Don't count out Nebraska just yet, Big Ten. Despite losing to Michigan State, the Huskers are still as much of a threat to win the conference championship as they were before.
That might not seem like the case, though. In fact, the Spartans exposed a few of Nebraska's weaknesses, such as their offensive line and secondary struggles. That's something future Big Ten opponents will use against the Huskers.
However, Nebraska wasn't lifeless against the Spartans. Instead, the Huskers fought from start-to-finish, as several people pointed out on Twitter.
The question is now whether or not the Huskers still control their own destiny for the Big Ten title. The answer is yes.
First and foremost, Michigan State is ranked No. 10 nationally and that's not a fluke. The Spartans are a powerful and tough Big Ten opponent who have been a favorite to win the conference since late-August. The title was originally projected to go to Ohio State, but after the Buckeyes lost quarterback Braxton Miller, Cleveland.com conducted a new poll of Big Ten sports writers. MSU came out as the new favorite that go-around.
Since then, the Spartans have shown their strength as a team. Their one loss to Oregon raised some flags in playoff talk, but it didn't change where they stood in the Big Ten. The Huskers knew that heading to East Lansing. Yet, Nebraska still underperformed.
People will point to this game to prove the Huskers don't have what it takes to win the Big Ten. It's not entirely unjustified, either. Looking at I-back AmeerAbdullah, the senior had a disappointing 45 net-yards on 24 carries. His two touchdowns in the fourth quarter helped, but he wasn't the Abdullah people had come to expect, especially when he fumbled in the second quarter.
It would be a mistake for future opponents to overlook Abdullah because of his production against Michigan State. The I-back already has three games with over 200 yards and another with over 100 for the season. He's racked up 10 touchdowns, guaranteeing at least one in every matchup to date.
A lot of Abdullah's troubles came from the Nebraska offensive line not holding strong. That's something that can be corrected, especially because the group has shown promise previously. In fact, Illinois' head coach Tim Beckman was the first to say how good the Huskers' offensive line was.
Illinois is a very different team than Michigan State, but the Nebraska offensive line has proven they can play well together. The group was allowing the offense to rush for 1,774 yards and 16 touchdowns on 256 carries prior to Michigan State. That's enough to show future opponents the offensive line can be a threat.
On the other side of the ball, the Nebraska defense showed up big against Michigan State. Senior linebacker Trevor Roach finished with a career-high 18 tackles. Junior defensive end Randy Gregory snagged his first interception of the season, while also helping contribute to Nebraska's three forced takeaways.
Ultimately, Nebraska is still as much in control of its destiny as ever. There are certain aspects that need to be improved upon, such as the offensive line and the secondary, but if the Huskers can figure it out, they could see Michigan State again in the Big Ten Championship.
Nebraska players believe they will. “Honestly, that’s not the last time [MSU] is going to see us. I can promise you that," Tommy Armstrong said. "We plan on going 11-1, making the Big Ten championship and playing Michigan State again, if they make it."
Abdullah feels the same. "Oh, we're going to respond," he said. "We're going to get to Indiana."
That attitude is telling, as the Huskers competed from start-to-finish. It may not have worked out in Nebraska's favor, but if this team can grow from the loss, there's no reason they can't win the West Division, or the whole conference for that matter.
It truly all lies in Nebraska's hands.
All quotes were obtained firsthand via the Huskers post-game press conference, unless otherwise noted.
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