Nebraska Football: 2 Bold Predictions For Week 2 Game Vs. Colorado

Colorado won the hearts of America in Week 1 when they went into Fort Worth and took down the TCU Horned Frogs 45-41. Nebraska football, on the other hand, made headlines of their own in Week 1. The Huskers got a head start on their season by kicking off on Thursday night before the calendar flipped to September. But they lost another excruciating game, this time to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Nebraska let a seven-point fourth-quarter lead slip through its fingers, losing another close game.

The talking points for these teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Colorado is getting praise from all over the country, and rightfully so. Nebraska is being laughed at. But narrative momentum doesn’t mean that this game is going to end up being a laugher.

This game will be close—that’s one prediction. But this matchup between two former rivals warrants more than that. It’s time to make some bold Nebraska football predictions for its Week 2 showdown versus Colorado.

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2. Jeff Sims runs for at least 75 yards

Nebraska’s most reliable source of offense against Minnesota came through the legs of quarterback Jeff Sims, who was at Georgia Tech for the last three seasons before transferring to Lincoln. His mobility was a highlight for the Yellow Jackets. Sims ran for 1,125 yards in the 25 games he played at Georgia Tech.

Sims kept using his legs in his Nebraska debut, running for 91 yards on 19 carries. He’s a major threat on designed quarterback runs as well as a scrambler.

This is a good matchup for Sims to eat up yardage on the ground. Colorado’s linebackers had a tough time last week against TCU. Horned Frogs quarterback Chandler Morris was able to use his legs with success against Colorado’s defense as a result. Morris is not the athlete Sims is, but was able to scoot for 30 yards and a touchdown on five carries.

Sims, of course, does have to clean up things as a passer. He threw three interceptions against the Gophers, two of which went star safety and soon-to-be NFL draft pick Tyler Nubin. Sims has run for at least 75 yards in seven of the 26 college football games he’s played in his career. He’ll makes it eight for 27 on Saturday.

1. Nebraska beats Colorado

Colorado has quickly become the most popular team in college football. The Buffaloes have also quickly become a favorite in the betting market. They’re favored to win this game by 2.5 points, according to FanDuel, but that line could be a trap.

Remember, Colorado brought in over 80 transfers in the portal this offseason. They pulled off a major upset in Week 1, beating TCU despite beginning the game as three-touchdown underdogs. But that doesn’t mean the Buffs are a complete and consistent team at the moment.

Meanwhile, Nebraska has been a consistent team over the years—consistent at losing close games, that is.

Posting a 2-14 record in one-score games is nearly impossible. To further echo the point home about how competitive Nebraska has been in these games over the last two seasons: The team has a positive point differential despite posting a combined record of 7-17. Including last week’s three-point loss at the hands of Minnesota, the Huskers’ point differential since the start of the 2021 season is an even zero.

Needless to say, Nebraska’s record should at least partially reflect that perfectly balanced scoring margin. A 13-12 or 11-14 win-loss tally would be understandable, but not 7-17.

The Huskers are not a bad team. They’ve been competitive the last two seasons in one of the best conferences in all of college football. Luck hasn’t been on their side, but it has to turn at some point. How sweet would it be for Nebraska if that happened this week?