3. Michigan's defense put the clamps down on Dylan Raiola
The seven sacks that the Wolverine defense accounted for resulted in negative 50 yards rushing for the five-star signal caller. He was running for his life from the inside and outside pass rush of Wink Martindale's defense. Jaishawn Barham's move to the edge has surely paid dividends for Martindale and company over the past two weeks.
On a side note that can be related to this game in a way, Oklahoma sacked its former quarterback, Jackson Arnold, 10 times on Saturday, compared to the one that they encountered against Michigan's offense.
"I see Michigan as a legit playoff caliber team."@BMac_SportsTalk after the Wolverines' win over Nebraska. pic.twitter.com/jCs88izO6W
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 21, 2025
Take away the Hail Mary, and Raiola's numbers are more mediocre. This loss was somewhat similar to the Illinois loss that Nebraska had a year ago, when Raiola was sacked six times and the Cornhuskers lost by a touchdown. The Huskers have lost 28 straight games against ranked schools, with their last win coming back in 2016.
By no means is their season over. They have six winnable games on the table, before a trip to Happy Valley in November. For Michigan, they get their first bye week at the perfect time. They have figured out how to use Bryce Underwood and are on the same path where they were a year ago, but this time they have a quarterback and a schedule that can realistically keep them in playoff consideration.