This is the game Michigan needs
One thing about Michigan's schedule, a negative X-factor of sorts, is that the Wolverines have a "defining" game for more than one opponent.
I know it's Michigan, so that's usually the case, but that's with teams like Michigan State. Oklahoma had the same energy in that first game. Brent Venables was on the hot seat. It felt like they sold out, running their quarterback a ton, to beat Michigan.
Oklahoma desperately needed that game. Lincoln Riley desperately needed to beat Michigan. USC had to prove it wasn't a joke against one of the Big Ten's best brands. The Trojans didn't just win the game; they pushed Michigan around in the process, rushing for 224 yards compared to 109.
The Nebraska game had a similar feel. Michigan won that game because it was the better team in the trenches. Washington could easily win this game. But for the first time, it feels like Michigan is the team that has to have a win.
Will their players respond the way USC and Oklahoma did to that kind of pressure? We shall see.