ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan football finally looked like a legitimate national championship contender during a blowout win at Nebraska this weekend.
There was nothing necessarily wrong with how Michigan handled the first four weeks of the season, taking down weaker opponents without breaking much of a sweat. But those performances didn’t feel overwhelming -- it seemed like the Wolverines must have another gear they could kick into.
We saw that gear Saturday, when Michigan hit the road for the first time and conquered one of the best road environments in the Big Ten.
Since those first four wins were a bit lackluster, the Cornhuskers were a trendy upset pick heading into the weekend (just ask Urban Meyer!). But in reality, they never stood a chance.
Michigan put together three immaculate touchdown drives in a row to start the game, and by the end of the first quarter, the only questions remaining were whether Michigan would cover and Nebraska would score.
Nebraska fans are among the most loyal in the nation, yet still, thousands of them flooded toward the exits at halftime, with Michigan leading 28-0. Nebraska had four first downs, while Michigan had four touchdowns.
The second half wasn’t much better for the Cornhuskers, other than a 74-yard run that once again prevented Michigan from a shutout. The Wolverines rushed for 249 yards against the No. 2 run defense in the nation, didn’t commit a single penalty or turnover, and held Nebraska to 10 first downs.
It looked a whole lot like the Michigan team of the last two seasons.
For the first time, the Wolverines were clicking on all cylinders. J.J. McCarthy scored three total touchdowns and averaged 9.8 yards per pass attempt. The defense sacked the quarterback four times and batted down five passes. Both Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards had success on the ground.
In a season where many of the presumed top teams in the country -- Michigan included -- have underwhelmed early, this was the performance we’ve been waiting to see. Nebraska was an overmatched opponent, and that’s exactly how it looked from start to finish.
Michigan won’t have a chance at a quality win until November, but that can’t be helped. Performances like this one keep the Wolverines in good standing while others, like Georgia this week, struggle.
Almost everyone expected Michigan to be 5-0, but it’s still an accomplishment to get there. Now, it’s about doing the same thing to Minnesota in a road game of similar caliber.
