What they're saying, predicting before Michigan takes on Nebraska
Michigan Wolverines football is on the road for the first time this season, ready for a clash against Nebraska Saturday in Lincoln. Here’s a look around the internet at what they’re saying before kickoff.
Media predicts outcome of Michigan vs. Nebraska
The Wolverine
Chris Balas: Michigan 30, Nebraska 13
John Borton: Michigan 31, Nebraska 17
Clayton Sayfie: Michigan 28, Nebraska 3
Anthony Broome: Michigan 28, Nebraska 10
Doug Skene: Michigan 31, Nebraska 14
Wolverines Wire
Isaiah Hole: Michigan 35, Nebraska 9
MLive
Ryan Zuke: Michigan 27, Nebraska 10
Andrew Kahn: Michigan 42, Nebraska 14
Aaron McMann: Michigan 24, Nebraska 9
The Detroit News
Angelique S. Chengelis: Michigan 30, Nebraska 14
John Niyo: Michigan 34, Nebraska 13
Tony Paul: Michigan 42, Nebraska 20
Bob Wojnowski: Michigan 31, Nebraska 10
The Athletic
Bruce Feldman: Michigan 28, Nebraska 14
Austin Meek: Michigan 31, Nebraska 9
Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit News: Wojo’s Pigskin Picks: UM, MSU hit the road, looking to pop some corn
This should be the toughest task yet for Jim Harbaugh, who’s trying to keep his players focused on the job in front of them — not Ohio State, not Georgia, not Taylor Swift, not NCAA dorks, not Ryan Day blubbering about being tough while his black hair dye oozes. We’ll get to my exclusive analysis of No. 2 Michigan against Nebraska, but first, we need to figure out what’s going on in Day’s head, and whether Harbaugh permanently resides there.
The Buckeyes’ coach apparently is sick of being stranded on third base. After beating Notre Dame, 17-14, he spent his post-game interview verbally assaulting an elderly gentleman. Poor 86-year-old Lou Holtz had the gall to suggest, between slurps of oatmeal, that Day’s team was a teensy bit soft. Holtz apparently based his observation on Michigan’s consecutive destructions of OSU, also known as “one bad half of football,” according to Day.
Sean Callahan, Husker Online: The 3-2-1: Thursday is a big day for the future of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium
One prediction
Michigan will come into Lincoln with two of the best running backs in the Big Ten Conference in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. Neither has been pushed to a high limit yet this season, and this will be the Wolverines’ first road game of 2023.
I predict Michigan will not have a 100-yard rusher against NU’s rushing defense, which currently ranks first nationally according to NCAA.com.
Bill Connelly, ESPN.com: College football Week 5 preview: Georgia and Michigan hit the road, ACC upstarts get their chance, more
Nebraska’s odds of closing Matt Rhule’s first month with a huge upset aren’t great. But the Cornhuskers might at least force Michigan into Plan B. We haven’t seen that yet. Nebraska ranks second nationally in rushing success rate allowed and has given up more than 14 points just once. Michigan’s run game is as good as expected — the Wolverines are 17th in rushing success rate, and Blake Corum is on pace for 1,000 yards despite only four fourth-quarter carries — but there’s a chance the Huskers at least put the game on Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s shoulders for once.
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Granted, he might welcome that. He’s third in Total QBR and completing 80% of his passes. His three primary targets — receivers Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland — are averaging 12.0 yards per target. But out of the players in the Total QBR top 25, only one is averaging fewer dropbacks than McCarthy’s 24. He might be yearning to air it out.
Since placing Heinrich Haarberg at quarterback, Nebraska has uncovered a pretty fun offensive identity: run Haarberg right, then run him left. He’s got 40 carries for 255 yards in the past two games, but Michigan ranks first in both defensive SP+ and rushing success rate allowed. Haarberg’s going to get hit a lot on Saturday and might not gain much for his troubles.
Michael Cohen, Fox Sports: Why a strength coach is Michigan football’s ultimate weapon: ‘Nobody’s this good’
The man Jim Harbaugh describes as an X-factor within Michigan’s football program sets his alarm for 3:52 a.m., or 4:05 a.m. if he’s feeling greedy. He awakens grouchily and lumbers toward the shower for some invigoration. His goal is to be in a better mood by the time he gets downstairs, where a German Shepard named Randall awaits.
Within an hour, the X-factor is commuting to campus. His first summer workout with the players won’t begin until 6 a.m., but rushing is the only thing he despises more than early mornings. He scrolls his phone to find the proper musical artists for the day, with the choices ranging from Teddy Swims and Five Finger Death Punch to Tupac Shakur and Cody Jinks.
His office at Schembechler Hall is carved into the front-right quadrant of the Wolverines’ sprawling weight room. It’s a square space measuring approximately 15 feet in each direction with large windows overlooking endless rows of machinery. An L-shaped sectional sofa in one corner is mirrored by an L-shaped desk in the other. There’s a television mounted above the workspace. A coffee table bisects the couch.
As offices go, this one is pristine. His books are neatly stacked atop a shelf along the back wall. His papers are thoroughly organized by subject. His personal photographs are confined to one locale. Even his computer files are divided and subdivided in a way that brings order to a career’s worth of documents because the X-factor — real name Ben Herbert — wouldn’t have it any other way.
Bruce Feldman, The Athletic: College football picks against the spread: Bruce Feldman’s Week 5 predictions
Matt Rhule’s team comes into this riding a two-game win streak in which the Huskers’ defense has played very well. I think Nebraska battles and keeps this one interesting deep into the second half before the Wolverines’ speed pulls away.
Michigan 28, Nebraska 14
The pick: Nebraska +17.5