Michigan Football had Jim Harbaugh back on the sidelines against Rutgers to open up Big Ten play. Michigan secured a 31-7 victory, which was a push across most betting sites after the spread settled at 24. Initial betting lines had Michigan favored by more than 30, surprising many.
The Wolverines hit the road for the first time in the 2023 season, traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on Matt Rhule's Cornhuskers. Lincoln can be a difficult place to play, Michigan last won in 2021 in a close game, 32-29. That was a night game, while Michigan and Nebraska will face off at 3:30 p.m. for this one.
DraftKings Sportsbook opened the betting line at Michigan -18.5. Michigan is 4-0 (1-0) and still one of the top teams picked to win the National Championship at +400.
Nebraska is rebuilding in its first year under Rhule, 2-2 (0-1) so far this season. The Huskers opened with a 13-10 loss to Minnesota, a loss that is starting to look worse after the Gophers gave up a big lead and lost to Northwestern this weekend. In week 2, Nebraska was caught in the Deion Sanders hype with a 36-14 loss to the Buffs. Nebraska is on a two-game winning streak after wins of 35-11 vs Northern Illinois and 28-14 over LA Tech.
Michigan is once again winning games with a strong defense, consistent run game, and enough firepower from its quarterback. The new clock rules seem to have affected the offense's ability to put up big points. Despite being efficient the Wolverines are averaging 7.5 fewer plays a game this year, and have run the third-fewest plays in the Power 5, ahead of only Kentucky and Iowa.
Nebraska had Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims in at quarterback for their season-opening losses, while local product Heinrich Haarberg has led the way in their last two victories. Haarberg is not dangerous, but efficient, and most importantly has protected the football. 0 INT in the last two games, after Sims started the season with 4 INT.
---
Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards
Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer
Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @lucasreimink
Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify
Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube
Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram