Michigan football finally shows CFP-worthy form, depth in win over Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. — Free Press sports writer Rainer Sabin answers three questions after Michigan football's 45-7 victory over Nebraska on Saturday at Memorial Stadium:

Has Michigan found its championship form?

It took less than eight minutes for the Wolverines to assert their supremacy over an inferior Nebraska team. By then, Michigan had splintered the Cornhuskers’ top-10 rushing defense, stunned the home crowd with Roman Wilson’s extraordinary 29-yard touchdown reception and forced a turnover on a tipped pass that launched another trip to the end zone. The midway point of the first quarter hadn’t arrived, and Michigan had already built an insurmountable 14-0 lead, flexing its muscle on defense and unleashing its well-stocked arsenal on offense. The Cornhuskers were staggered by the blows Michigan delivered, and a Big Red welt began to form.

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For the first time this season, the Wolverines looked like the No. 2 team in the land. The offense was both efficient and devastating, stripping Nebraska to its core with a steady diet of quality runs and then blasting the Huskers to bits with a series of pinpoint passes by J.J. McCarthy. The Wolverines’ defense was just as formidable, halting Nebraska at every turn. Even when the Cornhuskers were on the verge of a breakthrough, Michigan managed to deny them. Case in point: The fourth-down stop that killed a nine-play, 63-yard march on Nebraska’s second possession. From that point forward, Michigan resumed its domination and continued to piece together its finest performance of 2023, nearly handing Nebraska its first shutout since 1996.

Even more so than the final score, the box score told the story of this demolition. The Wolverines outgained Nebraska by 131 yards and won the time of possession battle by almost 17 minutes, turning the hapless Huskers into cornmeal.

What does this win mean for Michigan’s long-term prospects?

If recent history is any indication, then Michigan’s victory Saturday was a telltale sign the Wolverines are gearing up for another run to the College Football Playoff. Why? Michigan’s rout of Nebraska resembled its impressive wins in road openers against Iowa last season and Wisconsin in 2021. In both of those games, the Wolverines proved their might, silencing their skeptics and erasing the remaining doubts that existed.

At this time two years ago, some wondered if Harbaugh could lead Michigan to a win as an underdog, which he had yet to do. But the Wolverines crushed the Badgers by three touchdowns in Madison — launching a remarkable rebound in wake of the 2-4 disaster of 2020. Last year, the questions weren’t nearly as fraught: How would McCarthy fare in his first start away from Michigan Stadium? Could U-M survive Kinnick Stadium, a place where perfect records have been tarnished? Michigan offered up convincing answers during a 27-14 win over the Hawkeyes that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.

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The Wolverines came to Lincoln intent on delivering their first complete performance of the season. They did by beating Nebraska in every facet and making a statement that they are one of the nation's top teams.

Did this game illustrate Michigan’s superior depth?

Whether it was reserve running back Kalel Mullings opening the floodgates on a 20-yard touchdown run in the first quarter or backup safety Keon Sabb leading the team in tackles or emerging receiver Tyler Morris picking up 30 yards on a punt return or Arizona State import LaDarius Henderson making his first start at left tackle, Michigan’s tremendous depth was on display from beginning to end Saturday.

Before this season, Harbaugh said the current roster, top to bottom, was the most talented of his nine-year tenure in Ann Arbor.

It seemed like a reasonable appraisal at the time, and it has been emphatically affirmed by the first five games. Quality players abound, and they’re contributing in a multitude of ways by preserving Michigan’s high standard of play and preventing the Wolverines from suffering a dropoff in performance due to injuries. The embarrassment of riches strewn across Michigan’s sideline is the biggest reason the Wolverines are considered a legitimate national title contender. Depth, after all, separates the elite programs from the good ones.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football's rout of Nebraska has CFP sheen to it