Nebraska vs. Northwestern football preview, prediction

Your look at the Nebraska vs. Northwestern preview and prediction on the Week 0 college football schedule.

The 2022 college football season kicks off — where else? — in Dublin, Ireland, as Nebraska and Northwestern meet out of the Big Ten.

Both teams are coming off a dismal 3-9 campaign and are hoping this fall will bring an opportunity to get their programs on stronger footing.

Here's what you need to know about the Week 0 kickoff game from the Emerald Isle.

Nebraska vs. Northwestern preview, prediction

Nebraska and Northwestern kick off the 2022 college football season

How to watch

When: Sat., Aug. 27

Time: 12:30 p.m. Eastern

TV: Fox Network

Streaming: ESPN.com/watch

Nebraska vs. Northwestern odds

Point spread: Nebraska -13

O/U: 50.5

Moneyline: NU -550, NW +400

FPI pick: Nebraska 78.7%

Nebraska vs. Northwestern: What to watch

1. Nebraska's new-look offense. Scott Frost got aggressive this offseason, signing Texas transfer quarterback Casey Thompson, the Big 12's leader in TD passes in 2021, and former Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, fresh off coaching Kenny Pickett to an ACC championship. Those pickups, plus a receiving group that added good transfers like Trey Palmer from LSU, and this Cornhusker attack should look better.

2. Northwestern's defense. The Wildcats lost Chris Bergin, who led college football in tackles a year ago, and overall this defensive unit ranked just 101st nationally, allowing 429.5 yards per game, and was 89th in scoring defense (29.0 ppg). NU's secondary doesn't return a single player who had an interception last season.

3. Nebraska's transfers. Since the end of last season, the Cornhuskers added 22 transfers, including 18 first-year players with 184 combined starts. Keep an eye on the defensive line additions, in particular: edge Ochaun Mathis comes over from TCU ranked top 10 nationally in tackles for loss, in addition to Devin Drew from Texas Tech and Stephon Wynn from Alabama to give Nebraska's front seven a needed jolt of power.

Nebraska vs. Northwestern: Need to know

+ Nebraska has a 9-6 advantage over Northwestern all-time and is 6-5 against the Wildcats since joining the Big Ten

+ Six of the first 11 Big Ten games between Nebraska and Northwestern were decided by three or fewer points

+ Northwestern scored 14 or fewer points in seven of their last eight games in 2021

+ Eight of their 11 meetings since Nebraska joined the Big Ten have been decided by eight or fewer points, including four of the last five games

+ Northwestern loses top receiver Stephon Robinson, but retains its next four productive pass catchers, who combined for 1,130 yards and five TDs last fall

+ Nebraska is 14-1 all-time in the month of August and 7-1 against Power 5 opponents, with the average score being 34-12

+ Northwestern returns Adetomiwa Adebawore on defense a year after he led the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks

+ 19 of Scott Frost's 29 losses at Nebraska (66%) have been by a touchdown or less, including 11 games lost by five or fewer points

+ Northwestern has won two of the last four Big Ten West championships

+ Nebraska was just 3-9 last fall, but outscored opponents by 63 total points, lost each game by single digits, and lost to ranked teams by an average of six points

+ Northwestern returns its three leading rushers, including thousand-yard back Evan Hull, who scored 7 times in 2021

+ Nebraska averaged 447.6 yards of offense per game last season, ranking No. 20 in college football, the school's best showing since 2008

+ Neither of these teams were great in the red zone a year ago, in either direction: Nebraska was 106th offensively and 61st defensively; Northwestern was 128th on offense and 62nd on defense

What happens?

Northwestern needs this game to show that last season's issues were the exception and not the rule, and should have a pretty solid showing on both lines of scrimmage, especially when running the ball with a solid group that all average over four yards per carry.

And this is Nebraska's first chance to show that Scott Frost's offseason changes have steered the ship in the right direction, or at least not sink it.

The Huskers may not have enough power running the ball to control tempo entirely, something which may haunt this team on late third downs, but should be able to get behind Northwestern's secondary easily enough to get in front early.

College Football HQ prediction: Nebraska 27, Northwestern 18

College football rankings

According to AP Top 25 poll

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas A&M
7. Utah
8. Michigan
9. Oklahoma
10. Baylor
11. Oregon
12. Oklahoma State
13. NC State
14. USC
15. Michigan State
16. Miami
17. Pittsburgh
18. Wisconsin
19. Arkansas
20. Kentucky
21. Ole Miss
22. Wake Forest
23. Cincinnati
24. Houston
25. BYU

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