Nebraska vs. Michigan Prediction: Wolverines Aim for a Perfect 10 in the Big House Against the Cornhuskers

Undefeated Wolverines look to keep things rolling against Huskers team fighting to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Author:
Brandon Cavanaugh
Publish date:
Nov 10, 2022

Michigan continues its march toward The Game with championship aspirations. Meanwhile, Nebraska faces official elimination from bowl eligibility.

The Cornhuskers (3-6, 2-4 Big Ten) square off against a Wolverines (9-0, 6-0) team similar to Illinois which bested them 26-9. But anything the Illini can do, Jim Harbaugh's crew can do better. Will the Big Red pull off the improbable? Will Michigan cover an obscenely large spread en route to their date with Ohio State? Let's break it down.

Nebraska at No. 3 Michigan

Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 12 at 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: Michigan -30.5
Tickets: As low as $25 on SITickets.com*

*Nebraska vs. Michigan By the Numbers*
National Rank Category	Nebraska	Michigan
Rushing Offense	143.22 YPG (75th)	250 YPG (5th)
Passing Offense	243.9 YPG (60th)	215.7 YPG (93rd)
Scoring Offense	25.6 PPG (T-85th)	42.2 PPG (5th)
Rushing Defense	182.89 YPG (108th)	72.44 YPG (1st)
Passing Defense	258.1 YPG (101st)	170 YPG (9th)
Scoring Defense	29.4 PPG (91st)	12.1 PPG (3rd)
Sacks	15 (T-94th)	29 (T-9th)
Turnover Margin	-7 (T-114th)	+6 (T-24th)
3rd Down Conversions	40.80% (T-54th)	49.14% (15th)
Red Zone Conversions	88.46% (T-39th)	94.12% (T-6th)

When Nebraska Has the Ball

The Nebraska offense hasn't been able to find much rhythm following quarterback Casey Thompson’s injury and it's unlikely he takes the field this Saturday.

This leaves the Huskers with a choice between Chubba Purdy and Logan Smothers.

Purdy flat-out plays anxiously. Smothers looks alright here and there, but neither quarterback has been allowed to get in a groove.

Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple's rushing attack had starts and stops versus Minnesota while Trey Palmer has been effectively neutralized. After his 297-yard performance against Purdue, he's hauled in all of six catches for 38 yards.

Recent offensive issues were underscored by five straight three-and-outs against the Golden Gophers. Not really the way Nebraska wants to come into this matchup, as defensive excellence has helped fuel Michigan’s climb to the No. 3 spot in the College Football Playoff Rankings.

The Big Red offensive line faces arguably their stiffest test of the year against Michigan edge rushers Mike Morris and Eyabi Okie. Morris has racked up seven sacks over the course of the year with Okie adding three to the stat sheet.

Linebacker Junior Colson provides a major threat at the second level having racked up 61 total tackles (24 solo, 4.5 for a loss) along with Michael Barrett (37 total tackles, 20 solo, 2 INTs).

Rod Moore spearheads a secondary with six interceptions on the year claiming three of his own. No matter which signal-caller Nebraska offers, throwing into the teeth of this group is asking for trouble.

When Michigan Has the Ball

J.J. McCarthy guides Big Blue’s offense, having completed almost 71 percent of his 196 passes for 1,615 yards and 12 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He hasn’t thrown a pick since Michigan’s 41-17 stomping of then-No. 14 Penn State.

Continuing a trend over recent weeks, Nebraska faces one of the nation’s premier running backs. With 1,187 yards along with 16 touchdowns, Blake Corum presents the Huskers with another extremely frustrating challenge.

Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson provide McCarthy options to strike at Nebraska’s secondary as does fantastically named tight end Luke Schoonmaker.

It took a minute, but Mohamed Ibrahim eventually got his Gushers while pummeling the Big Red's interior line. Corum likely munches on his sideline candy of choice earlier and if McCarthy gets to navigate the same tired bunch Minnesota's Athan Kaliakmanis did, he’s golden.

Final Analysis

If we’re looking from an “anything can happen on any game day” perspective, Nebraska has to be nothing short of flawless. We're talking about a performance where a confident quarterback leads reliable scoring drives while getting Palmer 100-plus yards supplemented by Anthony Grant running free.

On defense, Bill Busch has to draw up yet another impressive game plan to stuff Corum as he did Ibrahim in his third scoreless half as interim coordinator. Throw in weird Michigan turnovers resulting in a scoop and score or a pick-six.

Maybe the gale force winds from Evanston, Illinois, visit Ann Arbor or the football gods just hate Michigan this week.

But you’re probably looking at an easy victory for the Maize and Blue as they march into The Game looking for a Big Ten championship-bolstered spot in the College Football Playoff.

That said, Nebraska could make some bettors happy with a sneaky back door cover.

Might we see an announcement from athletic director Trev Alberts should Mickey Joseph's crew have no shot at a postseason come Saturday evening? If not, the coaching search spotlight around Husker Nation only intensifies.