Michigan Football: 3 Reasons Wolverines beat Hoosiers
By Josh LaFond
Can Michigan football avoid a letdown against an Indiana Hoosier team looking for an upset?
Michigan football versus Indiana has been a weird series as long as I’ve been alive.
Thinking back to the 2013 edition of this game, where Michigan football ended up winning 63-47, we saw quarterback Devin Gardner set the school’s all-time record for total offense in a game with 584 yards, and most passing yards in a game with 503 yards. His favorite wide receiver, Jeremy Gallon, too, set the all-time record (for Michigan and the Big Ten) for most receiving yards in a game with 369 yards.
More recently in the Jim Harbaugh era circa 2015, the Wolverines have played Indiana seven times, and won six.
In those wins the Hoosiers always find a way to hang around and make life uncomfortable for the coaches, the players, and the fans in the stands. Of the aforementioned six wins, four of them have come by 11 points or less, and two of those four were overtime wins that Michigan nearly saw slip away.
If the Wolverines want to keep their title hopes alive, they need to blow the Hoosiers out of the water. Will they do just that?
Let’s look at our three reasons why the Wolverines will beat the Hoosiers.
Indiana’s pass defense is the worst Michigan has faced thus far
Michigan’s out-of-conference schedule was horrendous this year to say the least. Colorado State, Hawaii, and UConn have a combined record of 3-12 and that should tell you everything you need to know about the talent on those three teams.
Somehow, someway, Indiana has managed to top that.
The Hoosiers currently sit at 118th nationally, over 20 spots behind the weak, non-conference opponents that the Wolverines already dismantled.
What does that mean in relation to this game?
For starters, Indiana likely will game plan on stopping the Blake Corum-led Michigan running attack. Selling out to stop the run, and keeping linebackers dedicated to containing the backfield, could create massive opportunities for J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy, it seems, is primed and ready for a true breakout game.
Going against this Indiana secondary should give him plenty of opportunity to do just that.