Michigan Football: Michigan at Iowa — Preview

Posted at 6:30am — 11/23/2013

Michigan Football: Michigan at Iowa — Preview

What May Happen — More Corn for Someone

What may happen when Michigan visits Iowa Saturday is easier to predict than who will win the game. This game is wide open for predicting a winner. Michigan has played its way onto the BTN network at noon for a second straight week. Both teams are 3-3 in the league, and both have lost three of the last five games.

Iowa is a favorite based mainly on the inconsistent play of Michigan, especially the offense. Iowa’s lines are stronger on both sides of the ball. Add to the mix that Michigan does not have a good road record the last two years.

Oct 19, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Jake Rudock (15) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY SportsIowa will not change on offense. The classic running game will emerge early. Michigan’s best chance at victory is to stop the running game. Look at the safety location on the field early to see how much Michigan chooses to gamble stopping the run. Iowa is always very good at the play-action game and loves to hit teams with the tight

Jake Rudock is not a Heisman Trophy candidate but he does manage the game reasonably well. Last week against Purdue, Rudock was steady.

Rudock is not being asked to scored 50 points due to the improvement of Iowa’s running game and defensive run game since last year. The defense is above average at run stopping and is holding teams under 20 points per game. The difficulty of Michigan’s line to block against a good front again becomes a problematic match-up. Michigan may again be forced to fire the ball more than the Wolverines want.

Iowa is not usually a blitz happy team. But every defensive coordinator watching tape drools watching Michigan’s pass-blocking schemes. It would make sense for Iowa to

Nov 16, 2013; Evanston, IL, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Devin Gardner (98) runs for a two point conversion in the third overtime against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 27-19 in triple overtime. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY SportsCan Michigan run the ball and who will run the ball become central questions as to how the game unfolds. Can Gardner do what a quarterback needs to do to win on the road? This should be a typical old style Big Ten game with the cold setting in and football driving deep into November. Avoiding turnovers will be a big advantage. Iowa may not drop five or six interceptions.

Either team winning would not be a surprise. But Michigan being able to overcome the advantage on both lines will be a tough challenge.

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Written by GBMWolverine Staff — Doc4Blu

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