The Michigan Wolverines will do battle with the Purdue Boilermakers in the Big-10 Championship Game this weekend without Blake Corum.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Corum is slated to have knee surgery and will miss the remainder of the season for the No. 2-ranked team.
The junior running back and Doak Walker finalist attempted to give it a go in last week’s blowout win over the rival Ohio State Buckeyes. But he ran the ball just two times for six yards before exiting the game.
To say that this is a major blow for Jim Harbaugh’s squad as it prepares for a likely College Football Playoff appearance would be an understatement. Prior to suffering the knee injury, Corum had put up eight consecutive 100-yard games. That span saw him record 1,222 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns. It has Corum as a potential Heisman candidate.
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Impact of Blake Corum on Michigan Wolverines championship aspirations
In Corum’s stead last week against Ohio State, sophomore running back Donovan Edwards was absolutely brilliant. He went for 216 rushing yards on 22 attempts, including touchdown runs of 75 and 85 yards in the fourth quarter to put this one away.
A four-star recruit back in 2021, Edwards also torched a good Penn State defense for 173 yards in a win over the Nittany Lions back in October. Michigan seems to be in good hands with him.
None of this should really matter against an 8-4 Purdue team that heads into the conference championship Saturday evening as 16.5-point underdogs.
With that said, it’s all about the Wolverines’ likely appearance in the College Football Playoff. As of right now, they’d likely take on an undefeated Texas Christian team in the semifinals. If the current standings hold, the winner of that outing would then go up against either Georgia or USC in the title game. Being without Corum could end up costing Michigan.
As for Blake Corum and his future, it’s not yet known whether he’ll declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. As of right now, a return to Michigan seems more likely.