Coming off a ranked win on the road over Miami (FL), what will Michigan State do as an encore?

The Spartans entered the AP poll ranked No. 20 this week, and currently sit as five-point favorites at home against Nebraska. Nebraska put up a solid fight against Oklahoma, and the Sooners are a good team, ranked inside the top-three.

Nebraska poses a strong threat with an athletic quarterback and pretty strong defense. But the Spartans just took down a quarterback with a similar style in D’Eriq King.

MSU is looking to “Stripe the Stadium” for the game with even sections wearing green and odd sections (and the student section) wearing white. Check out what our writers have to say about the game.

Ryan O’Bleness

Michigan State 30, Nebraska 21

Nebraska always plays Michigan State tough, so it will probably be a close game throughout, but Kenneth Walker III and Payton Thorne lead the Spartans to another 30-point performance, while the defense does enough to keep Nebraska at bay. MSU breaks away in the fourth quarter and gets a hard-fought, fourth-consecutive victory.

Kevin Knight

Michigan State 31, Nebraska 17

The Nebraska defense is being heralded as a great strength this season, and maybe that is true. However, the Huskers haven’t faced a running back like KWIII yet, and are the same undisciplined Scott Frost-led squad that continues to plague his teams in Lincoln, and Nebraska’s special teams units are awful this year. With how questionable that young offensive line is, the Spartan squad should wear them down easily in the low temperatures of East Lansing and pull away late just like the Miami squad (with far better NFL talent) faded in its own heat.

Zach Manning

Michigan State 27, Nebraska 21

I almost took Nebraska in this game, but I expect “The Woodshed” to be crazy on Saturday night as MSU “Stripes the Stadium.” Nebraska has allowed some rushing yards this year, so I think Kenneth Walker could find some room. Even if he can’t, he’s pretty good at making his own room.

The defense will play similar to what we saw against Miami. Basically a bend but don’t break style. I expect the Spartans to force some turnovers, which will swing the momentum in MSU’s favor. Payton Thorne has done everything right in his first few games as a starter, and I think that will continue on Saturday. The Spartans inch out a home win against a sneaky good Nebraska team.

Matt Sheehan

Michigan State 24, Nebraska 21 (OT)

That’s right, baby. We are getting some overtime football in THE WOODSHED in front of a packed striped-out crowd. Nebraska is a far cry from how it played in Week Zero against Illinois and will provide an incredible test for a Spartan team trying to stay ahead of its rebuilding phase.

Paul Fanson

Michigan State 28, Nebraska 21

For the first time all year, my algorithm and I are on the same page. I have seen enough from the Spartans to believe that they are pretty good and I have seen enough from Nebraska to believe that the Cornhuskers are...less good. Mel Tucker now has the challenge of keeping his team humble and hungry. I think that he and the Spartans are up to the challenge, and this week, corn is on the menu. Ah, shucks!

David Harns

Michigan State 34, Nebraska 20

In an electric atmosphere at Spartan Stadium, MSU keeps its foot on the gas and beats the Cornhuskers. The Woodshed comes alive, as requested by Mel Tucker, and the players continue the disciplined play that has brought them to where they are so far.

Verbosedutch

Michigan State 27, Nebraska 24

Michigan State finds itself in the team’s first nail-biter versus a surprisingly strong Nebraska defense. MSU gets the win with the assistance of a loud night crowd presence.

Austen Flores

Michigan State 31, Nebraska 26

Spartans have looked like the most improved team in the country so far this season, but Nebraska has been solid since its ugly opening game loss to Illinois. I don’t get huge trap game vibes here, despite the previous matchup history and Nebraska playing well on the road last week against a top-five opponent. There are no signs of MSU’s offense slowing down and the defense consistently steps up for big games at home when favored.

Matt Hoeppner

Michigan State 28, Nebraska 24

This will be a hard fought game, because it never seems to be easy against Nebraska. In the end I think the Spartans are a better team overall, and along with the home-field advantage of The Woodshed, will be enough to get the win. MSU will continue to run the ball well, while Payton Thorne will make enough big throws when needed for the offense to get the job done. Adrian Martinez will be an issue for the Spartan defense most of the day, but the unit will be able to contain him just enough to escape. Keep the train rolling for another week as MSU goes to 4-0!

Throughout the year, several members of TOC will participate in Big Ten picks using Tallysight. You can keep up with those picks here: