In just a few days, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will face the Boston College Eagles, who advanced to the bowl game in their first season under new head coach Bill O’Brien.
Both programs started the season strong, with Boston College winning four of its first five games and Nebraska going 5-1. However, neither the Eagles nor the Huskers fared well in the second half of the season, with the former losing four of their last seven games and the latter losing five of their last six.
Despite their season-ending slide, Nebraska is a 3.5-point favorite.
In the days preceding up to the game, which will be played at historic Yankee Stadium, the New York area received a few inches of snow. It made for a fantastic scene at Yankee Stadium on Christmas Eve.
“It’s a little cold and a little snowy but the view at Yankee Stadium on Christmas Eve is as good as it gets @HuskerFootball@PinstripeBowl GBR,” Troy Dannen, a Nebraska reporter, told ESPN.
Before the game kicks off, ESPN made its prediction for the game:
Nebraska is back in a bowl game for the first time since the 2016 Music City Bowl, which means Yankee Stadium will turn red. But the Huskers barely got here, dropping five of their final six games, and recently lost defensive coordinator Tony White and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton to Florida State. Boston College has had a better overall season under first-year coach Bill O’Brien, whose quarterback switch to Grayson Grames sparked a solid finish. The Eagles go from a bowl win at Fenway Park in 2023 to one at Yankee Stadium.
Prediction: Boston College 27, Nebraska 21
Boston College and Nebraska kicks off at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.