College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 8
By Zach Bigalke
Nebraska had far more trouble with Purdue than one might reasonably have expected. The Boilermakers actually built a halftime lead in Lincoln, stunning the home crowd, but the Cornhuskers shut out Purdue in the second half and pulled away for a 27-14 victory to stay undefeated. The defense allowed 309 passing yards by David Blough, but they held the Purdue running game to 24 net yards on 22 carries. Tommy Armstrong Jr. accounted for 303 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while Terrell Newby had 103 yards on 24 touches (22 carries, two receptions).
The Cornhuskers should remain the highest-ranked team in the Big Ten West in this week’s AP Top 25. They head to Madison next weekend for a showdown against Wisconsin that will likely determine which team wins the division. If they get past the Badgers on the road, Nebraska immediately has to turn around and face Ohio State in Columbus. Home games against Minnesota and Maryland should offer something of a breather before the regular-season finale at Iowa. The next fortnight will determine whether Nebraska is a contender or a pretender.