Michigan and Oklahoma seem to be in two very different places ahead of this matchup but Vegas only has the Sooners as 4.5-point favorites. Michigan is talented, and at home, but last week's performance didn't look good. Oklahoma, on the other hand, destroyed UTEP 51-0. 

So now here we are. Michigan and Oklahoma will settle it on the field and based on how the game might play out, here are some things that could happen during Saturday's showdown in Ann Arbor.

After last week's poor performance against Western Michigan, where the running backs only ran for 59 yards and no touchdowns, things need to change. Head coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck boasted the No. 2 rush offense in the nation last year, so you can bet that Week 1's performance left a bad taste in their mouth. Expect the coaches to get the running game going, which will result in No. 23 getting into the end zone.

After last week, this feels like a pretty safe bet. Nichols was praised all offseason and fall camp as a guy who was ready to turn a corner, and he did just that. Against Western Michigan, Nichols consistently put pressure on the quarterback, which resulted in 1.5 sacks for the 6-5, 245-pounder. He's going to be amped up and ready to get after John Mateer on Saturday and I think he'll get home at least once.

Whittingham also puts a lot of emphasis on his defenses taking the ball away and that also didn't happen in Week 1. Mateer likes to get out and run around so I think there could be a chance for a fumble from him. He's also a confident quarterback, so there could be a forced throw or two. If Michigan can be opportunistic, they'll take it away at least twice on Saturday.

Aside from the Hail Mary heave, Bryce Underwood did not push the ball down the field against Western Michigan. Against Oklahoma, he'll have to. I'll call a deep shot a ball that goes more than 30 yards downfield in the air. Oklahoma isn't going to give up explosives easily, but Jason Beck still needs to dial up some shot plays in order to keep the Sooners and Brent Venables guessing.

It looks like Underwood is most comfortable with wide receiver JJ Buchanan as evidenced by his nine targets in Week 1. Marsh was only targeted four times, which resulted in just two catches for 15 yards. That's not enough for one of the best young receivers in the Big Ten. Against Oklahoma, Marsh needs the ball in his hands at least five times. Beck said that he goes into games with a plan for a specific amount of touches for his best guys. Marsh is one of his bests guys so he needs to be involved.