Game Prediction: No. 9 Michigan Wolverines vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Michigan is back in the top 10 in the national polls. If they're truly a top 10 team, they shouldn't have a problem with Nebraska. This is a "prove it" game for the Maize and Blue.

Author:
Brendan Gulick
Oct 8, 2021 11:46 PM EDT

The Wolverines haven't lost yet, which is great. But they've certainly left some people doubting their ability, despite surging up to ninth in the national rankings this week. Last week's 21 points win at Wisconsin was closer than the score would appear. Meanwhile, Nebraska has been playing far better football the last three weeks and put an absolute whooping on Northwestern.

It probably doesn't happen often that a top-10 team is favored by less than three points on the road against an unranked team, but that's exactly the territory we find in Lincoln this weekend.

MICHIGAN at NEBRASKA – Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Spread: Michigan (-2.5)
O/U Total: 50.5

Brendan Gulick: Nebraska 23, Michigan 20

Over the last three weeks, I've been rather impressed with the growth I've seen from Nebraska. They look significantly improved from the last couple seasons and they're coming off a massive blowout win over reigning Big Ten West champion Northwestern. Meanwhile, I think Michigan's 5-0 start is a bit more about their opposition than their true merits. The Wolverines appear to be noticeably better on defense, and they are running the ball effectively. But I still have a ton of questions about their offense.

I don't see this as a high scoring game, as both teams love too run the ball. I think Nebraska is going to pick up the biggest win in the Scott Frost era on Saturday.

Andrew Lind: Nebraska 28, Michigan 24

The Wolverines are 5-0 and have made their way into the top 10 for the first time since 2016. However, I tend to think their lofty ranking has more to do with name recognition than their on-field performance, which includes wins over Washington and Wisconsin, two teams that have not quite lived up to expectations this season.

A win over the Cornhuskers won’t do much to convince me otherwise, but I do think this will be their toughest test to date. Two of Nebraska’s three losses (Oklahoma and Michigan State) came by a combined 10 points on the road. Those experiences will help them pull an upset on Saturday.

Ryan Day Thinks Ohio State Is “A Very Different Team” Than It Was At Start Of Season

Brett Hiltbrand: Michigan 38, Nebraska 14

This is hyperbolic and even a little dramatic but there probably isn't anything either of these teams could do to get me to watch more than five minutes of this game. Go elsewhere.

Caleb Spinner: Michigan 31, Nebraska 14

Wolverines fans should hit the panic button if Michigan losses this one. I’m not saying Nebraska is a terrible team, because even though they have three losses, two of them are to ranked opponents (one of which is the then-No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners). What I am saying is Michigan is absolutely the better squad. The only asterisk is that the Wolverines haven’t yet faced a ranked team. I feel like the 3.5-point spread from SI Sportsbook is way too low for Michigan, though I agree the Wolverines will prove victorious.

-----

Be sure to check out our brand new message boards, Buckeye Forums. We'd love to have you part of the conversation during the season.

-----

You may also like:

How to Watch: No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. Maryland Terrapins

Ohio State S Jantzen Dunn Suffered Long-Term Injury Against Rutgers

Jack Sawyer Believes Ohio State's Freshman Class "Going To Be Scary" In Future

Ohio State DE J.T. Tuimoloau Exceeding Personal Expectations As Freshman

Former Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor Arrested, Charged With Simple Assault

Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson Added To Maxwell Award Watch List

-----

Be sure to stay locked into BuckeyesNow all the time!