Big Ten Football: Why Nebraska Can Still Make Some Noise in Big Ten

The Nebraska Cornhuskers' season isn't close to being finished, despite a crushing loss in the team's first conference game to Wisconsin in Week 5.

So, why is there no reason to panic after the loss to Wisconsin? Nebraska is still poised for a solid season.

Let's take a look at the schedule ahead as well as the bright spots for the Cornhuskers so for this season.

Running Game

A solid running game is a necessity in the ground-and-pound Big Ten, and Nebraska posts the 9th best running attack in the FBS with 249.8 yards per game. 

The team is led by featured back, Rex Burkhead, who has 81 attempts on the season for 516 yards. He has posted an impressive 6.4 yards per carry and eight touchdowns.

The team's other dangerous rusher is dual-threat quarterback, Taylor Martinez. 

Martinez has rushed 83 times for 482 yards with eight touchdowns on 5.8 yards per carry.

If Nebraska wants to finish its first season in the Big Ten off well, it needs to stick with the ground attack.

Next Game

Nebraska can get back on track with a very winnable game against Ohio State next week.

Both Nebraska and Ohio State are wounded after losing to good teams in Week 5, but Ohio State hasn't been very impressive at all this season.

After squeaking out a victory versus Toledo, Ohio State lost two of its next three games against Miami and Michigan State.

Nebraska can capitalize on Ohio State's being in a down year, and getting back to .500 in the Big Ten is an important step towards a solid season.

Nebraska is in the top 15 (the team is 14th in the AP top 25), and the team will need to dominate Ohio State if it wants to climb any higher.

The Rest of the Big Ten

Although there are some very good teams in the Big Ten, not one looks unbeatable other than the Wisconsin squad Nebraska played last week. 

Wisconsin has a great chance to represent the Leaders Division in the Big Ten Championship Game with Penn State and an unbeaten Illinois team as its only competition.

In Nebraska's Legends Division, two teams will challenge the Cornhuskers for a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game.

Michigan State, 4-1, and Michigan at 5-0, will vie against Nebraska for a chance to play the Leaders Division winner.

Michigan State and Michigan play each other on October 15, and Nebraska gets a chance at Michigan State on October 29 and at Michigan on November 19. 

Nebraska plays conference games the rest of the season and will need to win some tough matchups, but if it does, the team might just get a rematch against Wisconsin at the end of the season.

It's Still Early

It is still early in the season.

Nebraska has only played one of eight conference games, and no team in the Big Ten has a better conference record than 1-0.

For the Big Ten, the season has truly just begun. Nebraska will see as the season unfolds that no game is a given. 

The Cornhuskers will have to play hard every game, too, but upsets can happen in any game, especially rivalry games.

For example, just because Ohio State has struggled so far doesn't mean it can't get a win against the Michigan Wolverines and try to ruin Michigan's season. 

The Cornhuskers need to have a short memory, and the team just needs to play out the season and see how it goes from here on out.