Heisman Candidate Ameer Abdullah Makes Nebraska a Potential Playoff Crasher

Think Nebraska doesn't have a shot at the playoffs? As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friend." With Heisman candidate Ameer Abdullah leading the way, the Huskers can't be counted out just yet. As Bleacher Report's own Adam Kramer pointed out, Nebraska's chances are intriguing:

Abdullah only adds to it.

Against Rutgers, Abdullah had an impressive 225 rushing yards. Those yards increased his season rushing total to 1,249 yards. Abdullah has excelled against more opponents then just Rutgers, though. He hasn't just excelled at running the ball, either.

"He is very good. Very good," Rutgers senior defensive end David Milewski said. "All around, he did everything, caught the ball, ran the ball and returned the ball. I think he is good as advertised."

That's what Abdullah does. He's an all-purpose back who's not afraid to do what he needs to do to help the Huskers win. If that means he's blocking on one play, that means he's blocking. It simply doesn't matter to the senior.

"It's about being as good as I can in every area and not being good in certain areas and not so good in other areas," Abdullah said. "I want to maximize my potential as much as I can in everything I do."

That mindset has paid off for the senior. He had 341 all-purpose yards against Rutgers, which set a school record. He surpassed Roy Helu's 321 all-purpose yards against Missouri in 2010. Making it even better, this was also his second 300-yard all-purpose game this season. He's the only player in the nation to accomplish that this season so far. Big Ten Network shared the play that placed Abdullah in the history books:

Does that mean Abdullah can lead this team to the College Football Playoff? It won't be easy, but he's making a strong case.

While it may seem unlikely, as Kramer noted, the Huskers are still in the hunt for the playoff. According to CBSSports.com, Nebraska is one of 12 teams with an outside chance to make it. But can it really be done?

First, the Huskers will need to win out. In order to do so, Nebraska will have to play at the highest level possible, something it didn't do against Rutgers, according to head coach Bo Pelini.

"Sloppy. Bad communication. Missed assignments. Dropping coverage when the quarterback scrambles. Things that will get you beaten down the line. It didn't get us beaten today, but it will get you beaten down the line. We've got to get some things fixed. We need to have some discipline on the defensive side of the ball. We were undisciplined."

The coach then put it on himself and his staff to make sure the errors are corrected. As he said, those types of errors (like turnovers and Josh Mitchell's lateral pass attempt) could cost Nebraska wins down the road. Teams such as Wisconsin and Iowa will be looking for Nebraska to make mistakes.

Speaking of upcoming opponents, the Huskers also need the remainder of their opponents to keep winning. Unfortunately, Minnesota didn't help that by losing 28-24 to Illinois on Saturday. However, Wisconsin won big over Maryland, and as long as the Badgers keep that up, it will only help Nebraska.

Ultimately, if the Huskers do win out, it's going to be about winning the Big Ten Championship. Whether the opponent is Michigan State or Ohio State, Nebraska will need a victory in Indianapolis to keep the playoff dream alive.

But is that dream actually worth having? The answer is absolutely. Nebraska is not down for the count just yet, and with Abdullah leading the way, the potential is still there. However, Abdullah knows the performance against Rutgers isn't going to be enough.

"I know personally we have so much more out there for us. We won by 18, and I know we could have played so much better. We should have played much better. So this sounds good, but we've got to be much better. We can't keep talking like, 'What could have been.' We've got to do it, and it starts with preparation."

November is going to be a big month for Nebraska. How the Huskers come away from it will determine a lot about the team's playoff potential. The one aspect Nebraska can count on is Abdullah, who is determined to lead the team to more victories.

As the I-back said, there's more out there for the Huskers. It's now about making it happen.

All quotes and statistics were obtained firsthand via the Huskers' postgame press conference, unless otherwise noted.