Michigan football won't have time to lick its wounds after the collapse against Iowa, because another challenging game awaits this week at Minnesota.
The Gopher Gophers are 3-1 on the season following their road win against Washington. Minnesota's only loss was at home against Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs beat Minnesota 38-13 in Minneapolis. However, the Gophers rallied back for wins over Akron and Washington this week in the Big Ten opener, 27-24 in Seattle.
Michigan should be 1-0 in the Big Ten, with the imperative word being should. The Wolverines outgained Iowa by nearly 200 yards, but still lost the game 20-19.
Bryce Underwood had a stellar performance, though. That was one of the bright spots for Michigan, and one of the reasons to feel good about this team moving forward.
Looking ahead to the Minnesota game this Saturday, here is a look at the early odds, which favor the Wolverines.
Michigan vs Minnesota odds
Michigan will play at Minnesota on Saturday. The game will be featured on Big Noon Kickoff, with the game being played right after.
The Wolverines are a 5.5-point favorite. The over/under is 43.5 points and the moneyline for Michigan football is -210 and +172 for Minnesota.
Minnesota comes into the game with a bunch of momentum after a 27-24 road win over Washington. Michigan, on the other hand, will have to pick up the pieces this week after a brutal loss to Iowa.
There were boneheaded coaching decisions, terrible penalties that cost Michigan dearly, and poor execution on some of the game's most important plays, such as the fourth-and-one QB sneak that was stopped short because Underwood tried to jump over the top.
Minnesota is averaging 258 yards per game through the air. Iowa just put up 226, so Minnesota will be testing the secondary, too. The pass rush will need to deliver. Minnesota's offensive line isn't nearly as good as Iowa's.
The Minnesota defense is ranked 80th in points allowed. The Gophers are giving up just 3.2 yards per rushing attempt and 174 yards through the air, so it looks like a bigger test than on paper.
If Michigan can avoid mistakes and turnovers, it should have a good chance to win the game. The Wolverines are more talented, but they were more talented than Iowa, too, and dominated most of the game.
Hopefully, it was a wake-up call, because after the Iowa loss, Michigan has no margin for error.
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