Report: Michigan's Blake Corum to Play vs. Ohio State Despite Knee Injury

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Running back Blake Corum is reportedly expected to suit up for No. 3 Michigan in Saturday's rivalry game against No. 2 Ohio State, but his level of involvement remains uncertain because of a knee injury.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Corum "isn't expected to be 100 percent" and noted the Wolverines coaching staff will monitor him "closely" in warm-ups to determine his potential role against the Buckeyes.

Corum has emerged as a Heisman Trophy contender by rushing for 1,457 yards and 18 touchdowns while helping lead Michigan to a 11-0 record heading into the showdown with Ohio State, which also stands at 11-0. It makes Saturday's matchup one of the most highly anticipated meetings in the storied rivalry's long history.

The junior running back suffered the injury in last week's 19-17 win over Illinois. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said after the game the 5'8'' rusher avoided a serious injury.

"[He] got cleared to go back in, and we'll see where it is tomorrow, how it feels tomorrow," Harbaugh told reporters last Saturday. "Structurally good. Which is great news."

Corum provided a quick update to Angelique S. Chengelis of the Detroit News on Sunday while giving out turkeys to families in need ahead of Thanksgiving.

"It's good," he said. "My knee is good. I'll be fine. I'll be back."

The status of backup running back Donovan Edwards, who missed last week's game with an undisclosed injury, is also uncertain for the OSU clash.

It could leave C.J. Stokes to lead the Michigan backfield on Saturday. He recorded 36 yards on 11 carries after replacing Corum against the Fighting Illini.

U-M leans heavily on its ground game—487 rushing attempts compared to 293 passes this season—so how effective it can be without Corum at full strength will play a crucial role in determining whether it can pull off the road upset.

Kickoff for The Game is scheduled for 12 p.m. at the Horseshoe. Television coverage is on Fox.