Nebraska and Boston College have similar stories on paper this season. Both have coaches looking to rebuild proud programs (and their reputations) after being bounced from the NFL, with Bill O’Brien in his first year as BC’s head coach and Matt Rhule in his second at Nebraska. Both teams showed promise of brighter days ahead with big showings against top opponents and improved in at least one aspect of their record. But there’s a big difference in how they got there, and it’s why Boston College has value as a 4-point underdog in the Pinstripe Bowl.
How to watch Boston College vs. Nebraska
Nebraska barreled into the season with their hair on fire, beating UTEP and Colorado and reaching No. 24 in the rankings before losing to then-No. 22 Illinois. The Huskers won their next two games handily against Big Ten opponents and sat at 5-1, their best start since 2016, which is also the last time Nebraska made a bowl game. But then it fell apart as they lost five of their next six games, beginning with a blowout to Indiana in which they scored just seven points.
Prior to the losing streak, the Cornhuskers were averaging 28 points a game. The most they scored in their final five losses was 20, and they averaged 14.8.
A lot of that was defenses catching up to freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who saw his passer rating dive from 148.4 over the first six games to 113.7 over the final six. He threw nine of his 12 touchdowns during the 5-1 start, and seven of his 10 interceptions over the 1-5 finish.
Contrast that with Boston College, who got out to a 4-1 start and also had their lone loss in a close game against a ranked team (Missouri), but managed to stop the ensuing skid and end the year hot.
The Eagles lost their next three to fall to .500, but O’Brien swapped out starting quarterback Thomas Castellanos against Syracuse after a 2-of-7, 14-yard first half, and BC rallied to beat the Orange behind Grayson James. Castellanos entered the portal shortly after and James and the Eagles went on to beat North Carolina and Pittsburgh, with their only loss in the final four weeks coming to SMU.
BC charged into bowl eligibility while Nebraska limped to it, and the latter has the most damaging absences. The bowl berth belongs mostly to the Cornhuskers’ defense, which ranks in the top 20 in points, rushing yards and total yards allowed per game. But they will be without starting linebacker Mikai Gbayor (transferring to Missouri), defensive end Jimari Butler (transferred to LSU) and three other linebackers who all had 175 or more snaps.
Boston College’s offense isn’t particularly formidable (rush yards per game is the only category in which they are in the top 50), but with their end-of-season momentum and Nebraska’s distinct lack of it — along with several key defensive departures — it’s hard not to like them plus the points in New York.
Boston College vs. Nebraska odds
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(Photo of Dylan Raiola: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
