With an 8-4 record and a second place finish in the Big Ten Legends Division, Michigan is obviously headed to a bowl game. Since Ohio State and Penn State are both ineligible for postseason play, Michigan’s bowl destination will be better than it would have been had the 12-0 (8-0) Buckeyes and 8-4 (6-2) Nittany Lions been able to go bowling.

Games to watch on Saturday
Atlanta, Ga.		Indianapolis, Ind.
#2 Alabama	#3 Georgia	#12 Nebraska	Wisconsin
11-1	11-1	10-2	7-5
4pm on CBS		8:17pm on FOX

Michigan will fill the Big Ten’s second or third bowl slot behind the winner of Saturday’s Big Ten Championship game between Nebraska and Wisconsin. The winner will get the conference’s guaranteed BCS bid, while the loser is unlikely to receive a BCS at-large due to the conference’s weak showing all season. There is a chance Nebraska could still get one if it loses, but the bowl committees won’t look to kindly on an end-of-season loss to a 7-5 team.

If Nebraska wins and heads to the Rose Bowl, the Capital One Bowl will choose between Michigan, Northwestern, and Wisconsin. A 7-6 Wisconsin squad is likely the odd man out despite playing in the Big Ten title game because the Badgers wouldn’t have been there if Ohio State was eligible. Michigan will travel far better than Northwestern will, and a matchup between the Wolverines and a top-tier SEC school is far more appealing than one involving the Wildcats.

If Wisconsin beats Nebraska and goes to Pasadena, Nebraska will likely get slotted into the Capital One Bowl, pushing Michigan down to the Outback Bowl in Tampa. In the previous two decades, Tampa was a familiar sight for Michigan, but the Wolverines haven’t been there since beating Florida in 2003. The bowl committee would love to get a Michigan vs. SEC matchup in Raymond James Stadium. So who will Michigan face? Depending on the outcome of the Big Ten title game as well as the other conference championships, Georgia, Florida, Texas A&M, and LSU are most likely. Let’s take a look at each team.

Likely Bowl Opponent Comparison
Points/Game	38.0	26.8	44.8	30.2
Scoring Defense	17.7	12.9	22.5	16.9
Rush Avg	190.1	194.5	235.1	179.9
Rush Def. Avg	163.4	97.0	140.9	101.8
Pass Avg	273.6	143.9	317.2	207.2
Pass Def. Avg	174.4	186.4	248.4	194.3
Total Yds Avg	463.7	338.4	552.3	387.2
Total Def. Avg	337.8	283.4	389.3	296.2
Turnovers	16	12	20	16
Takeaways	25	29	15	31
Time of Poss	28:39	33:07	28:33	31:09
3rd Down Conv.	69/150 (46%)	62/168 (37%)	102/184 (55%)	75/181 (41%)
3rd Down Def.	64/180 (36%)	49/173 (28%)	58/189 (31%)	51/167 (31%)
Sacks by/allowed	24/22	25/36	30/23	30/26
Field Goals	8-for-12	23-for-28	13-for-22	20-for-28
PATs	54-for-58	34-for-35	64-for-71	41-for-41
Red Zone pct.	35/41 (85%)	35/42 (83%)	56/64 (88%)	42/50 (84%)
Red Zone Def.	25/35 (71%)	23/32 (72%)	31/40 (77%)	24/31 (77%)
Red Zone TD pct.	30/41 (73%)	22/42 (52%)	47/64 (73%)	25/50 (50%)
Red Zone TD Def.	18/35 (51%)	15/32 (47%)	24/40 (60%)	19/31 (61%)

Georgia faces Alabama in the SEC Championship game on Saturday in what is essentially the BCS National Championship play-in game. Notre Dame awaits the winner. The loser will still probably get a BCS at-large bid because of the strength of the conference, especially if Alabama is on the losing end. But there’s a slight chance that if Georgia is blown out by the Crimson Tide, the Dawgs would fall to the Capital One Bowl and Florida will gain a BCS at-large bid.

Georgia has quietly put together an impressive season, beating then-No. 2 Florida in Athens, and outscoring opponents by an average of 38-17. But if there is a knock on the Dawgs it is the fact that the SEC scheduling allowed them to skirt playing LSU and Texas A&M and they didn’t play anybody of note in the non-conference. The only loss was a 35-7 thrashing by South Carolina on Oct. 6. The Gamecocks were the only other ranked team Georgia played all season. We will find out on Saturday whether they are for real or merely benefited from a favorable schedule.

Florida and Georgia would both present stern tests for Michigan (Sam Greenwood, Getty Images)

Florida won’t get to play in the SEC Championship game because of a 17-9 loss to Georgia. It was the Gators’ only loss of the season, although they had several close wins. Thanks to the SEC’s wacky scheduling, Florida got to face Texas A&M in Week 2, before super freshman Johnny Manziel took off, and beat the Aggies 20-17. They beat LSU 14-6, hung on against Missouri 14-7, and needed some late magic to hold off Louisiana-Lafayette 27-20. Like Georgia, the Gators didn’t play much of a non-conference schedule save the annual matchup with rival Florida State. Bowling Green, Jacksonville State, and Louisiana-Lafayette were the other opponents. If both Alabama and Georgia earn BCS bowl bids, Florida will likely be slotted into the Capital One Bowl.

Texas A&M finished the season 10-2 and 6-2 in the SEC with losses to Florida (20-17) and LSU (24-19). The Aggies feature one of the best players in college football, likely Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. They rank fourth nationally in points per game (44.8) and shook up the BCS standings by beating Alabama on Nov. 10 (29-24). Since they were in the SEC West, they didn’t have to face Georgia or South Carolina, and their non-conference schedule featured SMU, South Carolina State, Louisiana Tech, and Sam Houston State. The Aggies will likely go to the Cotton Bowl, but bowl committees would love to get a matchup of two of college football’s most exciting players, Manziel and Denard Robinson.

LSU put together a good season, going 10-2 with losses to Florida (14-6) and Alabama (21-17). In the game against Alabama, LSU moved the ball with relative ease and led the Tide 17-14 late in the fourth before A.J. McCarron hooked up with T.J. Yeldon on a screen pass that went 28 yards for a touchdown with 51 seconds left. The Tigers beat Texas A&M 24-19 on the road and South Carolina 23-21. Like the Florida and Georgia, LSU didn’t play much of an out-of-conference schedule of North Texas, Washington, Idaho State, and Towson. LSU is probably the most unlikely opponent among the group, but if Wisconsin beats Nebraska and Michigan slides to the Outback, it’s possible.

Florida and Georgia are probably the most likely, depending on the outcome of the SEC title game, which will be played Saturday at 4pm on CBS and the Big Ten title game, which will be played Saturday at 8:17pm on FOX. I would much rather face Florida than Georgia or Texas A&M. While A&M doesn’t quite have the defense the other two feature, Florida’s offense is not very good. The Gators are pretty comparable to Notre Dame with a really good defense and a lackluster offense, and Michigan hung with Notre Dame for most of the game, falling due to a cacophony of turnovers. Regardless of the opponent, it will be a tough bowl game to win for Michigan this season since they will essentially be playing up a slot or two. If Ohio State and Penn State were eligible, Michigan would probably be playing in the Gator Bowl against someone like Mississippi State.

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Aside from the way that Greg Mattison’s defense played and some good kicking by Brendan Gibbons, there weren’t a lot of positives to take away from Saturday’s game against Nebraska. The offense without Denard was stale at best and made a much-maligned Nebraska defense look like the Blackshirts of old. Even before Denard went out with an elbow injury, the offensive line looked slow and unable to block effectively against Nebraska’s front seven. Again, as has often been the case this season, there was no running threat aside from Denard in the Wolverine backfield.

The injury to Denard showed just how valuable he is (photo by the Detroit News)

Denard’s injury was unfortunate, especially given the timing. We all knew that losing Denard would have major impacts on the effectiveness of the offense. With the lack of any other major offensive threats on the team, we all got a taste of reality while watching Russell Bellomy struggle through the second half. The reality is that there is still a lot of work to be done to get this Michigan offense back where it needs to be to compete for championships every year.

Quickly, let me say that I don’t fault Bellomy for anything. Yes, he made some poor decisions, but the guy is a redshirt freshman who had thrown all of a handful of passes prior to entering for Denard on Saturday. Also, the Nebraska coaches turned the dogs loose once they saw the wide-eyed Bellomy come in.

Offensive Coordinator Al Borges didn’t do Bellomy any favors either. When the defense is bringing pressure every play, the offense is required to adapt. This means slowing down that pressure through the use of screens and draws and passes to the backs out of the backfield. And no, I don’t mean wide receiver screens. The play must be run to where the pressure is coming from. Nebraska was bringing the blitz from the linebackers, so a screen to Fitz Toussaint or Vincent Smith would have worked. Or how about this? Remember that impressive tight end Michigan has named Devin Funchess – the guy who has barely touched the ball the last few games after looking like a real weapon in the beginning of the season? How about a screen to him right in the spot where the linebackers just vacated? At a time when Bellomy was obviously in over his head, some simple play calls like this would at least have moved the ball and have given Bellomy some confidence. If not in this game, but in future games.

So where does that leave Team 133 in their hopes for a Big Ten Championship? The simple answer is, not in a good spot. In the Legends division, they are now tied with Nebraska with one loss in the conference. However, Nebraska now holds the tiebreaker over Michigan, which means Michigan must win out and hope that Nebraska loses another game.

Brady Hoke has some work to do to achieve his goal of a Big Ten title (photo by the Detroit News)

Nebraska has four more Big Ten games. This coming week’s game at Michigan State may be the best chance for Nebraska to get tripped up. Following that, they have two homes games against Penn State and Minnesota and finish the season at Iowa.

Michigan’s road is tougher. The Wolverines travel to Minnesota for a rivalry game in the battle for the Little Brown Jug. Minnesota may not be much on paper and they are not in the conference title race, but it’s a rivalry and teams play tough in trophy games. Plus, Minnesota is looking for bowl elgibility, so they can’t take this one lightly. After that, come two home games against Northwestern and Iowa. Northwestern is a team who is still in the title hunt with two losses, but they need Nebraska to lose two more. Iowa has had a poor season, yet because of the lack of quality in the Big Ten, they too are still in the title hunt with two losses. And as mentioned above, they still have games against the three teams in front of them: Northwestern (this weekend), Michigan, and Nebraska. Then the Wolverines travel to the all-important Big Game in Columbus. Unlike what I did this past weekend when I changed my preseason pick and called for a Michigan win, I won’t be changing my Ohio State pick. With the way that both teams are playing, and given the fact that this will be OSU’s bowl game, I think Michigan loses by two touchdowns.

So this past weekend’s game was a bad loss. It hurt to witness a Michigan offense without Denard. It hurt to lose ugly. It hurt to lose a big game, one which would have set up the Wolverines nicely in their run for the Big Ten championship. Michigan’s key this weekend will be to not let last week’s opponent beat them twice. The road to Indianapolis begins again this weekend against Minnesota and the team must be focused on winning each of their last four games, one at a time.

Last week, none of us were correct with our score prediction, but Justin finally picked up his first win of the season. And what a week to get it. He was 12 high on Michigan’s score but just three high on Michigan State’s. Sam correctly predicted that Michigan State would score 10, but he was way too confident in Michigan’s offense. This week, Michigan takes to the road for its first trip to Lincoln, Neb. in 101 years. It’s a nationally televised night game in a tough place to win, so it should be fun to watch. At least the World Series won’t interfere…oh, wait.

Justin (1): Like Chris below, I pegged the trip to Nebraska as a loss prior to the season starting since Michigan would be coming off an emotional win over rival Michigan State. That’s exactly what could happen, but I just don’t think Nebraska has the defense to keep Michigan out of the end zone, while Michigan’s defense is good enough to slow down Nebraska’s high-powered offense.

Both teams will look to run the ball, so whichever defense is able to slow down the other’s run game will win the game. Offenses like Nebraska’s are the types of offenses Greg Mattison’s defense thrives on (see: Nebraska and Northwestern 2011, Illinois and Purdue 2012).

It will be closer than last year’s matchup for most of the game as Nebraska will put up some points. It’s too good of an offense not to. But I don’t see the ‘Huskers scoring at the level they have been all season. I attribute a lot of the gaudy numbers to a very weak out of conference schedule.

As I said in the game preview and this morning’s Friend vs Foe feature, Al Borges will employ the same gameplan he used against Illinois and Purdue: a run heavy attack with a few passes sprinkled in to keep the defense honest. Due to Nebraska’s good secondary, expect Borges to keep the passing game simple with high-percentage pass plays to keep Denard from making the mistakes he made against Alabama and Notre Dame.

Michigan should be able to run up 200-250 rushing yards and 100-150 passing yards with either Denard or Fitz Toussaint (or both) having a big game. And I expect Devin Funchess to lead the Wolverines in receiving. Michigan will pull away late to sieze the Legends division.

Michigan 42 – Nebraska 24

Chris (1): I have been going back and forth on this game all week. As I said in my preaseason preview, when I looked at the schedule before any of the games were played and the team was still in two-a-days, I thought this would be one of Michigan’s toughest games all season. At the time, my view on this game was that Michigan would be coming off an emotional win against MSU, and to go on the road the following week and play in a hostile environment in Lincoln, was going to be a tough test. Especially against a physical team like the Cornhuskers.

Michigan's ability to slow down Martinez will likely determine the outcome (photo by Charles Rex Arbogast, AP)

Well, that’s exactly where we are at. The Wolverines came away with a stunning last second win and now have to avoid the letdown on the road against a decent, but not great, Nebraska squad. It’s a Nebraska team which has been up and down all season. In their games against tougher competition, they haven’t put together two good halves of football yet this season. One half they might come out and score in bunches and the next they give away turnovers and points (see Wisconsin on Sept. 29).

The Nebraska offense can score behind the athletic Taylor Martinez at quarterback. Running back is an unknown for this game, as the starter Rex Burkhead re-injured his knee and may be out. But the offense doesn’t lose anything with backup Ameer Abdullah (5.9 ypc, 7 TD) filling in. They can also score a lot, as they are averaging just over 41 ppg and are the sixth-best rushing offense in the nation. Along with that, Martinez is having one of his most efficient years passing with 15 TD, 4 INT, 162.8 rating.

Statistically, the Michigan pass defense is one of the best in the nation. That may not be the case after last week when MSU found some holes in the coverage, however Michigan has been able to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks and cause a few turnovers. If they can do that again this week, and keep a ‘Spy’ on Martinez so he can’t run away from the rush, then he will throw bad passes like he did at Ohio State.

Aside from the offense turning the ball over frequently, the Nebraska defense has not been very good. They are the 71st-ranked scoring defense as they are giving up almost four touchdowns per game. I think this bodes well for the Michigan offense, especially after facing an MSU defense which was much better than what they will see on Saturday.

I have been convinced that Michigan was going to lose this game since day one. But after seeing Nebraska play a few times this year, and even though they are playing at home at night, I am changing my mind. I think Michigan wins the game behind a well-balanced attack on offense and by creating some turnovers on defense. The key will be to avoid thinking about last week’s win and not getting rattled by the Nebraska crowd early and having quality offensive possessions. They don’t need to score every time they have the ball early, but they need to show that they can move the ball. Defensively, the key is Martinez. If they can confuse him with pressure and different looks in coverage, then Michigan will be alright. Michigan wins a close one.

Michigan 28 – Nebraska 25

Josh (2): As mentioned in the game preview, this is a must win game for both teams. While Nebraska fans are hospitable and not complete jerks like some of our other foes’ fans, Lincoln will not be a friendly place to play come Saturday evening. Al Borges has pared down the play book and has taken a conservative approach that has worked quite well recently. Denard is not being asked to do things he cannot do and while Fitz hasn’t been the Fitz of 2011, he is still a threat that cannot be overlooked by opposing defenses.

Jake Ryan and the Michigan defense has a tall task at hand to slow down the Big Ten's top scoring offense (photo by Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)

Taylor Martinez has been a hot or cold player his whole career, he can go off for 340 yards passing with 4 TDs or he can throw 4 picks. I’m just not sold on him as a leader or a solid quarterback. Denard may not be a good passer but he is a great leader and no one can deny what he can do with his feet.

For me, this game’s key is Michigan’s defense. No one is talking about them, and I have no idea why. They are No. 10 in total yards allowed per game and No. 3 in passing yards allowed per game; since the Air Force game they’ve only given up an average of 10 points per game with no one scoring more than 13. Those are damn good numbers, but the beat down at the hands of Alabama has given the media the perception that this team is no good. Regardless, this Michigan defense is good and they do what needs to be done.

Nebraska has been running the ball very well this season and Rex Burkhead is the leader of that rushing attack. Burkhead is a beast but it looks like he won’t be available this weekend. With their top back most likely out the 6th ranked rush offense in the country will be lacking significant firepower. With more of the load to be shouldered by Taylor Martinez I think the pressure gets to him and he doesn’t produce like Husker nation hopes.

Wisconsin is Nebraska’s only win of note and their out of conference schedule was weak at best. They were destroyed by Ohio State lost to a decent UCLA team on the road and had to come from behind against Northwestern last week. Great academic school, not so great at football. Not to take anything away from what Pat Fitzgerald is doing in Evanston, but the Wildcats are not exactly a top tier team. Michigan has been tested by two top five teams (ND may be overrated but they still have a solid defense) and has dominated its conference schedule thus far.

Nebraska is a two point favorite, home field after all, and the over/under is a whopping 57.5 points. Odds makers obviously think this is going to be a shootout. I, however, do not. Nebraska gives up only three points less than Michigan scores, so it should be no problem for Michigan to put up some points on the Huskers. Michigan, as we all know, has not given up a lot of points to anyone other than Alabama (yes, AF scored 26 but they’re a wonky offense and that can be overlooked). I expect Greg Mattison’s defense to keep Martinez in check as they did last year and the offense should provide a heavy dose of Denard, Fitz and hopefully Thomas Rawls.

Brady Hoke said last year was not a success because they did not win a Big Ten title. They have made that their one goal and Hoke has said every week is championship week. They’ve been playing lights out since conference play started and I expect nothing less from our boys in Maize and Blue on Saturday night. They win and all but secure their spot in Indianapolis.

Michigan 31 – Nebraska 13

Matt (2): I remember being so nervous when we played Nebraska last year. The outcome ended up being a great one (if you are a Michigan fan anyway). Will we see the Wolverines beat the Cornhuskers again, in Nebraska this time? It’s definitely possible.

Michigan has been playing well. Their offense hasn’t looked bad, and their defense. Oh their defense! It’s incredible how much better our defense has gotten in the past couple of years. Honestly, I think I’m more impressed by our defense than our offense. Nuts to think how the last rushing touchdown we have given up was against Notre Dame.

Taylor Martinez is going to be looking to lead the Cornhuskers to their jest victory of the Wolverines since joining the Big Ten. And he will have Ameer Abdullah in the backfield. Ameer is a good running back, that has crushed why Fitz Toussaint has rushed for this year, but is also about 300 yards shy of Denard’s rushing yards this season.

I think the biggest story of this game is going to be either Taylor Martinez versus Denard Robinson, or Taylor Martinez vs the Michigan defense. If we can keep pressure, cause mistakes, and force some turnovers, we can make a repeat of last year’s game. Although I don’t see it being that much a dominant performance. Although stranger things have happened.

Nebraska’s offense isn’t something to squawk at. They are ranked higher in rushing and passing than Michigan. But the big difference is defense. Michigan is ranked higher on defense, and seems to have the better defense obviously.

That’s going to be the key Saturday. I see this one being high scoring. I see big plays from both teams, and I see a combined score of near 100 points. Michigan pulls it out, in a hard fought battle.

Wolverines by 10. If this is a low scoring game, I’m done for the year!

Michigan 52 – Nebraska 42

Sam (1): Now seven games into the regular season, and three into Big Ten season, teams are starting to show their identities. Michigan is a team that relies on another stout defense under Greg Mattison and an offense led by the legs of Denard Robinson. The Wolverines still haven’t given up more than 13 points in five straight games, an impressive number in college these days, and while the offense struggled last week in a 12-10 barn-burner win over Michigan State, it has thrived throughout the season, averaging a solid 30.7 points per game. Robinson continues to make the offense click, running for 128.6 yards per game on his own and throwing for 180.6 more per outing with 15 total touchdowns.

Kenny Bell is Nebraska's playmaking receiver (photo by Rebecca S. Gratz, The World-Herald)

Nebraska is not much different, running for a whopping 279 yards per game, good for sixth in the country. Sensational dual-threat quarterback Taylor Martinez is third on the team with 403 yards running on the season and his passing numbers have been unexpectedly brilliant after a rough 2011, throwing for 230.7 yards per game and 15 touchdowns to only four interceptions. Returning starting running back Rex Burkhead has 405 yards of his own on 8.6 yards per carry, but he is doubtful to play this weekend with a leg injury. Enter speedy sophomore Ameer Abdullah, however, and the Cornhuskers have had little problem replacing Burkhead’s success. Abdullah actually leads the team in rushing with 615 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 15 catches for 129 more yards.

The Huskers sit at 5-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play after a fourth quarter comeback last week over middling Northwestern to return to Huskerland with a 29-28 win. And while any win is a welcome takeaway for any team, Bo Pelini has to be concerned with the play of his defense lately, having given up a whopping 39.3 points per game over the last three contests, including 63 to Ohio State in a beatdown in Columbus.

Nebraska’s pass defense has been great, ranking 10th overall in passing yards allowed, but the run defense has hemorrhaged yards at a clip that leaves them ranked 90th in the country in that category. Unfortunately for Nebraska, running the ball is exactly what Michigan does well.

Last year’s matchup between these two teams in Ann Arbor saw the Wolverines romp the Huskers in a 45-17 victory that featured 238 yards and four touchdowns on the ground for Michigan, including 138 and 83 for Fitzgerald Toussaint and Robinson, respectively. Toussaint has obviously struggled in the early going and is still looking for a breakout game. Again, I think this could be it.

Martinez’s much improved accuracy needs to be on display this Saturday if Nebraska is to cover the 2.5 points they are giving up to Michigan in the spread, or to simply win the game in general. In last year’s blowout, Martinez managed only 122 yards through the air on a rancid 9-of-23 attempts and just 49 rushing yards on 16 carries. Burkhead didn’t fare any better, averaging only 3.6 yards per carry on 10 rushes.

Michigan’s secondary is a little banged up, and Mattison is certainly praying that Raymon Taylor will be 100% after coming out of last week’s game. The Cornhuskers boast an array of receiving threats, led by Kenny Bell and his 26 catches for 540 yards (good for an eye-opening 20.8 ypc) and five scores. Michigan should be able to contain the running game as Jake Ryan continues his domination of opposing offenses, but if Martinez starts to find receivers down field, it could be a long night.

Luckily for the Wolverines, Greg Mattison’s bend-don’t-break philosophy has been a great success in his two seasons leading the defense. Bell might have a couple catches for 20-plus, but I would be surprised if he went for more than 75 yards. Abdullah will create some trouble with his speed, but I expect Michigan’s front seven to show up and have a big night again.

Finally, you heard it here first – Fitz Toussaint will eclipse the 100-yard mark in a game for the first time all season, going for 125 and a pair of touchdowns. Robinson will be his usual self and run for 100-plus and throw for two touchdowns and the defense will hold the Huskers to under 20 again in a 34-18 win.

Michigan 34 – Nebraska 18

Katie: Michigan and Nebraska head into the weekend with the same record, although the Maize and Blue are sitting a bit more comfortably because of their undefeated conference play. The Huskers on the other hand are tied for second place in the Legends division with Iowa. Both teams have one loss, and Iowa is facing the Northwestern Wildcats that gave Nebraska so much trouble last week. So with the Hawkeyes potentially falling to a 2-2 record, the Cornhusker fans know how big a win at home is for their team. If all goes well for Nebraska they will end the week tied for first, of course, not if Michigan can help it.

Denard hopes run all over Nebraska like Braxton Miller did (photo by Jamie Sabau, Getty Images)

The Wolverines just came off of a close call to their instate rivals.  Their touted offense put up only 12 points. Thankfully though, the Spartans posed the biggest defensive threat that Michigan will face in the second half of the season. That is until they visit that team down south who should never be underestimated, especially not when they have home field advantage. As for Nebraska, the combined records for the teams they have beaten is an unimpressive, 18- 20, the number being saved only by Wisconsin and Northwestern, who the Huskers beat by 3 and 1 respectively. So when it comes down to numbers the total offense tallies heading into the game this Saturday are pretty even. Red Zone scoring is within one percentage point, but then again Nebraska lost to the only ranked team they have played thus far, and while Michigan has the same track record to opponents ranked in the top twelve the Buckeyes are a far cry from Alabama and are edged out by Notre Dame. Not to mention the fact that Ohio State has been on the ropes two weeks in a row to low caliber teams. That being said Michigan’s record is more impressive at 5-2 than is Nebraska’s and they should prove it with a win this weekend.

However, the Huskers have an impressive run game with a senior back Rex Burkehead coming in at just under 400 yards, and a sophomore leading the way with 514. That’s without the starting quarterback Taylor Martinez’s 459 rushing yards. So the ground game is pretty solid, and Martinez’s pass percentage is respectable. If there’s a potential downside it’s in the passing game. He’s got a favorite. Kenny Bell has about 300 yards more than anyone else in the receiving core. If Michigan can shut him down it will probably bode well for them to stick tough and remain perfect in Big Ten play.

On the other side of the ball Michigan has seen steady improvement since their first game. And while Will Compton is a force for Nebraska with 53 tackles, Michigan’s own Jake Ryan is only one short of the statistic. Our boys in the winged helmets have also amassed thirty more take down’s than their next opponents, and while playing a tougher schedule. Needless to say I’ve yet again picked the Wolverines to bring home the victory.

Michigan 31 – Nebraska 20

Michigan has played a total of seven games against Nebraska, the first of which was in 1905. For history’s sake we’ll just pass by last year’s first meeting in the Big Ten, and so as not to stir up bad blood, I’m also banishing into the corner that 2005 Alamo Bowl. Here’s a look at the game scores of the Wolverines’ other five encounters with the Cornhuskers.

Michigan beat Nebraska in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl

1905- Michigan 31 Nebraska 0

1911- Michigan 6 Nebraska 6

1917- Michigan 20 Nebraska 0

1962- Michigan 13 Nebraska 25

1985- Michigan 27 Nebraska 23 (Fiesta Bowl)

Michigan leads the all-time series 4-2-1.

The 1905 Huskers were undefeated in their first four games prior to heading into Ann Arbor. The Wolverines, however, had a different idea of how the day would end and wished to be rid of the controversy that arose three years earlier when Michigan was crowned Western Champion despite Nebraska posting an unblemished schedule, all of which were shutouts. Not to mention the fact that the point-a-minute head coach for Michigan, Fielding H. Yost, had been calling the plays in Lincoln only a short time before. It was not to be for the away team as the Wolverines scored 31 points in the second half, and a most disappointed Cornhuskers went back to Antelope Field to crush poor Creighton the next week 102-0.

For the 1911 tie, MVictors.com provided a synopsis from the original Michigan Daily. “Michigan’s captain Conklin ‘saved the day’ for the Wolverines, scoring U-M’s only touchdown by converting a blocked punt in the third quarter. After an exchange of punts, Nebraska tied the score and the game ended in a 6-6 deadlock. The Daily added its maize-and-blue spin on the event reporting, ‘Outweighed, outlucked, and often outplayed, the Wolverines gave an exhibition of gameness and hard fighting that has never been seen in the west and won even the plaudits of the most loyal Cornhusker.’” It’s a shame that a rivalry didn’t bloom between the two schools as they would only play once more until the 1960s. The 1917 matchup in the Big House turned into a soup bowl as unbeaten Nebraska faced the Wolverines in the driving rain and struggled in a shutout loss.

Michigan was treated like royalty after its 6-6 tie in Lincoln in 1911

And what a shame it was considering the fine journalistic prose after the first Nebraska win over Michigan in 1962. Lyall Smith from the Detroit Free Press gave the summation: “An itinerant band of Cornhuskers paid their first visit to Michigan in 45 years Saturday, looking for work. They found a fertile field ready for shuckin’. And, man, how they shucked it.” As a side note I have to admit, though the word would be often used against the Wolverines, that the term ‘shucked’ being used to describe any part of a gridiron matchup is well worth the back and forth trips to Lincoln. Now back to ’62 for a quick recap.  The score was 19-13 in the fourth quarter, but the Cornhuskers went for it on fourth down and converted. They punched it in for a touchdown the very next play and took home the victory. A fun stat: the teams lost a combined five fumbles that day, three coming from Michigan.

The 1962 game was the first of Nebraska's two wins over Michigan

Thankfully, for the Maize and Blue faithful the next meeting resulted in a victory. Though truth be told it was hand-wrapped and delivered by Nebraska in a series of third quarter mistakes that resulted in 24 Michigan points. A fumble on their own 21 turned into a quick touchdown for the Wolverines, but that was just the start. On the kickoff the Nebraska returner fumbled the ball and Michigan recovered on the 38. Jim Harbaugh took it in for the score. But the downward spiral continued as the Huskers’ next punt was blocked and retrieved by the Wolverines at the 6-yard line.  Michigan kicked a field goal, and would seal the game in the later stages of the quarter with two pass interference calls that helped them score their final touchdown of the game. Nebraska would fail to convert a fourth down half way through the fourth quarter, but stormed back to put up seven before claiming a safety off of a play in which Michigan’s punter came out of the endzone. However, the Cornhuskers couldn’t come back with the clock starting at a little over one minute and no time outs remaining. So the Wolverines pulled it out in what seemed to be a second Christmas, and a coveted bowl win for Michigan’s most beloved coach.

This year, both teams head into the game locked at 5-2, with Michigan 3-0 and Nebraska 2-1 in Big Ten play. It is the first Legends division night game for either team, and the first time Michigan will play in Lincoln since the 1911 6-6 tie. As both teams have their eye on a place in this year’s Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis, a victory here is key.

Memorial Stadium  -  Lincoln, Neb.
8pm EST  -  ESPN2
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Nebraska Head Coach: Bo Pelini (4th season)
Coaching Record: 44-18
Offensive Coordinator: Tim Beck
Defensive Coordinator: John Papuchis
Returning Starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense)
Last Season: 9-4 (5-3)
Last Meeting: Michigan 45 – Nebraska 17 (2011)
All-time Series: Michigan leads 4-2-1
In Lincoln: Tied 6-6 in 1911
In Memorial Stadium: Have never played
Current Streak: Michigan 1

Rushing Attempts: 22 – Denard will pass Tyrone Wheatley for 6th in career rushing attempts.
Rushing Yards: 50 – Denard will pass Tyrone Wheatley for 4th in career rushing yards. With 161, he could pass Missouri’s Brad Smith (2002-05) for 2nd in NCAA FBS history. With 265, he could pass Jamie Morris for 3rd in Michigan history.
Rushing Touchdowns: 1 – Denard will pass Mike Hart for 3rd in career rushing touchdowns.
100 rushing yards: Denard will pass Jamie Morris for 4th in career 100-yard rushing games.
Pass Completions: 23 – Denard will pass Tom Brady for 5th in career completions.
Pass Yards: 266 – Denard will pass Elvis Grbac for 3rd in career passing yards.
Total Yards: 271 – Denard will pass Illinois’ Juice Williams (2006-09) for 6th in career total yards in Big Ten history.
Field Goals: 1 – Brendan Gibbons will tie Hayden Epstein for 7th in career field goals made. With 4 he will tie Bob Bergeron for 6th.