Preview: Indiana

Time: 12:00 EST 

Location: Memorial Stadium 

Weather: Hot! 70 - No Rain

TV: FS1 

Line: Mich -3.5

This year is just a head scratcher.  BYU and Cincinnati are both in the top 10, Indiana is #13, and a few states in our country have forgotten how to count.  "I was told there would be no math?"

Michigan was coming off a nice road win against a ranked Golden Gophers team and then laid down to  the instate "Bad News Bears" from East Lansing.  IU had one of its best wins in their history when they beat Penn State week 1 in overtime on a questionable call and then went on the road and beat the upstart Rutgers Scarlet Knights.   To top all of this off, Michigan hasn't lost to IU in 24 years and has 39 wins out of the last 40 games played.   Not to mention that IU's RB coach is Mike Hart and OC is Nick Sheridan.  This game is feeling like a nightmare episode of the Simpsons.  

In regular 2020 news, the PAC 12 is kicking off a game at 9:00 AM Pacific and Fox's Saturday morning football pre-game show (which is awful btw) is all out with COVID quarantine.  I expect their ratings will go up.  

IU

Indiana has two wins but have been struggling on offense.  They put up 211 of total offense against Penn State and rushed for 109 yards against Rutgers.   IU does have an electric duo of QB Michael Penix and RB Stevie Scott in the backfield.  Penix hasn't been running much this year, but I expect he will need to in this game and we will see him put up a ton of yards against Done Brown's man to man defense with their back to the QB. 

Michigan is also banged up at LB and Viper, this will open a ton of holes in the running game for Scott.  Penix has to be loving the tape of the MSU game against Michigan's slow CB's and will take a ton of shots down field if he has the time.  Philyor and Fryfogle are IU's best WR's and one will be covered by Dax the other will have 200 yards in receiving.  

Key Match Up:  Done Brown vs. Insanity 

Michigan 

I don't trust Done Brown to do anything right now.   I don't trust his in game instincts, scheme, player substitutions, adjustments, or his recruiting.   The talent he has had at Michigan on the defensive side of the ball, makes me want to throw up in wasted loses/seasons.   I expect nothing from this unit on Saturday.  Nick Sheridan in his office all week must of been smiling while crying.  

Michigan's offense is closer to the basement then the roof, right now.   I really like the upside for Joe Milton and his rocket arm.   I like he has the ability to pick up first downs with his feet and he has yet to (do something I won't mention due to a jinx).  Coach Gattis has to figure a way to get the ball down field as Michigan will have to out sore IU to win this game.  I hope there are more then 5 plays available which they ran against the Bad News Bears last Saturday.  

Key Match Up:  Michigan's Running Game vs. a Taco Bell Double Stacked Box 

Enough non-sense, will you predict something?

How do you predict momentum?  IU is 2-0 and Michigan just came of a crushing loss.  IU has beaten Michigan once in the last 40 years.  Both teams have looked pretty good and pretty bad in this 2020 COVID season.  Both teams also lost a regular day of practice this week on Election Day.    

Michigan's defense has a ton of issues and no answers.   A good defensive zone is not walking through that door.   Done Brown will be Done Brown and blitz the LB right into a draw or screen for a huge IU gain or TD.  Did you notice, the play Michigan lost the game on?  A Ross blitz where Sparty ran a screen, right at him.   

These games have never been about defense, but who can out score who.   Michigan will have to have a strong running game to win, as they don't have enough plays for Joe to throw it 40 times.  IU knows this, as does everyone in America that watches college football.    IU is going to run Penix and throw bombs against Michigan's CB's.   Done and Done.   It's 2020.

IU 46 Michigan 31

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2020/11/preview-indiana.html