The Indiana Hoosiers will play back-to-back road games just once during the upcoming regular season. After visiting Rutgers in Week 5 on October 3, Curt Cignetti and company will then head to Lincoln to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Week 6 on October 10.
Both of those games are manageable for the Hoosiers, and they should be favored by a decent margin in both contests. However, picking up consecutive wins on the road in the Big Ten always has its share of challenges. Last season, IU played back-to-back road games on two different occasions, and three of those four games came down to the final minutes (Iowa, Oregon, and Penn State).
As Cignetti prepares to lead the Hoosiers into Lincoln's Memorial Stadium for the first time, what can IU fans expect from Matt Rhule's Cornhuskers?
Matt Rhule is still searching for a signature moment at Nebraska
Cornhusker fans are desperate to be a national contender again. Nebraska has not cleared the 7-win mark since 2016, and has posted a less-than-ideal 26-54 record in Big Ten play in that span. Rhule has got Nebraska somewhat back on track since taking over for Scott Frost, as he's taken the Huskers to back-to-back bowl games after a pair of 7-win seasons. But there's no denying that Nebraska fans want much more.
Fernando Mendoza reveals the one trait that defines Curt Cignetti's leadership
Rhule is still searching for a signature win in Lincoln. Nebraska has gone 30 straight games against ranked opponents without finding the win column. That is an alarming statistic for such a proud program. Furthermore, Rhule has struggled against the top teams in the Big Ten. In his three seasons at Nebraska, Rhule has just two wins against teams that finished the season with more than seven wins.
Dylan Raiola out, Anthony Colandrea in
Former 5-star prospect Dylan Raiola was supposed to be Nebraska's saving grace. He entered his college career among the most-hyped QB recruits in recent memory, but his time at Nebraska yielded underwhelming results. Raiola took a step forward from his freshman to sophomore season, as he threw for 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns with 6 interceptions through 9 games before getting injured. But now he is off to Oregon, leaving Lincoln without having delivered the glory that Husker fans were hoping for.
Enter UNLV transfer QB Anthony Colandrea, who previously spent two seasons at Virginia. Colandrea is a fine addition, and he is coming off a strong season at UNLV in which he led the Mountain West with 3,459 passing yards and threw 23 touchdowns with 9 interceptions. He showed off his mobility in a big way, rushing for 649 yards, 5.1 yards per carry, and 10 touchdowns. Yet, he is still viewed as a step back from Raiola at this time. It will be interesting to see how he fares against Big Ten defenses after spending his collegiate career in the ACC and Mountain West.
Indiana can't be caught looking ahead
The Hoosiers can't be caught looking ahead in this one. Hosting the Hoosiers is undoubtedly the biggest game of the season for Nebraska, and the Cornhusker faithful are sure to create a raucous environment. With the Ohio State game looming the week after, Indiana can't be looking ahead in any way. If they do, they could be on upset alert.
Indiana vs Nebraska score prediction
Indiana: 41
Nebraska: 17
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