Michigan Football: Behind enemy lines with an Indiana expert

Is Michigan football on upset watch? Or will they cruise to 6-0? Sammy Jacobs of Hoosier Huddle answers that for us.

Michigan vs Indiana has been a weird series. The Wolverines have seen 4 of 6 wins during the Jim Harbaugh era coming by 11 points or less, and the other two games were hotly contested matches that were closer than the score indicated.

But this year is different. Hopefully for Michigan football fans, anyway.

Indiana enters this game 3-2. A deceptive record when you consider their two losses have come back-to-back against Cincinnati and Nebraska by a combined 35 points.

With that context in mind, Indiana fans (the majority) feel that this is very much a down year, and shouldn’t be the norm under head coach Tom Allen.

That all being said, though, should we expect a Michigan blowout? An Indiana upset for the second time in three years? Or is another whacky, wild contest in which the game is closer than the score indicates?

We sat down with the founder of and writer for Hoosier Huddle, Sammy Jacobs, to discuss this game. Sammy created the lead source on all things Indiana football and is one of — if not the only — Hoosier football-only content creators.

So what does he think about Indiana’s season thus far and their chances in this game?

Let’s get into it.

Where do you see Indiana football’s ceiling under Tom Allen?

The ceiling was probably reached in 2020. IU finished 6-1 in Big Ten play with wins over Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. If Covid does not cancel non-conference games that team wins 9 or 10 games.

What are realistic expectations for the Hoosiers year in, and year out?

The realistic expectation for IU is to be in bowl contention annually. They should be able to win anywhere between 4 to 8 games every year if they schedule smartly. Of course, there will be outlier years where they may win more than 8 or less than 4.

What has been your biggest surprise this season?

The biggest surprise is probably how poorly the secondary has played. IU ranks last in the Big Ten in pass defense, which is a major concern seeing that the secondary was supposed to be the strength of this team. Tom Allen took over the play calling on defense and brought in Chad Wilt to coordinate the defense and make it simpler. It has not happened.

The biggest “good” surprise has been Cam Camper who has quickly become Indiana’s go-to receiver on offense.

Who are three Hoosiers that Michigan fans should watch for?

Cam Camper (if healthy)- Camper is IU’s leading receiver and has become the safety blanket for quarterback Connor Bazelak. He missed the Nebraska game due to a non-COVID illness, so we shall see if he plays Saturday.

Cam Jones — IU’s heart and soul on defense. Whenever IU needs a big play he is there to make it. He and Aaron Casey have made a very solid linebacker duo.

Jaylin Lucas- Lucas showed a small sample of what he can bring to the offense against Nebraska when he was IU’s leading rusher on just three carries. IU has frustratingly not gotten him the opportunities to be the game-changer he can be.

What’s your game and score prediction?

Michigan 38, Indiana 10.

Michigan is the better team and in a better place. Yes, this series has gotten whacky in the last decade or so, but Indiana is not sneaking up on Michigan anymore.

Again, special thanks to Sammy Jacobs of Hoosier Huddle for sitting down with us to do this interview piece. For my interview with him on their weekly roundtable podcast head over to HoosierHuddle.com and check it out. Sammy and his team are the lead source on all things Indiana football and are one of, if not the only Hoosier blog dedicated to IU football only.