← Matchups

Nebraska

B1G · 2-0 · power +19.7 · #40
Our numberNEB -3.2 no book has priced this game

Michigan State

B1G · 2-0 · power +15.3 · #54
Our side
MoneylineNEB to win ours 45%
Projected score 28–24 NEB – MSU
2026-09-26 · kickoff TBD Spartan Stadium · East Lansing, MI B1G game Early season

The books

No book has priced this game. Nothing to compare, and no ticket to build.

Series Nebraska lead 10–4 · 14 meetings since 1914
2025 unit ranks — last completed season, from games actually played
Run game edge Nebraska Cornhuskers 81 ranks
Nebraska Cornhuskers #93 rush offense Michigan State Spartans #174 run defense
Pass game even 24 ranks apart
Nebraska Cornhuskers #146 pass offense Michigan State Spartans #170 pass defense
Run game edge Michigan State Spartans 70 ranks
Michigan State Spartans #161 rush offense Nebraska Cornhuskers #231 run defense
Pass game edge Nebraska Cornhuskers 50 ranks
Michigan State Spartans #136 pass offense Nebraska Cornhuskers #86 pass defense
Nebraska Cornhuskers Balanced · 52% run Ball-control Michigan State Spartans Balanced · 51% run Avg pace
Matt Rhule · 58-46 Jonathan Smith · 43-50

Ranked by team-unit strength (rush & pass offense vs. run & pass defense) across all 265 D1 teams, not by individual players. Identity, tempo and unit strength are measured from the 2025 season.

The evidence 2025 production and power ratings · supporting the number above

Who carried each team in 2025
Nebraska Cornhuskers
RB Jamal Rule 210 rush yds · 3 TD · 2 rec #13 RB
WR Jacory Barney Jr. 13 rec · 175 yds · 2 TD #35 WR
WR Kwazi Gilmer 11 rec · 97 yds · 3 TD #60 WR
RB Mekhi Nelson 112 rush yds · 1 TD · 4 rec #49 RB
Michigan State Spartans
DL Eli Coenen 7 tkl · 3.0 sacks · 3.0 TFL #21 DL
RB Cam Edwards 250 rush yds · 3 TD · 3 rec #18 RB
DL Kenny Soares Jr. 6 tkl · 1.0 sacks · 1.5 TFL #69 DL
K Liam Boyd 5 FG · 6 XP · 21 pts #17 K

Top-rated players from last season, ranked within their position across D1. A grade measures what a player produced, and no 2026 game has been played yet — so this is who produced for these programs in 2025, not a claim about who is on the field this year.

Power breakdown
TeamPowerOffDefRank
Nebraska CornhuskersB1G +19.7 +14.2 +5.5 #40
Michigan State SpartansB1G +15.3 +6.0 +9.3 #54

Def is higher = better. The projection assumes a 2.4-pt home edge (0 at neutral sites).

Where the number comes from
Nebraska offense vs Michigan State defense+4.9 pts
Michigan State offense vs Nebraska defense+0.5 pts
Travel · context onlyAway team travels 643 mi

An efficiency adjustment from season-to-date EPA and success rate applies once teams have played enough games; before then it is 0 and the number is the power rating alone.

Situational spots are shown for context, not baked in: travel, altitude and rest were tested against 6,000+ games and the power and efficiency ratings already account for them. Adding them again would double-count.