Minnesota at Nebraska

Minnesota has been impressive, starting 0-2 in Big 10 play but ripping off four straight wins. That included a 31-10 win at Maryland as a dog. When Ohio State routed Nebraska 62-3 last Saturday, the Gophers moved into a three-way tie for first place with the Cornhuskers and Badgers. Minnesota has a strong ground attack that chews up yards behind RBs Rodney Smith (954 yards, 5.4 yards per carry) and Shannon Brooks (472 yards, 5.1 ypc). Smith is the Big Ten's second-leading rusher and has surpassed 100 yards in each of the past four games. The Golden Gophers have a winning road record and are 19-8-1 ATS in their last 28 conference games. Minnesota ranks third in the nation in turnover margin (plus-12). They have scored 90 points off turnovers, up from 37 last year. Their only losses on the season were to Iowa by seven and in overtime to Penn State. Minnesota's defense is #35 in the country in points allowed (23.1 points per game), and #17 against the run. They face a down a Nebraska team on a two-game skid that followed a 7-0 start, getting outscored 85-20 in losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State. Nebraska's two QBs have combined for just 12 TDs, and nine picks, a one-dimensional offense ranked #84 in passing. Cornhuskers QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. is not healthy, going through the concussion protocol this week and may not play. Both teams prefer the run and this shapes up as a close one, so grab the underrated dog and play Minnesota.