado toward the end of the game.

Austin Jacobson: Colorado probably has the three best players on the field (Sanders, Hunter, Horn), but Nebraska has the depth to wear down the Buffs by the fourth quarter. If it's one point in the final two minutes in Lincoln, I'll be sweating. Luckily for the Huskers, they're now positioned to stay at arm's length long enough to outrun Colorado.

Geoff Exstrom: Colorado has about as much talent on offense as anyone in the country. This won't be like facing a CU team that has been ravaged by injuries for the second half of 2023. The Buffs are healthy and dangerous with the combination of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. This game should come down to the trenches, though, and Nebraska has built the pipeline in both depth and experience. Sanders and Hunter will make it exciting until the end, but the CU line will rear its head too often to get the win.

ThotDoc: I hope our running game shortens the game, but fear Sanders will be elusive and try to find an open receiver. That would give Colorado about a point per quarter. I trust our defense to prevent a true shootout.

Middle-aged ball coach: I think it will be closer in the beginning because Colorado will score some big touchdowns, but Nebraska will wear them down and gain the upper hand as the game goes on.

Ted Stryker: Because Nebraska is finally a physical football team again. I can imagine scenarios where the Huskers win by 20 points, but those scenarios involve more than two turnovers.

Chris Fort: Nebraska is the better team from top to bottom and deserves this game after years of terrible treatment from the CU fan base. But the history of college football leans toward injustice. This is the kind of game the Huskers absolutely have to win and have not been able to win for the last decade. I think they lose on a missed field goal as time expires. I have never wanted to be wrong so much.

MORE: ESPN's College GameDay Crew Prefers Nebraska Football Over Colorado

MORE: Big Ten Football Week 2 Capsules

MORE: McMaster's key to the game: Nebraska football vs. Colorado

MORE: Jimmy Horn Jr. is Colorado's secret superstar

MORE: Nick Saban: Nebraska football's Dylan Raiola 'didn't play like a rookie'

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