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Opponent-a-Day Week 4: Nebraska Faces Michigan in First Big Ten Showdown

Originally posted on Nebraska Cornhuskers on SI
By Shayni Maitra | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 6:06 PM ET

By Week 4 of the 2025 college football season, the training wheels are off. The Nebraska Cornhuskers, hopefully riding the high of a 3–0 start. And with that, they will be stepping into a whole new atmosphere when they host the Michigan Wolverines in what could be one of the most defining games of their season.

Forget easing into conference play. This isn’t just another date on the calendar, because this is a program checkpoint. Can Nebraska hang with the heavyweights of the Big Ten? Are the Huskers truly turning the corner under Matt Rhule?

Payback, Pressure, and a Prime Opportunity for Nebraska

We'll find out on Saturday, September 20, when Memorial Stadium transforms into the rowdiest, loudest, most fired-up football fortress in the country. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CDT on CBS, a perfect national window for the Huskers to put the country on notice.

Let’s rewind. The last time Michigan rolled into Lincoln in 2023, they walked away with a 45–7 beatdown that left a sour taste in every Husker fan’s mouth. Nebraska didn’t get a shot at redemption in 2024, so this meeting, after two years in the making, kinda feels personal. This time around, the Huskers get their rematch with a roster that looks far more seasoned, more explosive, and more aligned with Rhule’s vision.

As for Michigan, they’re entering the post-Jim Harbaugh chapter. After winning the 2023 national title (in January 2024), Harbaugh jumped to the NFL to coach the Los Angeles Chargers. In stepped Sherrone Moore, who led the Wolverines to a respectable, but far less dominant, 8–5 record in 2024. Now in his second year as head coach, Moore is trying to prove that Michigan can stay elite without the swagger of Harbaugh at the helm.

So while this may be Nebraska’s first major test of 2025, it’s also a huge credibility check for Michigan. Neither team can afford to stumble, which makes this matchup feel a lot like a mini playoff game, just with more corn-fed passion.

Spotlight on the Huskers

If Nebraska wants to pull off the upset, it starts with Dylan Raiola. The five-star quarterback had a solid freshman campaign in 2024, but this is where legends are made. Michigan brings a defense that plays fast, hits hard, and forces mistakes.

Thankfully, he’ll be backed by a beefed-up offensive line that now includes two high-level transfers: Elijah Pritchett from Alabama and Rocco Spindler from Notre Dame. That duo is expected to give the front line a serious edge in size and experience.

On the outside, Raiola has shiny new targets in Dane Key (from Kentucky) and Nyziah Hunter (from Cal), two explosive receivers with big-play potential. And don’t forget about Emmett Johnson, who averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season and now takes over the backfield reins.

Defensively, Nebraska will lean on John Butler’s aggressive 3-3-5 scheme, which demands both creativity and discipline. The challenge? Michigan’s run game is bruising, patient, and unrelenting. If Nebraska wants to slow the Wolverines down, their defensive front will need to win individual matchups and stay tight in their assignments. Any missed tackle or blown coverage, and Michigan will make them pay.

Michigan Might Be Under A Giant in Transition

Michigan may no longer have Harbaugh, but its identity hasn’t changed much. They still want to control games with their offensive line and wear defenses down with their run game. And defensively?

Sure, the roster has turned over since their 2023 national championship season, but the Wolverines reload, not rebuild. Their quarterback situation will be one to watch as the season develops, but even with uncertainty under center, they’re dangerous because of their depth and talent in the trenches.

Why This One Matters?

That’s why this game will almost certainly come down to what happens at the line of scrimmage. Can Nebraska’s big bodies hold their ground? Can the Huskers’ defensive line disrupt Michigan’s rhythm and force the Wolverines into tough third downs? If so, the door to an upset creaks open.

Another key battle: Nebraska’s receivers vs. Michigan’s lockdown secondary. If the team has time and all the players can shake loose, Nebraska could hit on a few deep shots that change the entire complexion of the game.

This is not just a Week 4 showdown. It’s a measuring stick. For Nebraska, this is about showing the college football world and recruits across the country that the Huskers are no longer stuck in rebuild mode. If they beat Michigan, Memorial Stadium might need to check its foundation because the celebration will be seismic.