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Wk 4 · 2026

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Michigan State Spartans — Sat, Sep 26

Sat, Sep 26 · Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI · BTN FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Big Ten · 5-1
31
at
5:00pET
NEB -6 · total 48.5 DraftKings opened +5.5 · 0.5 toward NEB
Ratings differential NEB by 10.4
Michigan State Spartans
Big Ten · 2-4
13

What is at stake

A Big Ten game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Nebraska: +14.8#14
Efficiency margin
Michigan St: +2.0#63
Nebraska: 38.5
Offense (pts/100)
Michigan St: 30.3
Nebraska: 14.7
Defense (pts/100)
Michigan St: 19.3
Nebraska: 72.8
Pace (plays/g)
Michigan St: 65.3
Nebraska: 6.32
Yards / play
Michigan St: 4.77
Nebraska: 4.86
Yards / play allowed
Michigan St: 5.66
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Nebraska: 39.2
Points / game
Michigan St: 21.3
Nebraska: 15.2
Points allowed
Michigan St: 25.7
Nebraska: 460
Yards / game
Michigan St: 312
Nebraska: 276
Yards allowed
Michigan St: 340
Nebraska: 182
Pass yds allowed
Michigan St: 198
Nebraska: 95
Rush yds allowed
Michigan St: 142
Nebraska: 0.50
Turnovers / game
Michigan St: 1.17
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Nebraska form

L 17-20vs IUW 48-23vs MDW 31-13at MSUW 34-7vs UNDW 56-7vs BGSU
2026 season

Michigan St form

L 37-38vs ILLL 3-31at WISL 13-31vs NEBL 10-27at NDW 35-7vs EMU
2026 season

Nebraska this season

Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Over / under3-3 · 50% (6 games)

Michigan St this season

Straight up2-4 · 33% (6 games)
Against the spread3-2-1 · 60% (6 games)
Over / under2-4 · 33% (6 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 4

OpponentNebraskaMichigan St
Oregon
Big Ten
at Wk 7 · scheduled previewvs Wk 12 · scheduled preview
Washington
Big Ten
vs Wk 9 · scheduled previewvs Wk 11 · scheduled preview
Illinois
Big Ten
at Wk 10 · scheduled previewvs L 37-38 preview
Rutgers
Big Ten
at Wk 11 · scheduled previewat Wk 13 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Nebraska leads 6–4 · Nebraska has won the last 2
10 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 3.4 points toward Nebraska
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20262026-09-26Nebraska 31 — 13 Michigan Stat MSUNebraska
20252025-10-04Michigan St 27 — 38 Nebraskaat NEBNebraska
20232023-11-04Nebraska 17 — 20 Michigan Stat MSUMichigan St
20212021-09-25Nebraska 20 — 23 Michigan Stat MSUMichigan St
20182018-11-17Michigan St 6 — 9 Nebraskaat NEBNebraska
20152015-11-07Michigan St 38 — 39 Nebraskaat NEBNebraska
20142014-10-04Nebraska 22 — 27 Michigan Stat MSUMichigan St
20132013-11-16Michigan St 41 — 28 Nebraskaat NEBMichigan St
20122012-11-03Nebraska 28 — 24 Michigan Stat MSUNebraska
20112011-10-29Michigan St 3 — 24 Nebraskaat NEBNebraska

Nebraska leaders 2026 regular season

PassingAnthony Colandrea QB #1094/143, 1142 YDS, 13 TD, 2 INT
TJ Lateef QB #148/11, 82 YDS, 1 TD
RushingJamal Rule RB #2542 CAR, 333 YDS, 5 TD
Mekhi Nelson RB #3556 CAR, 266 YDS, 4 TD
Anthony Colandrea QB #1038 CAR, 249 YDS, 2 TD
ReceivingKwazi Gilmer WR #1129 REC, 387 YDS, 6 TD
Jacory Barney Jr. WR #218 REC, 233 YDS, 2 TD
Mekhi Nelson RB #358 REC, 120 YDS, 1 TD
Luke Lindenmeyer TE #4412 REC, 116 YDS, 1 TD
Defense
TacklesOwen Chambliss LB #3326
Dwayne McDougle III S #2624
Jamir Conn DB #1324
SacksJahsear Whittington DL #442.5
Riley Van Poppel DL #52
Williams Nwaneri EDGE #962
InterceptionsOwen Chambliss LB #331
Dwayne McDougle III S #261
Donovan Jones DB #371
full roster and per-player history

Michigan St leaders 2026 regular season

PassingAlessio Milivojevic QB #1180/129, 851 YDS, 3 TD, 3 INT
Cam Fancher QB #28/11, 59 YDS, 1 INT
RushingCam Edwards RB #064 CAR, 304 YDS, 3 TD
Jaziun Patterson RB #444 CAR, 162 YDS, 2 TD
Marvis Parrish RB #2129 CAR, 89 YDS
ReceivingRodney Bullard Jr. WR #315 REC, 206 YDS, 1 TD
Jayden Savoury TE #3117 REC, 179 YDS
Chrishon McCray WR #1318 REC, 150 YDS
Fredrick Moore WR #614 REC, 122 YDS, 1 TD
Defense
TacklesDevin Vaught S #233
Dion Crawford LB #1823
Brady Pretzlaff LB #4523
SacksEli Coenen DL #963
Isaac Smith EDGE #131
Kenny Soares Jr. EDGE #231
InterceptionsKenny Soares Jr. EDGE #231
full roster and per-player history
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.