Week 12 Know Your Opponent: Michigan Looking to Continue Their Playoff Push

Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images

Written by Nathan Comp

Head Coach: Jim Harbuagh

Overall: 37-12 4th Year

Bowl Appearances at UM: 3

2017 Record: 8-5 (5-4) B1G

Bowl Appearances Since 2000: 16 (6-10)

Mascot: Wolverine

Colors: Maize and Blue

Outfitter: Jordan

National Titles: 11

Conference Titles: 42

Heisman Winners: 3

Last Week’s Result: Win vs Rutgers 42-7

2018 Record: 9-1

Statistical Leaders

Passing Shea Patterson 152-227 (66.9%) 1927 yards, 17 TDs, 3 INT

Rushing Karan Higdon 188 att. 1005 yards 9 TD

Receiving Donovan Peoples-Jones 30 rec. 447 yards 7 TD

Tackles Devin Bush 61 tackles (29 solo), 8.0 TFL, 4.5 Sack

Talking Points

1. No Easy Task

Going into Ann Arbor to play in The Big House is never easy. Indiana has lost 22 straight games against the Wolverines and has not won at Michigan since 1967. All that aside, Michigan lines up one of its best teams in years and a certain college football playoff contender. The Wolverines have won nine straight games since their opening week loss on the road at Notre Dame. Coach Jim Harbaugh lines up NFL talent on both sides of the ball. Indiana has kept each of its last three matchups against the Wolverines within 10 points, but this will be no easy task this year.

2. Don Brown’s Defense

 The offense has had its question marks throughout Harbaugh’s tenure, but the defense has always been elite. This is no different this year. The Don Brown-led defense leads the nation in yards allowed per play, being one of only two teams to allow less than 4 yards per play (3.82). A lot of this can be credited to the Michigan pass defense, which leads the nation in seven different categories: completions allowed (114), opponents' completion percentage (47.3), passing yards allowed (1,160), yards per attempt (4.8), passer rating (87.65), passing attempts per game (24.1) and passing yards per game (116.0). The passing defense has also only allowed 43 pass plays longer than 10 yards, 9 fewer than the next best team (Appalachian State, ironically).

3. Shea Patterson Has Lived Up to the Hype

Jim Harbaugh had been looking for his quarterback since he arrived with the Wolverines and he has appeared to have found him this year in graduate transfer Shea Patterson. Patterson has had to dramatically change the way he plays: no longer are the games where he throws 40+ times like at Ole Miss. He has changed the way he plays and become one of the most efficient passers in Michigan program history. He has developed a better pocket presence and in turn dramatically cut down his interception numbers. If the season ended today, his completion percentage (67%) and his interception rate (1.3%) would both be Michigan football records. 

4. One More

For Indiana, the victory against Maryland this past weekend has turned all eyes on these final two games. Indiana needs just one more victory out of a road test with Michigan and a home battle against Purdue to gain bowl eligibility. The Purdue game stacks up as the more obvious possibility on paper, but Indiana cannot look past this week’s matchup against Michigan. A poor showing this week could change the locker room’s confidence for the final game against Purdue.