College football Week 0 picks: ESPN computer predicts Nebraska vs. Northwestern

Nebraska helps kick off the 2022 college football season with a Week 0 game set against Big Ten rival Northwestern on Saturday from Dublin, Ireland.

The game is the first step in a long test for the Cornhuskers and head coach Scott Frost to recover from last season's 3-9 effort and turn the program around.

What do the experts say about the matchup between the Huskers and the Wildcats? Let's look at how the ESPN computer predicted the game.

Nebraska vs. Northwestern football prediction

Nebraska vs. Northwestern kicks off the 2022 college football season

Football Power Index gives Nebraska the overwhelming chance at victory, with a 78.7 percent chance to beat Northwestern in the season opener.

By contrast, the computer gives Northwestern a 21.3 percent chance of victory.

The bookmakers tend to agree with the Football Power Index prediction machine, with Nebraska coming into Week 0 as a solid 11.5 point favorite.

FPI placed Nebraska at No. 32 in their preseason college football rankings, good for sixth in the Big Ten, and predicts the Huskers will win 7.8 games.

Northwestern checks in at No. 81 nationally, second to last in the Big Ten, ahead of only Rutgers. FPI projects the Wildcats to win 4.3 games.

ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings are a measure of team strength that predicts a team’s future performance. 

Rankings and scores predictions are based on 10,000 simulations of a team’s season, using a combination of analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, and a team’s schedule.

College football rankings

According to AP Top 25 poll

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas A&M
7. Utah
8. Michigan
9. Oklahoma
10. Baylor
11. Oregon
12. Oklahoma State
13. NC State
14. USC
15. Michigan State
16. Miami
17. Pittsburgh
18. Wisconsin
19. Arkansas
20. Kentucky
21. Ole Miss
22. Wake Forest
23. Cincinnati
24. Houston
25. BYU

More from College Football HQ

College football odds, lines for Week 0 games

Week 0 picks against the spread

College football schedule: Week 1 games you should watch

Florida State vs. Duquesne preview, prediction

Nebraska vs. Northwestern preview, prediction

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