Location: Big House
Weather: High 51, rain in morning
TV: BTN
Line: Michigan -8
Michigan last weekend attended a circus and came home from Happy Valley with a Loss. Indiana travelled to East Lansing and came home with the same result. MSU has the top rated defense in the country and IU put up 28 points. After their first drive, IU was pretty much in catch up mode.
I have no idea what Michigan did last week, since that entire experience has been erased from my memory due to a brain re-boot.
Tale of the Tape:
Indiana Offense vs. Greg Mattison's D = Push
Big Al Offense vs. Indiana's D = Should be advantage Michigan, Should be
Michigan Running Game vs. Anybody = Anybody
Devin Gardner vs. Devin Gardner = Good Devin
Field Goals vs. Touchdowns = Touchdowns
I highlighted the top bullet, because it's really the key to the game. If Michigan can shut down the IU offense, Big AL should be able to run Devin enough to score enough points.
This is the type of game Michigan wins. IU is not a traditional power and Michigan is. Michigan is at home and more then a TD favorite. Indiana lost to Navy and beat Penn State. Michigan just lost to........whoops. This is the classic road game vs. home game. If Michigan was traveling to Indiana this year, they would be in trouble. IU is going to try to light up the scoreboard and Big Al will have to score some points to win this one. Michigan will give up points but the key is the defense trying to shut down the 15th scoring offense in the country. As we know, Michigan has looked worse against worse teams.
Sing Hail to the Victors if........................
- Devin doesn't turn the ball over
- Funchess and Gallon go crazy with yards and TD's
- Butt gets a TD
- Michigan has 100 yards rushing from a tailback
- The offense line blocks someone
- Lewan is healthy
- Big Al realizes he has to score TD's to win games
Say this season has really been awful if........................
- IU is not punting and scoring lots of points
- Michigan is punting and kicking field goals
- The Michigan defense is missing tackles and the DB's are getting beat deep
- Big Al is not going for the TKO
This is not a great opponent but one that can beat Michigan. IU plays lots of offense but not much defense. Michigan at times looks great on both sides of the ball at other times, terrible. The home field advantage will help the Wolverines this week, but if they consider this game a bye, they will get beat by an improving Hoosiers team that can score points. Michigan should hope the only time they have a kicker on the field is for extra points and kick offs. If the Wolverines are punting, it could be a really bad sign.
Brady Hoke's team can't screw up this week. I think there are many fans out there that think they just might.
Michigan 38 Indiana 28
GO BLUE!
1 comment:
Born and raised in MI, although I've lived in PA for 10 years now, I've always been a U of M fan, never been a Lion's fan. I always laughed at the honolulu blue faithful... and faithful they are, disappointing season after disappointing season..
Although it's rare for U of M to not be in the top 25 ever year, at least for some part of the season. And barring a couple RR years while we were changing to the spread offense and totally turning over the type of kids on the roster, we've always been in the hunt to some degree. So, it's not like the Lions where being relevant at the end of the season is more often a pipedream than not.. it is exhausting and disappointing when we remain on the fringe of being GREAT. We need that kid to make the big play at the right time (why try intercepting the ball on that last 50 second drive? remember the Miracle at Michigan? Kordell Stewart, 1994??? knock the damn ball down!). Am I whining? I don't think so... I'm a big and true a Michigan fan as you'll find, I just want, expect, desire more for the winningest program in Division I history.
GO BLUE!
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