Hoosier Huddle's Game Day Primer: Indiana Hoosiers vs. No. 4 Michigan Wolverines

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

What: Indiana Hoosiers (3-2) vs Michigan Wolverines (5-0)

When: Saturday, October 8 at Noon on FOX

Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN  

How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on FOX and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.

Series History: IU fans don’t need to tell them this but the Michigan Wolverines have dominated this series. They have beaten Indiana consistently with little ceasing since the two started playing in 1900. In total, IU has won 10 of the 70 meetings and they just one victory (2020) against the Maize and Blue since a 14-10 triumph in 1987. Last season was a 29-7 win for Michigan and Jim Harbaugh is 5-1 against Tom Allen.

What’s at Stake: Michigan has far more at stake than the Hoosiers. The Wolverines will certainly approach this game as another checkmark on the path to a showdown with Ohio State to end the regular season as they try and repeat as Big Ten Champions and return to the College Football Playoff. A loss would take any margin for error they may have away. Indiana is now 3-2 and staring down the barrel of a brutal schedule that will make it very difficult to reach the six wins needed to make a bowl game. Now, a shocking upset of Michigan would completely change the narrative around this season and this program but the Hoosiers are playing with “house money” in Saturday on Bloomington.

Picks For Tonight:

Check out PicksforTonight college football computer picks to see which way their model is picking the Hoosier game and more this weekend

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1.    Containing the Michigan Run Game

The Michigan Wolverines want to bludgeon the opponent into submission and they do so with a powerful running game led by Blake Corum. The junior leads the nation in rushing touchdowns (10) and is among the nation’s leaders in rushing yards and yards per game despite only getting 18 carries per contest. That number is going to increase as the season goes on and Michigan actually has to play starters in fourth quarters. He averages 6.57 yards per carry while the Hoosiers give up 3.32 yards per rush. They’ve been gashed at times and Chase Brown had a good day against them in the opener but for the most part, the rushing defense has been alright. The goal for IU’s defense will be to limit Corum’s success, force Michigan into some third and longs and try to get pressure on J.J. McCarthy to get the Wolverines off the field. If Michigan gets the run game going consistently, it will be a very long afternoon.

2.    Offensive Challenges

The Indiana offense can be analyzed a few different ways. The attack is undoubtedly better than it was in 2021. That was a low bar to clear and should not be viewed as a grand accomplishment. At times, the uptempo pace and new weapons have looked good and have flustered opposing defenses. In general though, the unit has been inconsistent and not effective enough. The offensive line is struggling as the Hoosiers only gain 3.33 yards per carry and Connor Bazelak has been consistently under pressure. For his part, Bazelak has not been accurate enough and is completing only 52.8 percent of his passes. That just won’t cut it in major college football, particularly if you are only throwing passes 5.8 yards per attempt. A few things to look for against a defense that is top 15 in the country in every major statistical category: do different individuals (guys like Josh Sales or Khalil Benson) get a lot of snaps on the offensive line and does it make a difference? Are Cam Camper and DJ Matthews able to play? The coaches say they need to get Jaylin Lucas more involved, do they follow through on that and grant that wish? IU is going to struggle to score much against this really good defense, we can search for some positives (or negatives) in those individual areas.

3.    How Do the Hoosiers Respond?

The loss in Lincoln was a devastating blow for the Indiana Hoosiers season. It is not a death knell but any margin for error IU had in getting to six wins is largely gone after the fourth quarter collapse against Nebraska. How exactly are the Indiana Hoosiers going to respond to back-to-back disappointing losses and shaky performances? Tom Allen’s squad can respond very positively and still come up well short against the Wolverines but they could also get flattened and fall further into an abyss. The Hoosiers need to reduce the penalties, stop giving up explosive plays on defense and perhaps most importantly, stop giving themselves massive holes to climb out of. IU has faced second-half deficits in every contest this season and that must stop moving forward.