Carriker Chronicles: Nebraska-Cincinnati Football Preview and Prediction

Adam Carriker shares the honest truth about Nebraska’s odds of beating Cincinnati and why this is such a big football game for the Huskers. He has some unique inside information as well. Adam shares all of this during his preview and prediction of Nebraska vs. Cincinnati.

Head coach Matt Rhule needs this win, quarterback Dylan Raiola can shine and the defense is finally on display. Learn what to expect and why before everyone else! Hit the play button below to watch, and scroll down for a few excerpts from the show.

Introduction

Will Nebraska beat Cincinnati and be off to winning eight, nine, potentially ten games, or will they suffer a potentially devastating loss? I have things that excite me. I have things that concern me.

About the offensive line

Nebraska's 227 combined games played by offensive linemen ranks 10th entering this season. Husker offensive linemen have combined for 123 career starts. That ranks 13th nationally.

Now we've heard they've got experience. We know this. We heard this last year. Okay, I do expect to see an improved offensive line going forward. Just got to see it on the field. We know they've got experience. We know they've played a ton of snaps. How does it gel? How does it all come together?

The No. 1 key to the game

Run the ball, because running the ball sets up everything else.

If you can't run the ball, you become predictable. They can pin their ears back, and now you're in trouble. And where you're still trying to figure out one of your offensive tackle spots, you can't be predictable.

Run the ball, set up the passing game, then you can play-action pass over the top, which sets up the underneath, which sets up the screen passes, and then you can come back and run the ball and keep the defense off balance.

Run the ball for at least 150 yards.

The Cincinnati offense

They must replace their top rusher who had 1,153 yards and four touchdowns. In the passing game, their quarterback Brendan Sorsby returns after completing 64% of his passes, over 2,800 yards, 18 touchdowns, seven interceptions in 12 games. Cincinnati did lose four of their five top receiving targets from last year

Questions about Game 1

Here's what my question marks are going into this game and what I'm curious to see. Do we start fast? If we don't start fast, how do we respond? What if they go up by a touchdown? What if they go up 14 to nothing, 10 to nothing? How do we respond? How tough are we?

There's going to be ups and downs in the game. How do our in-game adjustments look? How do our halftime adjustments look? And who's the stronger, better team in the fourth quarter? And who's the more physical team throughout the game?

Adam's expectations for 2025

Let me be clear. I'd still consider eight wins a successful season, even though I would not be jumping for joy for eight wins. It'd be a step in the right direction. And to me, that's successful right now.

But I want more wins to talk about. I want a team noticeably moving in the right direction. I want a team that fights, scratches and claws despite whatever their NIL money may or may not be. I don't care. Please give us more wins, ideally, but more positivity and happy things to see, talk about and root for as well. Husker fans are dying for it, and in my opinion, they deserve it.

Adam's prediction for Thursday night's game

We're favored by 6½ at the time I'm recording this. I do think we cover. We may give up more points than people expect going into this game. I think we might score more points than people expect us to score going into this game, so I'm taking the over. Nebraska 35, Cincinnati 20.

☛ Get more Carriker Chronicles here on Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, at Adam's website and on YouTube.

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