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Michigan drew the shortest straw when it came to matchups in Big Ten champions week, as the Big Ten East No. 6-rated Wolverines will face off against the West’s No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes.
It’s not how it was supposed to be drawn up, but with the Big Ten remixing the final week of conference play to allow Ohio State into the championship game, the maize and blue will have to square off against perhaps the hottest team in the other division, as the Hawkeyes are on a six-game winning streak.
Speaking with Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan Football radio program on the Learfield IMG radio network, head coach Jim Harbaugh notes that he goes way back with Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and he has a strong familiarity with what he wants to do in all phases.
“Yeah, they’re very well-coached, disciplined, offense, defense, special teams,” Harbaugh said. “Qualities of a talented, disciplined, well-coached football team. Coach Ferentz’s success attests to that. I go back knowing Coach Ferentz in 1998, played with the Baltimore Ravens — he was the offensive line coach. And he was he was that kind of really good coach then and his track record Iowa attests to that as well.”
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If there’s one thing Iowa wants to do, it’s run the ball. It has a first-year starter at quarterback in Spencer Petras, but a tandem of capable backs in Tyler Goodson and Mekhi Sargent.
Ranked the No. 5 rushing offense in the Big Ten, Harbaugh says that it’s not just the run game that will hurt you, but also Petras throwing to receivers Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith, along with tight end Sam LaPorta.
“Really hit the holes hard, fast,” Harbaugh said of the running backs. “Now there’s a toughness in the running style — and creative, too, with how it’s schemed up. They’re talented and they play very disciplined, as I said. They can hurt you both in the passing game and in the running game.”
But the thing about the Hawkeyes is that they have a strong offensive line, anchored by tackle Alaric Jackson, a Detroit native. Per PFF, Jackson has a solid overall grade of 74.5, and he’s equally adept at run and pass blocking.
According to PFF, Iowa has four of the top 10 pass blockers in the conference — which doesn’t include the aforementioned Jackson — and has seven linemen in the top 25 in run blocking. Tyler Lindebaum, Cole Banwart and Cody Ince are all having a stellar year up front for Iowa.
“Yeah, they’re very athletic and very physical,” Harbaugh said. “And again, that’s a real trademark of the Iowa team and it’s great a challenge for us in the same way. So, yeah — you can’t say enough good things about them and how they play, and the kind of season that they’re having. Heckuva good football team and that’s where we’re prepared for right now.”
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But the Hawkeyes are also stalwart on the defensive side of the ball.
They’re No. 3 in-conference when it comes to stopping the run, and has 22 sacks in eight games, led by Chauncey Golston, Daviyon Nixon and Zack VanValkenburg — who have a combined 14.5 sacks from the defensive line unit.
In order to succeed offensively, you have to play smart against Iowa — so it’s a good thing that the makeshift offensive line that Michigan has fielded leads the conference in the least amount of sacks allowed.
“All the things that you gotta do in football,” Harbaugh said. “You gotta be physical, you gotta take care of of the ball, you gotta execute because that’s what they — that’s their real trademark. They come off the ball, they’re trying to create a new line of scrimmage up front. Players in position, where they’re supposed to be and they play very aggressive.
“That’s a good football team. We gotta play good. There are things you gotta do to beat a good football team — you have to play good.”
Michigan and Iowa will face off on Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST at Kinnick Stadium.
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