Husker Football: Power Ranking Pelini’s ’14 Benchmark Games

1. at Wisconsin

At first, I was going to swap Nos. 2 and 1, but Wisky presents perhaps the biggest challenge of all to the Huskers’ total season.

This’ll likely be a 2:30 p.m. kickoff and perhaps the de facto Big Ten West title game. Wisconsin may not field a team to the level the nation’s used to seeing, but it’s going to be a handful in friendly confines.

Call the fans in Madison rude all you want, they’re loud and make life hell for the opposition, let alone a newbie quarterback. The good news is that this game doesn’t take place until late November. Ideally, whoever’s under center for Nebraska has ice in his veins by that point. Lukewarm’d be acceptable.

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Not only is this contest going to have major implications for who represents the division against the East’s best, but it features the two best running backs in the conference: Ameer Abdullah and Melvin Gordon.

Both can shred through tough defensive lines, have quality depth behind them and should have at least a serviceable passing game to support them.

While a loss to the Spartans looks likely, a win against the Badgers puts Nebraska closer to an elusive conference championship.

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