Nebraska football: Final game-by-game predictions for Huskers in 2023

Nebraska vs. Michigan on Sept. 30 (L)

The last time Michigan came to Nebraska, the Huskers were a late Adrian Martinez fumble away from an upset in the 2021 season.

This will be Jim Harbaugh’s second game back from suspension. The two-time Big Ten champs represent the toughest game on the schedule. Ernest Hausmann, who was Nebraska’s best defender down the stretch last season, transferred to Michigan and is a backup.

He’s a backup who will play a lot, but still a backup. That just shows the talent gap. Nebraska will battle and keep it fairly close, but drop to 0-2 in Big Ten play.

Michigan 31, Nebraska 20 (3-2) 

Nebraska at Illinois on Oct. 6 (L)

Nebraska’s two most difficult games might be the back-to-back against Michgan and Illinois. The Fighting Illini lost some key pieces such as running back Chase Brown and first-round cornerback Devon Witherspoon, but there is still plenty of talent.

Luke Altmeyer takes over at quarterback and he might even be an upgrade from Tommy Devito. Reggie Love will be the running back, but the real strength of this team is defense.

The Illini look a lot like Bret Bielema’s Wisconsin teams and they are a dark horse to win the Big Ten West this year.

This will be another close loss and Nebraska fans will probably start to get frustrated, but Illinois wins a hard-fought game.

Illinois 24, Nebraska 17 (3-3)