The Nebraska Cornhuskers have finally called it quits with Scott Frost following a 1-2 start to their season. Frost, who played quarterback for the Cornhuskers in the late 1990s, has been the team’s head coach since 2018. With his firing, the Cornhuskers have enlisted Mickey Joseph as interim head coach. Before this new role, Joseph was an associate/wide receivers coach.
There has been plenty of turnover at Oklahoma as well, highlighted by former head coach Lincoln Riley leaving for USC this offseason. The Sooners also lost Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler to the transfer portal.
This collision course of storylines has a lot of implications for betting markets that are worth taking advantage of.
Nebraska vs. Oklahoma Predictions & Week 3 Picks
Nebraska vs. Oklahoma Betting Odds on DraftKings
| Nebraska Spread | +11 (-110) |
| Oklahoma Spread | -11 (-110) |
| Over/Under | 66.5 |
| Location | Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska |
| Time | 12:00 PM EST |
| TV | FOX |
Can The Cornhuskers Rally Behind Joseph?
With their only win coming against North Dakota and with two losses against Northwestern and Georgia Southern, it was time for a change in Lincoln. Frost is out as head coach, but what does this mean for the team? Can Joseph help turn the program around?
Nebraska’s quarterback is Casey Thompson, who has played reasonably well this season. He may have only four touchdowns to three interceptions, but he’s also had to deal with 11 total drops by his wide receivers. Thompson has done well to avoid sacks, getting dropped just two times in three games.
An encouraging sign for Thompson is that he’s not afraid to throw downfield, with over 20 of his attempts being for 20-plus yards. He has completed nine of those attempts.
The team posted 42 points against Georgia Southern, but the defense couldn’t stop anything, allowing 45 points. The top defensive players for the Cornhuskers are Garrett Nelson and Ochaun Mathis, who both come off the edge. Each have generated 10 quarterback pressures so far. However, the defensive players around them, especially in coverage, nee to drastically improve.
Nebraska’s offense has not been terrible. Still, when a team is allowing 31 points per game to far lesser competition than the Oklahoma Sooners, there is a massive problem.
UCF Transfer Quarterback Plays Well
Former UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel is showing that he can on the bigger stage at Oklahoma.
The Sooners first two games have been against weak opponents in UTEP and Kent State. Still, Gabriel has been excellent, completing nearly 70% of his passes for five touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The transfer quarterback has made an immediate connection with wide receiver Marvin Mims, who leads the team in targets, receptions and yards. Mims is also tied for first on the team in touchdowns. Mims has been a matchup nightmare for Oklahoma’s opponents.
Oklahoma’s offensive line has had some struggles in run blocking. However, they’ve been better in pass protection, allowing just eight total pressures and one sack. This will come in handy against two Cornhusker pass rushers that have consistently performed well over the first three weeks.
Finally, running back Eric Gray should not be overlooked. He’s had just 26 carries but has been great in those opportunities, averaging 6.7 yards. In contrast, two other backs— Marcus Major and Jovantae Barnes— had 12 attempts each. Major has three touchdowns, averaging 7.7 yards per carry, although Barnes has been less effective at 3.4 yards per carry.
Nebraska vs. Oklahoma Prediction
This game has the makings of another one where Thompson plays well but the team around him sinks.
The rushing attack for Nebraska has been solid, with 11 total touchdowns (four from Thompson), but they’re going to need more than that to take down this Sooners squad.
The Sooners should be able to block well enough up front to give Gabriel time to deliver passes and provide Mims with a juicy stat line.
The best hope for the Cornhuskers is to run the ball early, get a lead and try to keep leaning into that with Thompson, Anthony Grant and Ajay Allen.
However, they give up 31 points per game to competition that isn’t nearly as good as Oklahoma. Mickey Joseph’s first game as head coach could end in a minor blowout.
Best NCAAF Bet: Oklahoma -11 (-110)
Statistics are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
