Injury reports released for Michigan-Nebraska matchup

Matt Connollyby:Matt Connolly09/30/23

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Week 5 Picks: Michigan @ Nebraska

The injury reports for Saturday’s Big Ten showdown between Michigan and Nebraska are out.

The Wolverines have announced that defensive back Ja’Den McBurrows, running back C.J. Stokes and defensive lineman Mason Graham are out for the game. In addition to those players, Michigan also announced that safety Rod Moore and offensive lineman Myles Hinton are questionable.

For Nebraska, the Cornhuskers will be without linebacker Luke Reimer and defensive lineman Cam Lenhardt.

McBurrows has appeared in two games so far this season and has made a pair of tackles. Graham has appeared in three games and has 10 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss. Stokes has four carries for 8 yards on the year.

As for the Nebraska players who are out, Reimer and Lenhardt are both starters. Reimer has played in all four games this season. He has 14 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Lenhardt has appeared in three games and has a pair of sacks.

Urban Meyer questions Michigan schedule, expresses belief in Matt Rhule, Nebraska

Michigan is a big favorite for Saturday’s game with Nebraska, but former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer believes the Cornhuskers have a chance to hang around in the game.

“The Wolverines have played a schedule that is not very good,” Meyer said on Big Noon Kickoff. “You play bad schedules — I’ve been there before. You just don’t get better. If you’re the same team you were in September that you are in October, you’re not a very good team. I believe in Matt Rhule. I believe in Nebraska.

“We saw, they should have beat Minnesota. If you don’t turn the ball over [at Colorado] a couple weeks ago, they’re right in that game. Don’t turn the ball over, let that 3-3-5 defense play, they’ve got good players on defense. I think it’s going to be a close game in Lincoln.”

Earlier this week, Meyer reminded everyone that when the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams next year, these so-called pancake games could become the norm moving forward. Scheduling could become strategic to where as long as teams win — they can make the expanded field with less of an effort.

He flat out said that Michigan, “shouldn’t be allowed to play that schedule.” That goes for Georgia, too. Both teams occupy to top two spots in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, but they haven’t played a non-conference Power Five opponent.

Michigan only has conference opponents on its schedule for the rest of the season, and Georgia has rival Georgia Tech on the docket to end the season. Still, Meyer feels as though teams with legitimate national championship desires should have some type of outside regulation around their scheduling moving forward.