Week 12 Matchup to Watch: Indiana's Offense vs. Michigan's Defense
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Indiana’s offense will have a tough time reaching the end zone against Michigan Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle
Written by Rylie Kyhn
Indiana has two remaining games in the regular season and they need one more win to become bowl eligible. This weekend is going to be one of the toughest matchups they have had all season because of how well rounded Michigan is this year. They are ranked fourth in the country however, in the last few years, the competition between the two teams has been good and Indiana has put up a fight, last year taking them to overtime at home. This year, the Hoosiers travel to Ann Arbor and they are going to look to give the number one ranked defense in the country, a run for their money.
This week the matchup to watch is the Indiana offense against the Michigan defense. They rank number one in total defense giving up only around 13 points per game and 219 total yards. They are able to hold their opponents to low scoring because of their ability to slow down offenses and hold them to only 3.8 yards per play which is the lowest yardage gain in FBS. Their defensive line is disruptive and will put a tremendous amount of pressure on the quarterback. They have only given up 14.2 first downs per game and their pass defense has been incredible giving up only 54 first downs on passes which is the fewest in the country.
This defense is going to test the Indiana offense like no other team has this season. Indiana averages around 27 points per game and 5.5 yards per play but they haven’t faced a defense like this yet. The offensive line has been inconsistent against different teams and struggled more in Big Ten play against good defensive lines so it is going to be interesting to see how they perform against the impressive Michigan defensive line. Last weekend against Maryland, the passing game looked better than it has all season averaging 15 yard gains per pass play. With Michigan having nearly the best pass defense in the country, this matchup is going to be a good one to watch.
In the last couple games, Indiana has been taking shots down the field and taken a more aggressive approach on offense but with the talent of their pass defense, that may change the game plan. They may take a more conservative approach in this matchup but they could surprise everyone again and try to throw the long ball. Indiana could give this team a challenged, it just depends on if they will step up to the challenge.