5. Buffalo at Nebraska
LINE Nebraska -14
ATS PICK Buffalo
Ohio out of the MAC was a favorite in some places over Syracuse last week. The Orange were one of the plays in last week’s 10 Best Picks piece and turned in a 29-9 win.
The underground hipster kids were all slamming to the MAC’s Western Michigan not only covering against Michigan, but possibly winning outright. That was never going to happen, and it didn’t in a very large 47-14 way.
As a noted and proud Power Five over Group of Five snob, I don’t take this pick from the MAC lightly …
Buffalo might beat Nebraska.
The Huskers are still a bit of a mystery. There’s a chance the loss to Illinois to start the season was just a quirky misfire thanks to sloppy Week 1 mistakes. There’s a small part of me that thinks something is about to click under Scott Frost and then all will seem right with the world.
Or Nebraska is a big bowl of meh and might be happy to be in contention for a bowl game late in the season.
This is just the third Power Five program Buffalo has faced since losing to Minnesota 17-7 to open up the 2017 season – blowing away Rutgers in 2018 and losing to a great Penn State in 2019.
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This year’s version is every bit as good as the team that should’ve won the MAC last year, and even without former star RB Jaret Patterson, it might be better.
It’s full of experience and is loaded with 13 super seniors to add even more depth to the mix.
The old guys on Illinois made a huge difference in the win over Nebraska.
The Huskers should be able to pull this off – the offense might have figured out the timing last week in its blowout win over Fordham – but the 14 seem like they’re too many.
And if I’m wrong, I’ll hear it in the P5 Snob meeting next Wednesday. There will be snacks.