After a rough loss to the No. 1 team in the country last week, Michigan’s now heads on the road to face a surprise CFP contender in the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers. Here are the key factors for Michigan to pull off the upset:
After a three-touchdown loss to the No. 1 Oregon Ducks , Michigan’s schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Wolverines head to Bloomington today to take on Curt Cignetti and the No. 8 undefeated Indiana Hoosiers , the biggest surprise contender in the Big Ten.
Here’s what Michigan needs to do to pull off an upset in its third matchup with a top-10 team this season.
Establish a consistent run game and get chunk plays on the ground
I understand how silly this first key sounds, considering Michigan’s offense has been far from consistent all season long and that Indiana has the best rushing defense in America. That said, a solid ground game seems to be the only way to even stay close in this one.
The only team that’s finished within two touchdowns in Indiana’s nine wins this season is Washington, which rushed for 116 yards, 142 if you take out the yards lost on Will Rogers being sacked.
As our friends at UW Dawg Pound pointed out last month , the Huskies were able to fund success on the ground by using creative play calls to keep the Hoosiers guessing, with former Michigan receiver Giles Jackson being one of the players to score on the ground. Michigan has to successfully run the ball consistently to have a chance in this one.
Speaking of creativity, let’s expand on that in the next key.
Get back to being creative on offense
The difference between Michigan’s offense the last few weeks has been stark. While the Wolverines emptied the playbook against Michigan State — where Kirk Campbell called his best game of the season — the offense went right back to its old frustrating ways against Oregon, as Andy Bailey broke down in his most recent film study earlier this week.
Campbell can’t afford to be stubborn with the offense anymore, and in a game like this where you’re such a heavy underdog, pulling off a trick play or two may be the only way to keep this one tight.
And not to sound reckless, but what exactly does Michigan have to lose at this point? Calling plays the same way you have in a season full of offensive ineptitude is essentially football malpractice.
Dominate time of possession and keep Kurtis Rourke on the sideline
There are plenty of reasons why the Hoosiers are 9-0, and one of the biggest has been the success of starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The Ohio transfer has been uber-efficient, completing 73.3 percent of his passes — a mark that’s second-best in the country — while throwing for 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He had been in the top-10 in passing yards (2,204) for most of the season before a thumb injury forced him to miss the Washington game two weeks ago.
Rourke has been of the best quarterbacks in the conference, and because of that, it would be of Michigan’s best interest to keep him on the sidelines. The best way to do that is to win the time of possession battle. This is another tall task, as the Hoosiers rank 42nd in the country in that category.
The recipe for success is simple, yet may be difficult to execute considering Michigan’s offensive track record this season. The Wolverines have to gfash Indiana’s elite run defense, pull off a few trick plays and keep Rourke and the consistent Hoosier offense on the sideline.
What else does Michigan need to do to pull this off? Let us know in the comments.