Division leader likely to come from Michigan State game Saturday

The front-runner in the Big Ten's Legends Division will likely come out of Saturday's 11 a.m. matchup between Nebraska and Michigan State, and Husker football tickets will be a hot item this week as the Huskers and Spartans hook up in a battle of rated teams.
Michigan State moved into the top 10 this week on the strength of an amazing upset win over then-No. 4 Wisconsin. The Spartans led by as many as 14 points in the second half before the Badgers came back to tie the game, only to see Michigan State win on a Hail Mary pass play on the final play of regulation to post a 37-31 victory.
The Spartans are off to a good start this season, posting a 6-1 record and outscoring their opponents by almost 16 points per game. Their only stumble so far this season has been a 31-13 loss to Notre Dame, as Michigan State is undefeated so far in Big Ten competition.
Michigan State runs a pretty balanced attack, led by quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has thrown for more than 1,600 yards and 11 touchdowns, including the game-winner to Keith Nichol, who caught a deflection out of the end zone and dragged at least three Wisconsin players far enough to break the plane of the goal line with the ball to give Michigan State the amazing upset win.
Edwin Baker is the Michigan State's leading rusher, gaining 434 yards and averaging more than four yards per carry, but Le'Veon Bell has been getting a lot of the glory so far this season, rushing for six touchdowns and averaging about five yards a carry.
Cousins has a solid corps of receivers to throw to, as Michigan State has done very well in the passing department this season. B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin and Dion Sims have each caught three touchdown passes on the season, and Cunningham and Nichol are both threats to break off big gainers, as both average more than 15 yards per reception.
Defensively, look for Max Bullough and Chris Norman to lead a salty Michigan State defense. Both are averaging about seven total tackles a game, and the defense has forced 13 turnovers and 24 quarterback sacks on the season. Their special teams has been dominant as well and showed what they are capable of against the Badgers, blocking a field goal and taking a blocked punt back for a touchdown.
Historically, Nebraska has dominated the series with Michigan State. Their most recent meeting came in the 2003 Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, where the Huskers outlasted the Spartans 17-3 behind a solid defensive effort. Oddly enough, the current coach at Nebraska, Bo Pelini, was the team's defensive coordinator that season and served as interim coach after Frank Solich was fired at the end of the 2003 regular season.
This is not Michigan State's first trip to Lincoln, but it's a good beat Spartan fans are hoping for a better outcome than the last time Michigan State visited Nebraska. In that game, the Huskers' dominating ground game served them well as they pounded the Spartans 55-14 in their first game after winning the team's second straight national title.
The winner of Saturday's 11 a.m. game is likely to step into the captain's chair in the Legends Division standings, as Michigan State, Nebraska and Iowa are all undefeated in the division. The Spartans are 3-0 overall in the conference, compared to 2-1 marks for the Huskers and Hawkeyes. Nebraska is riding some momentum after a dominating effort in a 41-14 win at Minnesota last weekend.
Don't miss out on what should be a fantastic Big Ten clash between Michigan State and Nebraska, two teams ranked in the upper half of the latest rankings. Get your tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker football game is ever sold out.