Oregon jumps undefeated Florida State and moves into second in the College Football Playoff rankings while TCU takes over the fourth spot.
Mississippi State remains No. 1. The Seminoles (9-0) slips to No. 3. Oregon (9-1) moved up after winning at Utah.
Alabama is No. 5 and Arizona State is sixth.
Baylor moves to seventh, but is still behind Big 12 rival TCU, which lost to the Bears in Waco, Texas, by a field goal last month.
Ohio State (8-1) is up to eighth after its big victory at Michigan State. The Buckeyes are the highest ranked team from the Big Ten. Nebraska dropped one spot to No. 16.
The 12-person selection committee will chose the four playoff teams on Dec. 7.
Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team continued its preparations for its Saturday afternoon Big Ten West showdown with the Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday afternoon, as the Huskers practiced for nearly two hours inside of the Hawks Championship Center and outside on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields.
Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck met with the media following Tuesday’s practice, mentioning that senior All-America candidate Ameer Abdullah looked pretty good out on the practice field today.
“He (Abdullah) looked good today, moving around, running and going through all of our stuff, it did not limit him in any way,” Beck said. “He looked pretty good.”
Beck added that last week’s bye could not have come soon enough. With some of the Husker football team battling bumps and bruises, NU used the bye week to rest up leading into the Freedom Trophy matchup versus the Badgers.
“Just getting healthy in the bye week, we also did a lot of self-scouting and getting a good jump on Wisconsin,” Beck said. “It is good, it is always good to have that this late in the season, to give the guys a chance to rest those bumps and bruises.”
With temperatures projected to be in the low-to-mid 30’s at kickoff Saturday, NU used cold weather in Lincoln Tuesday to start preparing themselves for what they will see in Maddison.
“I think it is important, we know it is going to be loud up there, just to get an opportunity to communicate and do all the things that we need to do to make sure we don’t have any self-inflicted wounds for the game.”
The Nebraska football team will continue its preparations for its Saturday afternoon game on Wednesday afternoon. The Huskers Big Ten conference clash against Wisconsin will be nationally televised on ABC at 2:30 pm (Central).
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Safety Nate Gerry (Gary) has turned into one of Nebraska’s biggest defensive playmakers after spending last season at linebacker.
He’s intercepted a pass in three straight games and in four of the last five. He’s the Cornhuskers’ second-leading tackler.
Gerry said he’s happier playing in the secondary. Coach Bo Pelini said Gerry was needed to bolster depth in a young linebacker corps. The plan was for Gerry to play his more natural safety position this year.
Pelini said Gerry has a better understanding of the defense because of his experience at linebacker.
The 11th-ranked Cornhuskers play at No. 22 Wisconsin on Saturday.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have promoted running back Charcandrick West from the practice squad and signed tight end Phillip Supernaw after losing Cyrus Gray and Demetrius Harris to season-ending injuries.
West signed with the Chiefs as a rookie free agent this season, and had spent nine weeks on their practice squad. Supernaw has played four games in two seasons with the Ravens and Texans, and has spent time on both practice squads.
Gray, a special teams standout, tore an ACL in Sunday’s victory in Buffalo. Harris broke a bone in his foot during pregame warmups before facing the Bills. Both were put on injured reserve.
The Chiefs signed tight end Adam Schiltz to fill their open spot on the practice squad.
Winners of four straight, Kansas City plays Seattle on Sunday.
Lincoln – University of Nebraska senior I-back Ameer Abdullah was selected as a finalist for a pair of awards Tuesday afternoon. The Homewood, Ala., native was chosen as one of 10 finalists for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award and one of 12 finalists for the 2014 Wuerffel Trophy.
Both awards combine athletic accomplishments along with off-field performances. The Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®) Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. The Wuerffel Trophy is a national award that honors the college football player who best exhibits exemplary community service.
Abdullah has been a standout on the field and in the community during his tenure at Nebraska, as he returned to school for his senior year to complete his degree.
Abdullah has been one of the nation’s top players in 2014, as the senior ranks among the national leaders in all-purpose yards (1,691, first), rushing yards (1,250, fifth) and points scored (114, fourth) entering Saturday’s nationally televised game with No. 22 Wisconsin. Abdullah, who has led the Huskers to an 8-1 record and a No. 11 national ranking, has four 200-yard rushing games this season and is the only player in the FBS ranks with two games with 300 all-purpose yards, including a school record 341 all-purpose yards against Rutgers. He has been the Big Ten’s Player of the Week four times in 2014.
During his career, Abdullah is the only Husker in 125 years of Nebraska football to post three 1,000-yard rushing seasons and trails only 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier on Nebraska’s career rushing chart. Abdullah leads all active FBS players in career rushing yards (4,227), yards from scrimmage (4,817), 100-yard games (23) and all-purpose yards (6,605). In addition, he also ranks second on the Big Ten’s all-time all-purpose yards list.
Abdullah, who will graduate from Nebraska in December with a degree in history, has been named to Nebraska’s Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll three times and was an academic All-Big Ten selection in 2013. One of the most active Huskers in the community, Abdullah was named to the 2014 Brook Berringer and Tom Osborne Citizenship Teams, as he has worked with numerous groups during his career, including elementary schools, team hospital visits and the Uplifting Athletes organization to raise awareness for pediatric brain cancer.
For the Senior CLASS Award, the list of 30 candidates was trimmed to 10 and nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website (seniorCLASSaward.com) through December 15. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner, which will be announced in January. The Wuerffel Trophy, which is voted on by the Wuerffel Trophy national directors, selection committee members and past winners, will be formally announced onDec. 9, 2014
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska goes into Saturday’s game at No. 22 Wisconsin looking to overcome its demons in road games against opponents ranked in the Top 25.
The 11th-ranked Cornhuskers (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten) have lost four of their last five on the road against Top 25 teams. Since Bo Pelini took over in 2008, the Huskers are 3-8 in those games.
Pelini said Monday it’s hard to beat good teams in tough environments. He said history will have nothing to do with what happens against the Badgers (7-2, 4-1).
In its only Top 25 road game this season, Nebraska was down 24 points in the fourth quarter to Michigan State before closing to 27-22. Each of the Huskers’ previous three Top 25 road losses was by at least 25 points.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska coach Bo Pelini isn’t as optimistic as he was last week about whether star running back Ameer Abdullah would be full strength for Saturday’s game at No. 22 Wisconsin.
Abdullah left the Nov. 1 game against Purdue with a sprained and bruised left knee. Pelini said Monday that Abdullah didn’t practice during the 11th-ranked Cornhuskers’ bye week, though “he worked out on the field.”
Last Tuesday, Pelini said the three-time 1,000-yard rusher was “doing great” and should be “100 percent” for the Badgers.
Pelini said Monday he still believed Abdullah would be fine but added, “I’m not a doctor.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have lost backup running back Cyrus Gray for the season with a torn knee ligament. Tight end Demetrius Harris is also sidelined with a broken foot.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that Gray, a special teams standout, will miss the rest of the season after tearing an ALC in the third quarter of Sunday’s 17-13 victory over Buffalo. Harris, a former basketball player in college, broke his foot during warmups prior to the game.
Reid said the rest of the team came out relatively healthy heading into Sunday’s showdown against the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Running back Jamaal Charles had a neck stinger and tight end Anthony Fasano a bruised knee, but both would have been able to practice Monday.
The Big Ten has announced that its television partners will use a six-day pick for the games of Saturday, Nov. 22, including Minnesota at Nebraska. The game will be played at either 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m.
A limited number of tickets for the Nebraska-Minnesota game remain. The tickets are recently returned tickets from the visiting team allotment, and cost $75 each. They can be purchased on-line at Huskers.com, or by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIG RED.
MADISON, Wis./LINCOLN, Neb. – Wisconsin and Nebraska always have plenty to play for when the two Big Ten rivals meet on the football field. Now, the Freedom Trophy can be added to that list.
The trophy will be on the line for the first time on Saturday, Nov. 15, when the Badgers host the Cornhuskers at Camp Randall Stadium.
“Trophy games are part of the tradition of college football, and I’m thrilled that we’re going to be introducing one into our rivalry with Nebraska,” Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez said. “The Freedom Trophy brings recognition to two historic football venues and it honors our nation’s veterans. It is something I know the coaches, student-athletes and fans of both programs will embrace for years to come.”
“We are honored to partner with Wisconsin in an annual Freedom Trophy game, as both of our football programs and stadiums have rich histories and traditions,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said. “The Freedom Trophy provides a unique opportunity for us to pay special tribute to the brave men and women who have and will continue to defend our nation’s freedom.”
The Freedom Trophy, designed and sculpted by Harry Weber of Wright City, Mo., features a bronze football stadium with an American flag extending from the center. One half of the outside of the stadium depicts the North section of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium (built in 1917) and the other half the East side of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium (built in 1923, East side expansion in 2012). The stadium and flag sculpture sits on top of a wooden base that has dedicated space for future Wisconsin-Nebraska game scores. With the Big Ten establishing East and West divisions for football prior to this season, the Huskers and Badgers will now play each other every year as members of the West Division.
The base also contains an identical inscription on two sides that reads:
“The Freedom Trophy pays tribute to the brave men and women who have fought in our nation’s wars. The University of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium, built on what was once a Civil War training ground, and the University of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium, dedicated in honor of our nation’s veterans, stand as proud monuments to those who have sacrificed so much in the name of freedom.”
Since 1901, Wisconsin and Nebraska have met a total of eight times on the football field with each school winning four games apiece.
Oregon jumps undefeated Florida State and moves into second in the College Football Playoff rankings while TCU takes over the fourth spot.
