No. 17 Nebraska And No. 20 Michigan Play For 2nd
LARRY LAGE,AP Sports Writer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan has earned some respect, winning at least eight games for the first time in four years.
The 20th-ranked Wolverines (8-2, 4-2 Big Ten) want more.
It won't be easy.
Michigan hosts No. 17 Nebraska for the first time since 1962 on Saturday, and rival Ohio State next week.
"Eight wins is eight wins," said fifth-year senior defensive end Ryan Van Bergen, who was a redshirting freshman when the Wolverines won nine games in Lloyd Carr's final season in 2007. "I don't think anyone is wild about that in our program.
"If we sit on what we've done so far, our legacy won't be anything special."
The Cornhuskers (8-2, 4-2) are also hoping for more from their debut season in the conference.
Their win over Michigan State cleared the path toward the Big Ten's first championship game, but getting upset by Northwestern two weeks ago was costly because now they need help. To earn the Legends Division's spot in the Dec. 3 game in Indianapolis, Nebraska needs a win over the Wolverines, a victory against Iowa next week at home, and has to root for the Spartans to get upset by Indiana or at Northwestern.
Michigan, meanwhile, has to win twice and hope its in-state rival loses two more games to play in the Big Ten's inaugural marquee matchup.
Even without an assist, the winner of the Cornhuskers-Wolverines game will break a second-place tie in the division and might end up playing in a BCS bowl.
"Getting to a BCS bowl would mean a lot as a going-away present for my senior year," Nebraska receiver Brandon Kinnie said.
Cornhuskers coach Bo Pelini won at least nine games in his first three years in charge of a program that slumped under Bill Callahan, and has an opportunity to surpass the 10-win seasons he had the past two years. Pelini is winning for a second straight season relying on rushing from running back Rex Burkhead and quarterback Taylor Martinez, who have combined for nearly 2,000 yards on the ground this year.
Michigan's defense was among the worst in college football last season in Rich Rodriguez's final year and suddenly ranks among the best, thanks at least in part to a defensive-minded head coach and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. The Wolverines are giving up just 15.5 points a game, almost 20 fewer than last year, and allowed Illinois to run for just 37 yards last week.
"When we can make that kind of statement and say, 'You're not going to run the ball, you have to be one-dimensional,' that's huge," Van Bergen said. "That's something that we haven't been able to do and we wanted to, and it's been a long time coming."
The Wolverines, though, would benefit from QB Denard Robinson producing more like he did last year or at least turning over the ball less.
Robinson has lost three fumbles the past two games and has thrown seven interceptions in his last five. Sophomore Devin Gardner, who plays with Robinson on the field at times, took over in the third quarter against the Fighting Illini last week in part because the speedy starter sprained his right wrist.
The Cornhuskers may give Robinson a chance to get his groove back because they have struggled against mobile QBs.
"At times it has been our Achilles' heel," Nebraska defensive tackle Chase Rome said. "That's definitely something we've gotten better at as the season has gone on."
Michigan flopped after fast starts with Rodriguez in charge the past two years, but has avoided losing consecutive games in Brady Hoke's debut season. Now, Hoke is a victory away from Lloyd Carr's total number of wins from his last season in 2007, but that still wouldn't satisfy seniors who endured a lot of losing the last three years.
"Coach Hoke says the expectation is to win at least 10 games here," Wolverines tight end Kevin Koger said. "That's what we're aiming now and we have a chance to do it. Winning eight games would be a letdown for us."
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Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
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