Against the odds: Nebraska trades doubt for belief as historic 31-point underdog

LINCOLN — Solely as soon as in Mark Whipple’s 40 years as a coach did he consider his crew had no probability to win.

The Nebraska offensive coordinator was the receivers coach at Brown in 1983 and Harvard had simply overwhelmed them 17-10 in an unsightly sport. Subsequent up was a 400-mile bus journey west to Penn State to fulfill the defending nationwide champions and a hostile crowd of 84,000.

In a twist Whipple didn’t see coming, Brown ran for 300-plus yards and saved issues respectable in a 38-21 loss.

“From that time on, I stated I’ll by no means say by no means,” Whipple stated.

Oddsmakers this week view Nebraska like an Ivy League faculty touring to tackle a significant energy and nationwide championship contender in Michigan. With the Wolverines a 31-point favourite in response to some sportsbooks, the Huskers are the largest official underdogs they’ve been since at the very least earlier than the Bob Devaney period started in 1962. It’s doubtless the most important level unfold ever towards Massive Crimson.

The the reason why are apparent and a number of. Michigan ranks among the many nation’s high 5 in a dozen key statistics spurred on by a ferocious entrance seven, a masterful offensive line and a Heisman Trophy contender at operating again. It’s at dwelling in its sprawling, historic venue towards a Nebraska crew waffling between two inexperienced backup quarterbacks, with its finest beginning security suspended and led by an interim head coach and lame-duck offensive coordinator who haven’t seen eye to eye on personnel and play-calling selections.

“Everyone knows what’s in entrance of us,” NU coach Mickey Joseph stated. “…We all know what we’re moving into. We all know the duty at hand. But it surely’s a possibility.”

Nebraska is 17-80-1 as an underdog since 1985. Its largest unfold earlier than Saturday was 2004 Oklahoma, when the 30-point lengthy shot within the first 12 months of the Invoice Callahan period saved the ball on the bottom and comparatively contained star rusher Adrian Peterson in a 30-3 defeat towards the eventual nationwide runners-up.

Apart from that sport, a lot of the Huskers’ tallest odds-on duties have come within the final 15 years. Ohio State video games from 2016-20 had been all spreads of at the very least 17 factors. Penn State in 2017 was 27 factors. Oklahoma in 2021 was 22.5. Oklahoma and Texas Tech in 2008 and Texas in 2007 additionally cracked the 20-point mark. Nebraska lined in half of these and received none.

“When you’ve that sort of level unfold, they’re calling you a scrub,” former Husker receiver Clester Johnson stated at a Massive Crimson Breakfast in 2017 earlier than Nebraska took on 17.5-point favourite Ohio State in a 56-14 loss.

The Huskers’ greatest upset within the trendy period got here in 2005 once they beat Colorado 30-3 as 17-point underdogs within the well-known “Restore the Order” sport. They beat Michigan (-11.5 factors) within the Alamo Bowl a couple of weeks later and Georgia (-9.5) within the Gator Bowl to cap the 2013 season thanks to a couple swing performs in every. Slim losses within the 1994 Orange Bowl to Florida State (-17.5) and the 2009 Massive 12 title sport to Texas (-14) almost made the checklist too.

Massive Crimson’s greatest wins as an underdog within the Scott Frost period had been 2020 Penn State (-2.5) and 2020 Purdue (-1).

Joseph, who performed on gifted Nebraska groups within the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and received a nationwide title in 2019 as an assistant at LSU, stated he had “completely not” been in a sport the place an opponent was favored by that a lot.

“It means (oddsmakers) assume they’re 4 touchdowns higher than you,” Joseph stated. “That’s what they’re saying. However you continue to gotta kick the soccer off. We gotta play at a high stage. We’ve bought to play 60 minutes. However we’re not going to again down. We’re not going to throw the towel in. These children received’t try this. These coaches received’t try this. We’re not going to try this.”

Nebraska defensive coordinator Invoice Busch quipped that the crew wouldn’t be watching “Hoosiers” earlier than Saturday’s sport, as a substitute specializing in enjoying basic protection. Tight finish Travis Vokolek stiff-armed the notion that NU was an underdog, as a substitute calling the sport a “nice alternative” to indicate what it could possibly do. Security Marques Buford reminded reporters that the Wolverines placed on their helmets and shoulder pads identical to anybody else.

“It’s Michigan however it’s simply guys on the market,” left guard Ethan Piper stated. “They’ve the identical weaknesses like anyone else. We simply have to have the ability to exploit these. We simply should play it like another sport. Whenever you begin taking a look at stuff like (level spreads), it will get in your head. You’ve bought to take the surface noise and simply shut it off.”

The Huskers have seen excessive ends of the spectrum towards the super-athletic Wolverines. As 18-point underdogs in 2018 with an injured beginning quarterback and little depth, Nebraska was bodily dominated 56-10 within the Massive Home. Michigan was a 2.5-point favourite final season and escaped Lincoln with a 32-29 win on its strategy to the Faculty Soccer Playoff.

Each video games had been a part of Nebraska’s ongoing drought towards ranked competitors. It has misplaced 19 straight towards top-25 groups courting again to 2016 and hasn’t overwhelmed a top-10 membership in 11 tries since upending Michigan State in 2015.

Whipple has seen lopsided spreads firsthand in current seasons as head coach at Massachusetts, together with comparable traces to Saturday like in 2017 at Mississippi State (-33) or 2016 at Florida (-34.5) or 2015 at Notre Dame (-28.5). One distinction this time, he stated, is Nebraska and Michigan are friends in the identical convention with the identical assets. They share a nationwide title from 25 years in the past.

It’s as much as the Huskers to show the present hole isn’t that enormous.

Whipple stated he by no means bets — he joked he misplaced $60 as a freshman at Brown and hasn’t gambled since. The actual worth play throughout the locker room is perception in getting the job performed.

Even when cash traces scream in any other case.

“We’re Division I and we’ve bought an opportunity,” Whipple stated. “That’s all you ask for.”