USA TODAY Sports kept Nebraska projected for the Pinstripe Bowl against North Carolina State in its week five projections, released Tuesday. The Cornhuskers’ projected postseason matchup remains unchanged. Nebraska enters week five at 4-0 after beating Michigan State 31-13, its best start since 2016. Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon and Iowa remain on the schedule.
Nebraska’s Projection and Schedule
The Pinstripe Bowl pairing has appeared in projections since the preseason. If the projection holds, Nebraska would face NC State in the Bronx. That’s a projection, not a confirmed bowl assignment. Nebraska’s undefeated start and latest road win at Michigan State haven’t changed the matchup.
The article called the 31-13 win imperfect, but said it raised expectations for Nebraska, particularly with Matt Rhule in his fourth year as head coach. Nebraska finished 7-6 last year. The upcoming schedule includes Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon and Iowa; Illinois and Washington also pose challenges.
Those games provide context for the bowl projection. Nebraska hasn’t secured a postseason place, and the article offered no final bowl decision. It reported only a projected pairing and the Cornhuskers’ record entering week five.
NC State’s Recent Game
NC State went 8-5 last year and returned to .500 by beating Appalachian State 41-31. The Wolfpack led 28-7 at halftime, then gave up 24 points in the next 22 minutes as Appalachian State tied the score at 31-31.
Appalachian State opened the third quarter with a touchdown drive that cut into the lead. The Mountaineers later turned an interception and an onside-kick recovery into two touchdowns, tying the game. NC State then pulled away in the fourth quarter with 10 unanswered points.
The first half ended with a late push. Appalachian State moved from its own 25-yard line to the Wolfpack’s 30 in under 40 seconds, then kicked a field goal. That sequence and the second-half rally made the game closer than the 28-7 halftime score suggested. NC State still won, 41-31.
Other Big Ten Coverage
USA TODAY’s Big Ten sports page also featured “Who are the best first-year college football coaches? We ranked all 31 of them.” Other headlines covered five questions facing college football in Week 5, two SEC quarterbacks’ breakout starts from September, a possible quarterback controversy involving Oregon and Dan Lanning, and Week 5 picks for Top 25 games, including SEC and Big Ten matchups.
The Big Ten section listed Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Washington and Wisconsin. NC State was entering ACC play, with Louisville, Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina among its upcoming opponents. The source reports football rankings, schedules and bowl projections; it doesn’t describe a sovereignty dispute, demographic change, migration policy or political resistance.