Nebraska (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) at No. 16 Indiana (6-0, 3-0), Saturday, noon ET (Fox)

BettingMGM College Football Odds: Indiana at 5 1/2.

Series record: Indiana leads 10-9-3.

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

It’s a surprisingly important Big Ten midseason battle for two teams not expected to be in this position. Nebraska was picked to finish eighth in the expanded 18-team conference. Indiana was picked 17th. Now undefeated Indiana shares the Big Ten lead with No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State, and there is even talk of a possible playoff bid. The Cornhuskers are one game behind the leaders and one win away from being eligible to play in their first bowl since 2016.

KEY MATCHUP

Nebraska’s defensive front versus Indiana’s offensive line. The Cornhuskers lead the Big Ten in sacks per game (3.3), rank second in points allowed (11.3) and third in run defense (84.2 yards). But Indiana’s offense is dangerous. It leads the conference in scoring (47.5 points) and passing (315.3 yards), while averaging 200.3 yards on the ground. It’s a classic strength-versus-power match.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nebraska: QB Dylan Raiola. The true freshman has changed the trajectory of the program. Raiola has thrown nine touchdowns with just three interceptions, but he struggled in the last game against Rutgers. Raiola’s only road game to date has been at struggling Purdue, making this his first major road test.

Indiana: QB Kurtis Rourke. The former Mid-American Conference star has made quite an impact in his first Big Ten season. He has won the Big Ten Player of the Week award twice, shares the conference lead with 14 TD passes and has a league-best 192.1 rating while throwing just two interceptions and throwing just five picked up pockets. This will be the best defense Indiana has played.

FACTS & FIGURES

The Hoosiers are off to their best start since the 1967 Rose Bowl season. That’s the only other time they’ve been 7-0. …Nebraska has won six of the last seven in the series, the lone loss coming in Lincoln in 2019. …Indiana’s last home win in the series was a 54-14 blowout in 1945. …The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten with 23 TD runs this season. Ty Son Lawton has seven scores. Judge Ellison has six. …Nebraska scored a season-best 40 points in a season-opening win over UTEP. Indiana has surpassed the 40-point mark in all six games, with each win coming with 14 or more points.

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