It's been 10 years since Kain Colter and Northwestern came into Lincoln and stunned No. 9 Nebraska, 28-25, in the first game of what has been one of the closest and most entertaining series in the Big Ten.

The Wildcats and Huskers are deadlocked at 5-5 since Nebraska joined the Big Ten a decade ago. Eight of the 10 matchups have been decided by one score, with six of them separated by a field goal or less. There has been a Hail Mary, two overtime games and two walk-off field goals in the series.

But this year, the oddsmakers have installed Nebraska as a 12-point favorite. Both teams have scars -- Northwestern is 2-2, Nebraska 2-3 -- and will be looking for not only their first Big Ten victory, but their first win over a Power Five opponent.

Will the Wildcats pull off another big upset at Memorial Stadium, where they are 3-2? Here are our staff's predictions.

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My take: I think we're going to see a confident Northwestern team based on what they did last week. They dominated Ohio and feel pretty good.

What better way to take another positive step in the right direction than by hitting Nebraska square in the jaw? They need to show that what happened the first few games won't happen the rest of the year.

In a battle of two great defenses, I think this one will be decided by a last-second Charlie Kuhbander field goal.

Fearless forecast: Northwestern 23 Nebraska 20

Confidence level: 6 (out of 10)

My take: Northwestern faces a tough test on Saturday. They’ll take on a Nebraska team that is playing very well and will be backed by a packed stadium. All the while NU will have to make do with their third-string QB.

Northwestern’s best offense has been the QB turning and giving the ball to Evan Hull. That will be tough against a Nebraska front seven that dominated Michigan State’s once potent ground attack last week. On the other side of the ball, Adrian Martinez has given great Northwestern defenses problems and he could have a field day against a unit as inconsistent as NU’s has been. It’s a game NU needs to win but they’ll need to shake off their early season struggles in order to do so.

Northwestern is going to struggle to run the ball in all likelihood against Nebraska’s stout front seven. That puts a lot of pressure on Ryan Hilinski in his second NU start. He’ll be throwing from behind a leaky offensive line and his options at receiver are severely limited. He’s in an incredibly tough spot if the running game is shut down. Even if the defense has turned a corner, they aren’t going to be able to do enough to overcome the offense’s shortcomings.

Fearless forecast: Nebraska 24 Northwestern 13

Confidence level: 10

My take: Neither of these teams have a Power Five win yet, but Nebraska is coming off of two close losses to Oklahoma and Michigan State where they proved their mettle, especially on defense.

Quarterback Ryan Hilinski is still getting comfortable as the starter, and while the offensive line and rushing attack gashed Ohio and Indiana State, the Nebraska defense is a tougher unit to crack. Last week they held Kenneth Walker III to 61 yards on 19 carries, and I don’t need to remind Northwestern how potent the Michigan State rushing attack can be.

Nebraska is itching for a win and their defense will lead them to it this week as the Wildcat offense has some growing pains.

Fearless forecast: Nebraska 27 Northwestern 17

Confidence level: 7

My take: I think this is a winnable game for the Cats, but they’re going to have to play much better than they have so far this season to win it.

Offensively, my biggest concern is the offensive line against Nebraska's double-eagle front that dominated Michigan State. The Huskers will be focused on taking away the running game and forcing Ryan Hilinski to make plays through the air, but the Cats still need to find a way to get yards on the ground.

Defensively, Adrian Martinez presents a problem as a dynamic QB who can make plays outside the pocket, so NU’s ends are going to have to be disciplined and keep contain. The Huskers also have a pair of NFL-caliber tight ends in 6-foot-9 Austin Allen and 6-foot-6 Travis Vokolek, and teams have had success isolating linebackers in coverage against NU.

Still, if the Cats can keep it close, Nebraska has proven time and again that they will give the game away. The problem is that this isn’t your typical, fundamentally sound Pat Fitzgerald team that doesn’t make mistakes. This could go either way, but I think the Huskers are the better team right now.

Fearless forecast: Nebraska 27 Northwestern 21

Confidence level: 2