Five Reasons Nebraska Will Win: Wisconsin

First: Scott Frost Hasn’t Given Wisconsin Any Bulletin Board Material

Thanks Coach!

Michigan took exception to a comment made in 2016 by Scott Frost following a win in which Michigan blew out Central Florida 51-14:

“It’s hard to say when the score is what it is, but we came in here and outhit those guys today,” Frost said. “Standing on the sideline, there was no doubt who was hitting harder. Our guys came in hungry and wanting to do that. It’s rare you can come into Michigan and rush for 300 yards on them. They had to run a fly sweep in the fourth quarter to get to 100.

After handing Nebraska one of it’s worst losses in school history the Michigan players even mentioned the comment Frost made a couple years prior. As reported by Mlive.com’s Aaron McMann following the Michigan win:

But two years later, before No. 19 Michigan whipped a Frost-led Nebraska team, 56-10, those who remained used it as motivation. Defensive coordinator Don Brown, too.

”It was stressed a lot,” linebacker Devin Bush, Jr. said. “Coach Brown came in the meeting and he re-stated what he said two years ago, about UCF.

”We really took it to heart. We wanted to make a statement, like when you say something, make sure it’s true.”

Well I’m not entirely sure why you think with Frost going to a new team that a statement made two years prior would still be true. But ya know...whatever.

Speaking of lame, Purdue took offense to Frost saying they were a “winnable” game. I’m sorry, but it was a winnable game. Every game is a winnable game. That comment from Frost probably was more about Michigan than Purdue.

In case you weren’t sure if that comment was what Purdue needed as motivation here is Markell Jones making a fly-by comment to Frost.

Purdue beat us by two touchdowns. But there must still be something about Scott Frost that makes Markell Jones nervous enough that he has to say it and run away.

From what I know Frost hasn’t said anything about Wisconsin.

But this article by Jason Kirk at SB Nation says that Frost has actually already provided bulletin board material for every team on our schedule.

Second: Alex Hornibrook May Give Our Defense Opportunities

There appears to be two Alex Hornibrooks. The good and the bad, depending on your point of view. Nebraska will be hoping for the bad Alex Hornibrook. They got him last year when Nebraska tied the game in the second half behind a pick-six by Aaron Williams. And we all know what happened next.

Wisconsin took the ball out of the hands of Alex Hornibrook and they just rushed it down our throat and then as we laid on the ground asking for mercy they just said, “I don’t think you have had enough.” And then they continued to do it.

Well, let us hope that we get the same “bad” Alex Hornibrook tomorrow. The Nebraska defense has not been forcing enough turnovers this season and the coaches and players know it. Maybe Hornibrook will give us a gift.

Third: Roster Changes That Are Hopefully For The Better

Since Frost was hired there has been a major roster overhaul. It continues to happen as Tyjon Lindsey was granted a release from his scholarship. The coaches said it was because of his lack of snaps in games.

It is just a continuation of a trend that has been happening since the moment Frost took the job. There have been over fifty new players on the team that was not there in 2017, and then when you bring into account the players that have left for various reasons there continue to be changes.

It is all a part of the process.

Then Nebraska released a depth chart last Monday and we saw many notable changes. We assume these are changes for the better and hopefully the players begin to rally around the culture that Scott Frost is building.

Maybe this is the week it begins to click.

Fourth: Devine Ozigbo and The Running Game

Against a much better defense, Devine Ozigbo ran for over a 100 yards against Wisconsin last year. That Wisconsin defense lost multiple players and come to the season as probably the weaker unit when compared to the offense.

You know who didn’t like the run the ball? Mike Riley. Do you know who does like to run the ball? Scott Frost.

I think we could another big game from Devine Ozigbo especially after putting up 170 yards on 17 carries last week against Purdue. If Nebraska is able to establish a rushing attack and stay on the field then they have a chance to beat the Badgers.

Fifth: Adrian Martinez Growing Up in the Second Half Against Purdue

In an attempt to define “obscenity” the United States Supreme Court, in an opinion written by Justice Potter Stewart, said the following:

“I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description [“hardcore pornography”], and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that.”

Well watching the second half of the game against Purdue, I believe I saw Adrian Martinez grow up and maybe a light turned on. It is hard to verify that through statistics. You know, it is hard to quantify when somebody “grows up” and the “light turns on” but in this case I think I know it when I see it.

Well hopefully I’m right. If a light turned on for Martinez then Wisconsin is going to have a tough time stopping this offense.

And then we win. Right?