The No. 4 Michigan Wolverines look to remain undefeated when they travel to Bloomington, Indiana, on Saturday to face the Indiana Hoosiers 3-2. The Wolverines began the season with one of the easiest non-conference schedules in the country, sweeping Colorado State, Hawaii and UConn (three teams with a combined 3-12 record) before struggling in Big Ten play.
Michigan struggled at home against Maryland 34-27 two weeks ago, and while it was never in danger during last week’s 27-14 win at Iowa, the offense continued to slow down against tougher competition. Will that be the case in Indiana? The Hoosiers’ defense hasn’t been outstanding at the start of the year, but it has faced a tougher road than Michigan’s overall. Indiana started the year 3-0, including a 23-20 win over Illinois that is looking better by the week but has lost two in a row since. The Hoosiers were crushed on the road by Cincinnati in a 45-24 loss two weeks ago and lost 14 last week at Nebraska. Maybe coming home will do the Hoosiers some good.
Michigan vs. Indiana: I need to know
Michigan has dominated this series: Indiana beat Michigan 38-21 in 2020 in a result that stood out for different reasons. First, it was the first time Indiana had beaten Michigan in football since 1987, ending a 24-game losing streak to the Wolverines. Second, that 24-game losing streak was nothing new for the Hoosiers when it comes to playing Michigan. These schools met on the football field for the first time in 1900. Michigan won the game 12-0, and few subsequent meetings were ever so close. The teams have met 70 times overall and Michigan has won 60, often in a landslide.
JJ McCarthy has top-five passing efficiency: The nature of Michigan’s offense, and the fact that it took so many beatings earlier in the season, doesn’t have quarterback JJ McCarthy throwing often — his 84 pass attempts don’t even rank in the top 100 at national level — but when he pitches, he’s been effective. McCarthy’s passer efficiency rating of 186.94 ranks fifth nationally among rated quarterbacks, just behind North Carolina’s Drake Maye and one spot ahead of Tennessee’s Heisman candidate Hendon Hooker. McCarthy completes 78.6% of his passes for 10.1 yards per attempt with six touchdowns and no interceptions. Last week against Iowa was his worst performance from a yards perspective (155), but he still completed 75% of his passes and threw a touchdown. Michigan remains a run-first team, but McCarthy’s effectiveness in the passing game makes it harder for opposing defenses to stop the run.
Indiana has lost 10 of 11 Big Ten games: I mentioned Indiana’s win over Michigan in 2020. That was one of Indiana’s biggest wins in a long time, and it came in one of Indiana’s best seasons. The Hoosiers finished 2020 with a 6-1 record in the Big Ten, with the only loss coming by a touchdown at Ohio State. Things have fallen off a cliff ever since. The Hoosiers’ 23-20 win over Illinois to open the season is the only Big Ten game they’ve won since, and their 10 losses have come by an average of 23.6 points.
How to watch Michigan vs. Indiana live
Date: Saturday October 8 | Weather: 12 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Memorial Stadium – Bloomington, Indiana
TV: fox | Live broadcast: fuboTV (Try it for free)
Michigan Prediction vs. Indiana, National Teams
featured game | Indiana Hoosiers vs. Michigan Wolverines
Considering the history between these shows and Indiana’s overall struggles in the Big Ten, it’s hard to bet on anything other than the Wolverines. While Michigan’s defense struggled with Maryland, the Terps’ offense is much more explosive than the Hoosiers’. Indiana’s offense hasn’t shown much of anything so far this season, and it’s hard to say that it will fix things against the Wolverines. I expect Saturday’s meeting to be another in a long line of blowout victories for Michigan against Indiana. Prediction: Michigan -22
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