Mike: Here’s to hoping that the players are more excited for this game than Husker fans.

SpartyOnHuskers: Have you kicked a wolverine today?! Those rodents love to pretend to defecate on your logo, tear up your top-tier turf out of jealousy they’re stuck with artificial, and brag about how they’re smarter than you despite the fact you’re in a better undergrad degree program and your parents are perfectly successful and actually happy in their life. It’s hate week alright, and I can’t say F***Michigan enough. So yeah, F*** Michigan!!!

Patrick: (wakes up, stretches) You all know it’s basketball season now, right?

Nate M: I have no hope left. The light have been extinguished. It is only darkness now.

Uglydog56: Is hope in the dictionary between shit and syphilis? It should be.

Andy: I have stupid hope now. No, I don’t believe we’re going to a bowl game. No, I don’t think some switch magically flips this season. But I do believe in what we’re doing even if I think it’s a minimum 4-year fix. Garrett Nelson got his Blackshirt, my eyes got as wet as his & I don’t give a damn if you think that’s sappy. Hope is a good thing, Red.

Minnesota (+3) at Iowa

SpartyOnHuskers: No hangover today. Gophers win 13-12.

Patrick: I hope Minnesota wins the west. University of Minnesota 32 University of Iowa 21.

Nate M: We need Minnesota to win this game. We want Iowa to have nothing to play for when they come to Lincoln. Gophers win.

Mike: I still don’t understand how a team that could have easily started 0-3 against lackluster competition was able to knock off Penn State last week. There is something to believing in yourself, though. My head says to take the home team, but I can’t argue with the boat rowing, if only because Iowa can’t score touchdowns and Minny can. Goofers 30, Squawks 16.

Uglydog56: It just seems like a dicktrip is in order. Minnesota is going to start believing it’s own press releases, and that’s just the sort of team Iowa loves to take down a peg. Iowa, 9-7.

Andy: Oh, screw Iowa. I’ll save newer ways to say that for after Thanksgiving. Minny 27 Iowegia 17

Michigan State (+13.5) at Michigan

SpartyOnHuskers: There was time left on the clock. There would have been a timeout to use for MSU instead of the spiked ball, too, if they’d called Michigan for too many men on the field a few plays earlier. Wolverine fans don’t bring THAT up, though, do they.

This year, though? MSU came back from being down 3-1 Thursday night in hockey to pull off the upset win at Yost Ice Arena. So let’s go with MSU wins Saturday at Munn 3-1. It’s nice having a pulse in hockey again after the decline over the past decade. Moos, get a damn hockey team already! F*** Michigan, and go kick a wolverine!

Patrick: The green take another lump from the blue. University of Michigan 28 Michigan State University 10

Nate M: Unfortunately Michigan likely wins this game but it is close.

Mike: Sparta is burning, and Khaki might have things figured out now. Weasels 37, Sparty 14.

Uglydog56: Michigan State had that one good recruiting class, and things have went nowhere but down since then. Never buy khaki pants that are pleated until you’re a grandfather. Michigan wins.

Andy: When you have both Michigan St. and Penn St., your conference needs to stop that superior attitude bullshit and just stfu for a few decades. Just...ick. Michigan 33 Nassar St. 23

Indiana (+14.5) at Penn State

SpartyOnHuskers: James Franklin wants more Indiana and less Minnesota. PSU 40-Hoosiers 31

Patrick: I want the Hoosiers to win the East. University of Indiana 17 Pennsylvania State University 15

Nate M: I think Indiana covers because PSU is still picking itself up after last week.

Mike: The Nitts should be pi$$ed off about last week. State Penn 45, Candy Stripes 27

Uglydog56: Penn State makes a statement. I don’t know what that statement is, but it will be made.

Andy: I probably shouldn’t predict a Penn St cover over an improved opponent for the second straight week, but.. Penn St. 41 Indiana 20

Ohio State (-53.5) at Rutgers

Mike: Here’s the question with this point spread: Will Ohio State cover that eight touchdown spread? I mean, Rutgers is bad, but are they THAT bad? Before you answer, remember three years ago, Michigan beat Rutgers 78-0. So yeah... I’m still taking Ohio State giving up all of those points.

SpartyOnHuskers: They just hung 73 on Maryland. Rutgers is worse. This spread seems too small. Ohio State Death-Murder-Kill Machine 108-rutger 3 (Albion College, my mother’s alma-mater, claims the NCAA record for points in a game, beating River Rouge NTS 178-0 in 1919. I doubt that’s a real score, though.)

Patrick:

Ohio State University 3,276 Queens College 3 (garbage time)

Nate M: I think the Maryland game was payback for a little behind the scenes scuffle. It will be up to Ohio State. Do they want to treat this as a bye week and rest their players? Or do they want to get PR points for the College Football Playoff. I’m going with the latter.

Uglydog56: If a game in the modern era ever had the capability for one team’s score to reach triple digits, this would be it and Ohio State would be that team.

Andy: Next game up - US Army vs. Grenada

Wisconsin (-14) at Nebraska

SpartyOnHuskers: I’m pretty sure the moral victory goal from a realistic perspective is holding Wisconsin under 200 yards rushing. 3rd and 10 Wisconsin!

Patrick: This gif is literally all we have on Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin 42 University of Nebraska 28

Nate M: I expect us to lose by 28 or more. Sorry.

Mike: I’m not fatalistic about this team, because dadgummit, if Minnesota can knock off Penn State or Illinois can beat Wisconsin, then if the Big Red can stop screwing up, they can beat the Badgers. So I’m hopeful. But I’m also realistic, so my prediction has to be Badgers 45, Huskers 28.

(PS, Patrick... we also have this...)

Uglydog56: Jet sweep. Jet Sweep. JET SWEEEEP!!! *bolts out of bed, heart racing*

Andy: Ah, bloody hell. Even if we were healthy and fresh and Adrian was 100% healthy in body and mind and Maurice wasn’t off and doing Maurice things and..and..

But the Huskers are banged up and broken and fractured and things are looking dark and folks are wondering if this rebuild is already doomed. Is Frost actually the right guy and if he isn’t, is anyone?

I dunno, there’s a longer article coming in a few days, but I’m a big believer in being able to rise from rock bottom. I don’t believe this staff suddenly became stupid and yes, I know rules changes made recruiting tougher, but I still believe in this process.

I’ve always said it’s easy to be together and have a great attitude when things are going well. You find out what someone’s character is when things are at their worst. Maybe we needed to hit another cellar to find out who’s in and who’s out. Trade out a few of those season tickets for the kind of fan who keeps showing up at those Rutgers home games year after year.

Anyway, Wisconsin 41 Nebraska 21. Not because I’ve given up but because Wisconsin has a decent passing attack to go with Jonathon Taylor and we have had a terrible time adjusting to other teams’ offensive adjustments. It’s likely a rough day.

But I’m still all-in on the Huskers until they dump my carcass in that dirt hole and I head off to my next adventure. If that’s years and years of 4-8’s, so be it. But I don’t believe that’s our future. It’s still a ways off but it’s bright. And I can’t wait. But I will.