PREMIUM
Rogers' EARLY MORNING MASSACRE >> Noon ET KICKOFF!
(NCAAF) Michigan vs. Indiana,
Point Spread: -7.00 | -115.00 Michigan (Away)
Result: Push
Point Spread: -7.00 | -115.00 Michigan (Away)
Result: Push
The set-up: The 4-1 Michigan Wolverines lost at home to Michigan State last Saturday, falling from 7th in the AP poll to 17th. Jim Harbaugh is now just 1-4 SU vs. key Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan State, something the Michigan faithful are clearly not happy about. The Wolverines look to bounce back this Saturday with a 12 noon ET kickoff in Bloomington, with the 3-2 Indiana Hoosiers (0-2 in Big Ten play) welcoming Michigan to town for the school's Homecoming game. No one will be surprised to learn that Michigan leads the series 56-9 or even that the Hoosiers have lost 35 of their last 36 meetings with the Wolverines, including 21 straight.
Michigan: Wilton Speight won the QB battle against John O'Koren but was hardly establishing himself as the clear choice as Michigan's No. 1 QB. However, a season-ending injury to Speight at Purdue on Sep. 23 (back fractures), ended any debate. O'Korn played well enough at Purdue, completing 18 of 26 for 270 yards with one TD and one INT, as Michigan won 28-14. It's true that Michigan's offense wasn't exactly lighting things up with Speight on the field but the Wolverines couldn't get anything going at all last week with O'Korn leading the way, scoring just 10 points, going 5-17 on third down and turning the ball over five times. O'Korn was 16 of 35 for 198 yards without a TD and threw three INTs. It didn't help Speight and it won't help O'Korn that Michigan's running game is only mediocre, averaging 167.8 YPG (62nd). Last year's team averaged 213 per! Defensively, despite losing 10 of 11 starters from last year's unit, Michigan ranks first in total D (213.0 YPG) and just 13.6 PPG, which ranks 7th.
Indiana: The Hoosiers opened their season in an August 31 game at home against Ohio State (lost 49-21) but have won three of four since. However, that loss came 45-14 at Penn State on Sep. 30. Indiana's 34-17 at Virginia looks good (Cavs are 4-1) but the team's other two wins mean little, besting Georgia Southern and Charleston Southern in Bloomington. Richard Lagow began the year as Indiana's starting QB and threw for 410 against Ohio State but redshirt freshman Peyton Ramsey replaced him the following game after Lagow struggled. Ramsey led Indiana to that 34-17 win while completing 16 of 20 for 173 yards with two TDs and zero INTs. After Indiana was embarrassed at Penn State, Ramsey was given his first career start last Saturday. Sure, it was only against Charleston Southern, but he threw for 321 yards and two TDs. He also added 54 rushing yards and a third TD. Another freshman, WR Taysir Mack hauled in a career-high seven receptions for 111 yards and a pair of TDs to become the first Indiana freshman to surpass 100 receiving yards in a game since Tandon Doss achieved the feat in 2008. Indiana's defense allowed 27.2 PPG in 2016, after six consecutive seasons of allowing 30-plus PPG. It's improved on that again so far in 2017, allowing 25.6 PPG (59th).
The pick: The Hoosiers' last win over Michigan was 30 years ago in Bloomington and Indiana won't end its 21-game long streak to Michigan here. However, should one "take the points?" Maybe, if Michigan had not lost last Saturday to Michigan State. This is just wrong time, wrong place for Indiana and losses of 49-21 and 45-14 against Penn State loom here as a reminder as to why to NOT take the points. Make Michigan an 8* play.
Michigan: Wilton Speight won the QB battle against John O'Koren but was hardly establishing himself as the clear choice as Michigan's No. 1 QB. However, a season-ending injury to Speight at Purdue on Sep. 23 (back fractures), ended any debate. O'Korn played well enough at Purdue, completing 18 of 26 for 270 yards with one TD and one INT, as Michigan won 28-14. It's true that Michigan's offense wasn't exactly lighting things up with Speight on the field but the Wolverines couldn't get anything going at all last week with O'Korn leading the way, scoring just 10 points, going 5-17 on third down and turning the ball over five times. O'Korn was 16 of 35 for 198 yards without a TD and threw three INTs. It didn't help Speight and it won't help O'Korn that Michigan's running game is only mediocre, averaging 167.8 YPG (62nd). Last year's team averaged 213 per! Defensively, despite losing 10 of 11 starters from last year's unit, Michigan ranks first in total D (213.0 YPG) and just 13.6 PPG, which ranks 7th.
Indiana: The Hoosiers opened their season in an August 31 game at home against Ohio State (lost 49-21) but have won three of four since. However, that loss came 45-14 at Penn State on Sep. 30. Indiana's 34-17 at Virginia looks good (Cavs are 4-1) but the team's other two wins mean little, besting Georgia Southern and Charleston Southern in Bloomington. Richard Lagow began the year as Indiana's starting QB and threw for 410 against Ohio State but redshirt freshman Peyton Ramsey replaced him the following game after Lagow struggled. Ramsey led Indiana to that 34-17 win while completing 16 of 20 for 173 yards with two TDs and zero INTs. After Indiana was embarrassed at Penn State, Ramsey was given his first career start last Saturday. Sure, it was only against Charleston Southern, but he threw for 321 yards and two TDs. He also added 54 rushing yards and a third TD. Another freshman, WR Taysir Mack hauled in a career-high seven receptions for 111 yards and a pair of TDs to become the first Indiana freshman to surpass 100 receiving yards in a game since Tandon Doss achieved the feat in 2008. Indiana's defense allowed 27.2 PPG in 2016, after six consecutive seasons of allowing 30-plus PPG. It's improved on that again so far in 2017, allowing 25.6 PPG (59th).
The pick: The Hoosiers' last win over Michigan was 30 years ago in Bloomington and Indiana won't end its 21-game long streak to Michigan here. However, should one "take the points?" Maybe, if Michigan had not lost last Saturday to Michigan State. This is just wrong time, wrong place for Indiana and losses of 49-21 and 45-14 against Penn State loom here as a reminder as to why to NOT take the points. Make Michigan an 8* play.
