A pivotable matchup looms in the Big Ten, as No. 20 Michigan travels to Nebraska in a matchup of two programs with similar aspirations and make ups.
The Cornhuskers (3-0) have walked through the wilderness over the past nearly three decades, but seek a return to the upper echelon of both their conference and college football in Year 3 under head coach Matt Rhule, with a former No. 1-ranked quarterback in Dylan Raiola and a defense which ranks in the Top 10 in total yards allowed.
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Throughout his coaching career, Year 3 has been the “pop” year for Rhule’s college teams. At Temple, Rhule won 10 games in his third season as head coach, and matched that in his fourth season. At Baylor, Rhule jumped to 11 wins in his third year coaching the Bears. That’s the expectation for Nebraska here in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Wolverines (2-1) have enjoy much more success in recent years than their counterparts on Saturday, but look to reannounce themselves as a contender in the Big Ten following last year’s 8-5 season. They’ll turn to former No. 1 prospect Bryce Underwood, who makes his second start in a hostile environment this week, to lead what has been an inconsistent offense through three games.
This is a massive game for both teams. Nebraska has won eight or more games in a season just once in the last 10 years, and is desperate to rejoin the national discussion in this sport. The only way the Cornhuskers take a step towards that is by reaching the College Football Playoff, and beating Michigan could set them on that path.
On the other side, although head coach Sherrone Moore will be home in Ann Arbor serving the second game of his suspension, this is something of an indicator game for his program. If the Wolverines fall to 2-2, with another tough road trip to USC coming in three weeks, the momentum Michigan seemed to gain at the end of last year will be all but gone. A win, on the other hand, could signal something of a turning point for the Maize and Blue.
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Here are 3 Things To Watch, 2 Bold Predictions and 1 Final Score Prediction in a game which could be the difference between each team contending in the Big Ten, or finishing as an “also ran”.
3 Things To Watch
1.) Michigan’s injury situation
The Wolverines have suffered a number of crucial injuries early this season, including to starters at both offensive guard positions (Gio El-Hadi and Brady Norton), tight end (Marlin Klein and Hogan Hansen), cornerback (Zeke Berry) and safety (Rod Moore), among other positions. There’s optimism surrounding Moore, Klein, Hansen and Norton heading into Saturday’s game, but health remains an overall concern for Michigan as Big Ten play begins.
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2.) Which Bryce Underwood do we see?
Michigan took the training wheels off its five-star quarterback last week against Central Michigan, and has vowed to let Underwood loose for the remainder of the year. Unleashing the freshman to great success against the Chippewas is one thing, but will that translate against a Big Ten opponent?
Underwood has impressed three games into his career, even in a poor outing in Week 2 against Oklahoma. Michigan’s game plan in that matchup was highly conservative and limiting for the freshman, but he still made a handful of plays that showcased why he was considered the top high school prospect in the country for his class. We also saw some frustration boil over from the freshman, and got the sense he was pressing at times. Underwood’s performance could be the difference in a win or a loss for the Wolverines.
3.) Michigan’s defense on 3rd down
The only thing preventing Underwood from determining success for Michigan on Saturday is potentially the Wolverines’ third down defense. If the freshman quarterback struggles, but the Wolverines’ defense continues to get the ball back to the offense, Michigan could win a hard-nosed, grind it out slugfest of a ballgame. If Underwood plays well, but the Wolverines’ struggle to stop end drives like they did against Oklahoma QB John Mateer, than Underwood’s play could be rendered moot.
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The Wolverines currently rank 93rd nationally in third down defense, allowing opponents to convert at a 43.5% success rate. Michigan will need to be much better in that area this week to grab a road victory in Lincoln.
2 Bold Predictions
1.) Michigan has more passing touchdowns than rushing touchdowns
Last week against Central Michigan, the Wolverines finished with eight rushing touchdowns, just one shy of tying the single-game program record. This week, I think Underwood throws for a pair of touchdowns, and one of Michigan’s tailbacks adds another on the ground.
2.) Jaishawn Barham sacks Dylan Raiola at least twice
Barham has been a difference-maker for Michigan’s defense early this season, and the Wolverines need him to continue to wreck havoc, especially on third downs. Michigan has done a good job on first and second down throughout the young season, and should find itself in several “third-and-obvious” passing situations on Saturday afternoon. If that comes to pass, Barham will have plenty of chances to get after Raiola.
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1 Final Score Prediction
This has the feel of a classic, grind-it-out Big Ten game and I don’t have a strong sense one way or another on which team will emerge as the winner. Nebraska has home field advantage, and its former five-star quarterback has a full year of starting experience under his belt in Dylan Raiola. That’s no knock on Bryce Underwood, who has lived up to expectations early in his career thus far.
While the quarterbacks are rightfully getting a lot of attention this week, I think the winner will be determined by which defense plays better. With that in mind, I’m picking the Wolverines to win in an nail-biter. Prediction: Michigan 24, Nebraska 23
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: 3-2-1: Michigan vs. Nebraska game preview, score prediction
