Predicting the Final Score of Rutgers vs. Nebraska

Chances are very strong that there are no fans left who have ever seen Rutgers play Nebraska in football, so this Saturday’s meeting will be a first for everyone. That’s because the last time these teams played one another was 94 years ago, and anyone with that kind of memory capacity would be a little over 100 by now.

Nebraska won that game and probably will win this one as well. The Cornhuskers, with any luck, could even win it by the same score they did on Nov. 2, 1920 at the Polo Grounds in New York City — 28-0. It was a very strange day for a college football game, Tuesday, but since many people in those days had Election Day off a decent crowd of 20,000 attended.

Now, like then, Nebraska simply has a better program with a better head coach, and that is why the Cornhuskers will prevail relatively easily. Nebraska survived a test with a tougher opponent, Northwestern, last week, and should be hardened for this one. Rutgers, on the other hand, lost to Ohio State, 56-17, last week and probably is at least a little demoralized.

One player who is salivating over the prospect of facing Rutgers has to be Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah, a 5-foot-9, 200-pound senior who already is over the 1,000-yard mark (1,024, with 14 rushing touchdowns) in a 6-1 start.

Against the run this year, Rutgers is ranked No. 67 in the FBS and has allowed backs from Tulane and Howard to gain more than 100 yards against them this season. Abdullah needs to pad his resume if he has any chance for the Heisman and the visiting Scarlet Knights are just what he needs to do it. It should be deja vu some 94 years later.

Prediction: Nebraska 28, Rutgers 0

Mike Gibson is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @papreps , “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.