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Monday takes: Huskers trying to finish this off the right way

Here are some quick takes and reactions following Nebraska's press conference on Monday, as the Huskers get ready for Minnesota.

Scott Frost and his football team hope to build off their win at Purdue on Saturday.
Scott Frost and his football team hope to build off their win at Purdue on Saturday. (Purdue Media relations)
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This team knows there's a lot of season left still

Nebraska could've looked at their 1-4 start to 2020 one of two ways. They easily could've just packed it up and called it a season, but you get the sense that's not the case with this group.

We talked to five different seniors on Monday, and you could just feel how bad they want to finish this thing out the right way.

They took the first step this past Saturday at Purdue, and now they enter this week's game as a 9 point favorite over Minnesota, who hasn't played a game in two weeks.

After that, they will get a crossover game against a team like Rutgers, Maryland, Michigan or Michigan State. A lot depends on how the league wants to slot the match-ups.

The bottom line is 4-4 seemed like a pipe dream about a month ago, and it's very much a reality today if they can take care of business and string two wins together on Saturday.

Seniors mum on their plans for 2021

The reality is very few seniors on Nebraska's 2020 team have a chance to get drafted this spring. That means for many of them, they have a decision in front of them.

They can either try their luck at the next level or return for another year due to the NCAA's COVID-19 eligibility rules.

On Monday, none of NU's seniors even wanted to speculate on their plans, because in their eyes they have three games remaining on a 9-game schedule. The Huskers play Minnesota on Saturday, then a crossover opponent on Dec. 19 and a potential bowl game as early as Dec. 26.

There's a lot of time left for these seniors to potentially improve their stock, and winning down the stretch could go a long way. One thing we do know is head coach Scott Frost has told every senior they are welcomed to return in 2021.

Running back Dedrick Mills played in his first game since Nov. 14 on Saturday.
Running back Dedrick Mills played in his first game since Nov. 14 on Saturday. (Purdue Media relations)

Mills dodged a potential bullet by coming out of the Penn State game

When Dedrick Mills left the Penn State game early with an injury, it was hard to gauge the overall severity of it.

After talking to Mills on Monday, it sounds like the Georgia native dodged a potential bullet.

Mills said he felt his knee "pop" vs. the Nittany Lions, and he pulled himself from the game at that point. If he would've tried to play through it, he may have gone down with a season-ending injury.

The good news is Mills was able to shake off some rust and appears to be healthy for this late stretch of football.

Things appear promising in Minneapolis 

What looked like a potential disastrous Week 8 for the Big Ten, appears to be in better shape on Monday.

Reports are both Minnesota and Michigan practiced today. The Gophers missed the last two games for COVID-19 and their head coach PJ Fleck has said he's confident they will be ready for Saturday's game in Lincoln.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines missed their game last week due to COVID-19, and it's put Saturday's game with Ohio State and jeopardy. Jim Harbaugh said his team will practice both Monday and Tuesday and it appears they are doing their best to try and play.

This would eliminate any crazy scenarios where games might have to be moved around or championship game eligibility rules have to be changed in order for Ohio State to be able to play in the title game vs. Northwestern on Dec. 19.

As for who the Huskers might play on Dec. 19, Frost joked on Monday to count him in the group of people that "don't know much" right now.

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