Minnesota Vs. Nebraska 2025 - Chair Week - Media Predictions

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IceBoxGopher

IceBoxGopher

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First predictions are out for Friday's game.

Pick Dawgz is picking Nebraska to pull off a hard fought win
I’ll stay with Nebraska, but this should be a pretty interesting game regardless. The Cornhuskers had some trouble putting Maryland away last weekend, but everything worked out in a very important road victory. The three interceptions and 3-of-7 result on third downs certainly didn’t help the offense, but they ended up tallying 453 total yards, 7.7 yards per play and 23 first downs.

The defense gave up 7-of-15 on third downs to Maryland, however the Terrapins’ eight penalties certainly helped the cause overall. It was a nice victory to keep a nice season going, but Nebraska has given up 27 or more points in three straight games now. As for Minnesota, their defense came up pretty big against Purdue with four takeaways and 6-of-16 allowed on third downs... Should be a good game.

Sporting News has Nebraska winning, 24-16
The Huskers have a plus-six turnover margin, which had been a problem in the past. Look for Dylan Raiola to break the Huskers' five-game losing streak to the Gophers. Nebraska wins and covers the spread.

Odd Shark forecasts a 35-30 Nebraska victory
Nebraska will win, Minnesota will cover, and the total will go over.

Pro Football Network is siding with Nebraska, 35-23
 

IceBoxGopher said:
First predictions are out for Friday's game.

Pick Dawgz is picking Nebraska to pull off a hard fought win
I’ll stay with Nebraska, but this should be a pretty interesting game regardless. The Cornhuskers had some trouble putting Maryland away last weekend, but everything worked out in a very important road victory. The three interceptions and 3-of-7 result on third downs certainly didn’t help the offense, but they ended up tallying 453 total yards, 7.7 yards per play and 23 first downs.

The defense gave up 7-of-15 on third downs to Maryland, however the Terrapins’ eight penalties certainly helped the cause overall. It was a nice victory to keep a nice season going, but Nebraska has given up 27 or more points in three straight games now. As for Minnesota, their defense came up pretty big against Purdue with four takeaways and 6-of-16 allowed on third downs... Should be a good game.

Sporting News has Nebraska winning, 24-16
The Huskers have a plus-six turnover margin, which had been a problem in the past. Look for Dylan Raiola to break the Huskers' five-game losing streak to the Gophers. Nebraska wins and covers the spread.

Odd Shark forecasts a 35-30 Nebraska victory
Nebraska will win, Minnesota will cover, and the total will go over.

Pro Football Network is siding with Nebraska, 35-23
Click to expand...
Generally, when your offense averages 7.7 yards per carry, you win. Gophs got to bring that average down.
 

Big Al’s Sports Picks predicts a 24-20 Nebraska win
Minnesota is off a 27-20 win over Purdue and they didn't look great in that one, but they got the win at home and they have had a pretty good defense this season. They are also 4-0 in their home games this year so they have played better at home all season and they have a good enough defense that can keep them in this game with a chance to win.

Nebraska is off a 34-31 road win over Maryland, but they were trailing for a majority of that game and were very fortunate to pull off that comeback. Now they are on the road again and this Minnesota defense can do enough to keep them in this game. Nebraska hasn't really been blowing out teams that aren't bad this season either so this is a lot for them to win by in a road game against a good defense.

Tony’s Picks sees a 31-23 Nebraska victory
Both teams bring very different styles into this one. Nebraska’s offense hums with Raiola pushing the ball, while Minnesota plays better as an underdog at home, leaning on defense and field position. The Huskers’ injuries to depth pieces on offense could matter, but the passing game’s been good enough to compensate.

Minnesota’s lack of balance — especially rushing inconsistency — puts a lot of pressure on Lindsey to trade possessions with a faster, more explosive opponent.

The Daily Gopher (SB Nation) has Nebraska winning, 31-17
As much as it pains me to admit, the Cornhuskers seem to have taken a step forward in Year 3 under head coach Matt Rhule. Rather than finding ways to lose games late, they have played some of their best football in the fourth quarter this season. In four games against Power 4 competition, Nebraska has outscored their opponents 44-16 in the final quarter.

That seems like a bad omen for a team like Minnesota that has started slow all season long and has trailed at halftime in each of their four games against Power 4 opponents.

Gophers on SI is taking Nebraska, 23-20
The Gophers haven't done it since the first week of the season, but they will need to get their running game going if they want any chance of picking up their second straight victory. I think this one will be closer than the experts believe, but Nebraska makes one more big play to find its first win over Minnesota since 2018.
 

Even our home-town writers don't believe we can win this one.

Minnesota’s lack of balance — especially rushing inconsistency — puts a lot of pressure on Lindsey to trade possessions with a faster, more explosive opponent.
I wouldn't say the rushing has been "inconsistent." I'd say it's been consistently bad, or even almost nonexistent against our conference opponents. We had 18 rushes in each of our conference victories. Had 25 against Ohio State but 5 of those came on the last possession and just seemed like extra rushing practice.

As far as being, "fast and explosive," our passing game has shown the ability to do that from time to time. Our first touchdown against Purdue took only a minute and twenty-three seconds to go 75 yards. Our first touchdown against Rutgers took only a minute and forty-four seconds to go 81 yards.
 




MNVCGUY said:
That got dark quick. That said, blinding Badger fans this year would just be doing them a favor. We want them to be able to fully take in the debacle their season has become.
Click to expand...
You are correct! Their season of suffering is now!

Edit: For those that don't know, there was a tale that is sometimes posted during rivalry week. The chair leg in the eye socket is a key part of that tale.
 
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PicksWise has Nebraska coming out with the win
We are far enough into the season that some of the cumulative stats are starting to be meaningful. The Cornhuskers have the #1 passing defense in the nation, allowing only 118 yards per game. They are middle of the road against the run, but Minnesota has been entirely impotent on the ground so far this season, and they want to pass first.

That’s a problem in this matchup. Nebraska also boasts a top-10 passing offense led by Dylan Raiola, who threw 4 TDs last week. He also threw 3 picks, which is something he cannot keep doing. If the Huskers can continue to attack through the air, it should be a tough day for the Gophers to score, and I think Nebraska pulls away. Give me the Cornhuskers.

College Football News picks Nebraska in the game, 27-20
The Huskers got away with three turnovers in the win over Maryland. That’s not going to work against a Minnesota defense that survived Purdue on four takeaways.

This will be close to the very end, with it coming down to 1) who screws up more and 2) who's sharper through the air. These two need to do the same thing to keep the offense moving, and Nebraska does what it does way better.

Cappers Picks forecasts a 31-21 Nebraska victory
Given Nebraska’s strong performance as favorites and their solid road record, they look poised to take this game. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s unbeaten home record adds intrigue, but Nebraska’s offensive stats give them the edge.

College Football Zone is out with another pick favoring Nebraska
 

Winners and Whiners is picking Nebraska to win
Although Minnesota is undefeated at home, this is a tough matchup for the Gophers. Minnesota ranks 126th nationally, averaging just 3.0 yards per carry, which will put a lot of pressure on freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey.

The problem for Minnesota is that with such an ineffective rushing game, they’ll face a Nebraska defense ranked No. 1 in the country in passing yards allowed per attempt (4.6). Given Nebraska’s five-game losing streak to Minnesota, there should be no look-ahead or letdown factor.

The Cornhuskers have scored at least 27 points in each of their last five games, and Minnesota will have a hard time keeping up.

Gopher Illustrated (247 Sports) has Nebraska winning 30-21
The crux of Minnesota vs. Nebraska games have come down to the trenches, and that's a place I don't feel confident about for the Gophers. They've lacked physicality and execution for most of the last month, and unless that changes on Friday night, Nebraska breaks their streak against Fleck.

Scores and Stats picks Nebraska to win 31-20
Nebraska’s offense should continue to roll behind Raiola and Johnson, while Minnesota’s defense may struggle to contain both the run and deep passing attack. Expect the Cornhuskers to control the pace and pull away late.
 




The Pioneer Press has Nebraska winning 28-24
Minnesota Offense Vs. Nebraska Defense: Minnesota’s running game is stuck on a treadmill — moving but not gaining much distance. The U’s 3.59 yards per carry ranks 112th in the nation. Coaches are committed to the same five lineman, but have mixed up combinations in recent weeks — to little added success. The Cornhuskers best pass rushers have been two ends — five-star prospect Williams Nwaneri (19 pressures) and Oklahoma transfer Dasan McCullough (13) — but the team’s 11 sacks are evenly split. Edge: Nebraska

Minnesota Defense Vs. Nebraska Offense: Nebraska OC Dana Holgerson, who was the head coach at West Virginia and Houston, loves getting the ball to Emmett Johnson, a product of Academy of Holy Angels. Johnson leads the Big Ten in carries, but is also second on the Cornhuskers with 24 receptions. Edge: Nebraska

Special Teams: Kick returner Kenneth Williams had an 85-yard return against the Terps. Kicker Brady Denaburg made his first field goal over 40 yards against Purdue; he is now 1 of 4 from long range. Edge: Nebraska

Prediction: Matt Rhule has turned his third straight program around in its third season. After many years of shooting themselves in the foot in close games, Nebraska is 2-1 in one possession games. While Fleck has had success against the Huskers, his team’s two main problems (tackling and blocking) haven’t been resolved.

The Star Tribune is picking Nebraska, 27-21
Key Matchup: Gophers LB Maverick Baranowski Vs. Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson. Johnson, a junior running back and former Holy Angels star from Minneapolis, ranks second in the Big Ten at 108.3 rushing yards per game, and he’s coming off a 21-carry, 177-yard effort against Maryland.

Tasked with stopping Johnson will be a defense led by Baranowski, whose 82.9 rating by Pro Football Focus ranks 13th nationally among linebackers.

One stat that matters: 118 | Passing yards per game allowed by Nebraska, fewest in the nation. The challenge for the Gophers’ pass-catchers will be gaining separation from Huskers defenders.

Prediction: Led by poised quarterback Drake Lindsey, the Gophers overcame a 14-point deficit to beat Rutgers in their Big Ten opener and used a 14-point fourth-quarter surge to top Purdue last week.

Minnesota’s three FBS victories are against teams that are a combined 8-10, while Nebraska’s four FBS wins are against teams a combined 14-11. Unless the Gophers dramatically improve up front, this one goes to the Huskers.
 

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