After a less-than-convincing win against North Dakota State in their season opener, Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and the Colorado Buffaloes hit the road in Week 2 to take on the Dylan Raiola-led Nebraska Cornhuskers.
This will be the eighth time (out of 13 games) in the Deion Sanders era that the Buffaloes enter a contest as underdogs, and only once has Colorado emerged as a straight-up winner.
Can the Buffs overcome this poor history under their flamboyant coach or will the true freshman Raiola lead the Cornhuskers to a revenge win after last season’s 36-14 beatdown in Boulder?
Here’s my prediction and pick for Saturday night’s nationally televised Colorado vs. Nebraska matchup.
Colorado vs. Nebraska odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | +7.5 (-112) | +205 | o57.5 (-110) |
| Nebraska | -7.5 (-108) | -250 | u57.5 (-110) |
Colorado vs. Nebraska prediction
(7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, NBC)
It’s not quite time to hit the panic button if you are a Colorado fan, but a five-point win against an FCS opponent is not the ideal way to start the 2024 season.
Shedeur Sanders, a Heisman candidate getting love even though he’s a long shot, was incredible, throwing for 445 yards, four touchdowns and one fluke interception that bounced off an NDSU player’s calf muscle into the arms of a Bison defender.
The two-way player Hunter was just as impressive, reeling in seven catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns while recording three tackles on defense.
Jimmy Horn Jr., who logged nearly 200 receiving yards, showed the speed and playmaking ability that makes him and Hunter one of college football’s most dynamic wide receiver duos.
Still, it took masterclass performances from those players to beat the Bison by five points. Colorado nearly lost after a Hail Mary attempt, which was still caught by an NDSU receiver who fell four yards short of the end zone.
Some issues from last season persist for the Buffs, including their running game, which was an atrocity in Week 1. Colorado running backs gained just 59 yards on 23 attempts, with the offensive line resembling the non-existent run-blocking unit from 2023.
However, the O-line looked much improved in pass blocking, allowing just one sack to Sanders. While the quarterback often needed to maneuver in and out of the pocket, that was a bright spot.
Unfortunately, it was also more of the same from the Buffs on defense. NDSU quarterback Cam Miller completed 18 of his 22 attempts for 277 yards and a touchdown. He likely would have had an even bigger outing if it weren’t for a strange shift in play-calling in the second half.
In the secondary, Hunter looked as we have come to expect: dominant. But the rest of Colorado’s secondary did not impress. That could be an issue against the Cornhuskers, who some believe will be one of the better teams in the Big Ten in Matt Rhule’s second season.
Colorado vs. Nebraska pick
Despite having a true freshman at quarterback, Nebraska’s expectations are as high as they have been in quite some time. Raiola is a rare talent, and if he settles in and doesn’t try to play hero ball in just his second collegiate game, the Huskers should have no issues moving the ball on Colorado.
Defensively, Nebraska returns a substantial portion of its production from last season.
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In fact, the Cornhuskers are expected to have a top-10 defense in the country, and while relying on a true freshman to cover the spread is scary, we don’t expect them to commit four turnovers as they did in their matchup last season.
Nebraska should be able to wear down an already weak Colorado defense and put enough points on the board to secure a double-digit win in Lincoln.
Pick: Nebraska -7 (-115, Caesars)
