Michigan failed to score 40 points the entire season. Nebraska scored 40+ 8 times that season, yet Michigan is going to shut down and stop the #1 rush offense and #1 scoring offense and somehow score points on Nebraska's top 5 defense?? Michigan defense was great, but it was best at stopping the pass, #1 in fact, too bad you weren't going to go up against a passing team if you faced Nebraska.
Lets also not forget the fact, Michigan needed the ref's to literally run off the field while Washington State was driving, to preserve the win for Michigan.
I also don't care about common opponents because the transitive property doesn't apply in football. Colorado literally basing its entire season around Nebraska, makes a little bit of a difference compared to Colorado facing Michigan. Just like Michigan playing against Ohio State mattered more to them than their closest game of the year, Iowa.
Nebraska:
#1 offense
#1 rush offense
#1 scoring offense
#5 defense
#3 rush defense
#12 scoring defense
#28 pass defense
Nebraska also had better net punting, better punt return and better kick return stats than Michigan.
Michigan:
44th offense
28th rush offense
44th scoring offense
63rd passing offense
(that mediocre offense would have literally been lucking to score 10 points, if that)
#1 defense
#1 scoring defense
#1 pass defense
#7 rush defense
Defense is what Michigan survived on, but they also only faced 1 top 20 offense, while Nebraska faced 4 top 20 offenses.
I'd argue Kansas State was a better team than Michigan in 97' the problem for them was that they had to go up against Nebraska and their only loss on the season was Nebraska, 56-26. K-state had a a top 5 defense and top 15 offense, but that didn't help them one bit against Nebraska, just like with weeks to prepare and for Osborne's last game, Michigan would have gotten pounded even worse than a Peyton Manning led 3rd ranked Tennessee.
Lets also not forget the fact, Michigan needed the ref's to literally run off the field while Washington State was driving, to preserve the win for Michigan.
I also don't care about common opponents because the transitive property doesn't apply in football. Colorado literally basing its entire season around Nebraska, makes a little bit of a difference compared to Colorado facing Michigan. Just like Michigan playing against Ohio State mattered more to them than their closest game of the year, Iowa.
Nebraska:
#1 offense
#1 rush offense
#1 scoring offense
#5 defense
#3 rush defense
#12 scoring defense
#28 pass defense
Nebraska also had better net punting, better punt return and better kick return stats than Michigan.
Michigan:
44th offense
28th rush offense
44th scoring offense
63rd passing offense
(that mediocre offense would have literally been lucking to score 10 points, if that)
#1 defense
#1 scoring defense
#1 pass defense
#7 rush defense
Defense is what Michigan survived on, but they also only faced 1 top 20 offense, while Nebraska faced 4 top 20 offenses.
I'd argue Kansas State was a better team than Michigan in 97' the problem for them was that they had to go up against Nebraska and their only loss on the season was Nebraska, 56-26. K-state had a a top 5 defense and top 15 offense, but that didn't help them one bit against Nebraska, just like with weeks to prepare and for Osborne's last game, Michigan would have gotten pounded even worse than a Peyton Manning led 3rd ranked Tennessee.