5 Takeaways from Michigan’s 39-14 win against Indiana

Michigan football won big 39-14 against Indiana. What are the five biggest takeaways from the win over the Hoosiers?

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Coming off the big 44-10 win over Michigan State, the big challenge headed into this week was Indiana. While Indiana was the main focus, another talking point was to see if Michigan could focus on the Hoosiers without looking ahead to Ohio State as they play them next week. The two teams traded blows to start the game out, but Michigan would gain the lead before halftime and never looked back, winning 39-14.

The offense was able to pass all over the Indiana defense as again the running game played second fiddle in the offense. The defense took some time to figure out Indiana’s offense, but they were able to shut their attack down and make it difficult for them to score more than twice.

Check out my five takeaways from the 39-14 win over Indiana.

1. Michigan’s passing game had its way today

Last week, Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson had his best game ever at Michigan as he threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. This week, Patterson had another good game in the air, going 20/32 for 366 yards with five touchdowns, and an interception. He had a lot of time in the pocket for most of the game, and when he faced pressure he was able to escape it most of the time and keep the play alive.

You can just tell that Patterson is more comfortable in the offense than he was earlier this season. He trusts his receivers to make plays, his offensive lineman to block, and his running backs to get yards on the ground. He is making throws he wasn’t earlier this year and slinging the ball further down the field.

2. Running isn’t the main goal anymore

Speaking of the offense, the old-time Michigan offense that was known for running the rock, getting the yards on the ground and grinding for first downs, seems to have gotten a shakeup. Michigan threw the ball more than running the ball and while that’s happened many times before, it feels different these past few weeks.

Michigan is turning away from a run-first attack and more of a pass-first attack. We’ve seen less read-option plays by the offense and fewer runs up the middle by the running backs. With those decreasing, we’ve seen an increase in passing the ball deep and making big chunk plays.

Michigan’s offense has adapted and is changing with the times. It seems that the days of the ground and pound offense are behind them, and they will attack through the air and fake you out with different RPO plays. Nine different receivers caught a pass today as multiple people were used in the passing attack, led by wide receiver Nico Collins who had six catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

3. Poor PEnalties returned

Michigan had some early penalty issues against Michigan State last week, but they were corrected as the game progressed. This week, Michigan had more penalty problems as they had five penalties in the first half, six overall for 49 yards. The penalties helped Indiana out early on and helped them move down the field, and stopped Michigan on one drive.

Get rid of the penalties, Michigan might stop Indiana from scoring on one of the two drives. Those drives kept Indiana in the game until the second quarter when Michigan got the lead for the first time. If those penalties kept Indiana in the game, they will keep Ohio State in the game next week. Those need to get cleaned up and fast.

4. Giles Jackson getting more involved

The Michigan offense has evolved as the season has progressed and more players have gotten involved as it’s grown. First, it was running back Hassan Haskins, then it was wide receiver Ronnie Bell, now it’s wide receiver Giles Jackson. To start the season, Jackson was mostly a kick returner and was used as a receiver late in games that Michigan already had a grip on the lead.

The past few weeks though we’ve seen him more involved with the offense on jet sweeps, option plays, and passing plays. Today Jackson saw a different spot as he was lined up as a running back next to Patterson, he ran a wheel route and caught a 50-yard pass. He is getting used in different ways on this offense and is a weapon wherever he is.

Having someone fast like Jackson used in different ways is helpful to shake up the offense as he can be used in multiple ways and can be a distraction to the defenses they go up against. His versatility can be dangerous for opposing defenses and something Ohio State will need to watch out for.

5. Michigan didn’t overlook Indiana

Speaking of Ohio State, Michigan didn’t look through Indiana and had their attention on Ohio State. Michigan treated Indiana like they should have, an opponent that can be dangerous. Michigan did have some mistakes as every game there are some, but they weren’t because they were surprised by Indiana.

The past four years Michigan has had close games against Indiana, winning all four games by less than 14 points, once in overtime and the other in double overtime. Michigan knew Indiana would put up a fight and wouldn’t let them think about Ohio State yet. Michigan had their sights set on beating the Hoosiers and they did just that.

The offense had a solid performance as the defense struggled at first, but was able to figure things out after the first half. Michigan wanted to beat Indiana and they did just that, beat Indiana. Now that the goal of the week has been completed, it’s onto Ohio State next week.

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Halftime Analysis of No. 13 Michigan vs Indiana

Michigan football is up 21-14 against Indiana today at halftime. How are the Wolverines playing as they hold the seven-point lead?

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After their big 44-10 win over Michigan State last week, Michigan had to travel to Indiana to take on the Hoosiers as they look to try and avoid the trap as Ohio State is looming in the background.

The trap started out as one as Indiana drove down the field against the Wolverines and scored off a one-yard touchdown run by running back Stevie Scott. Quarterback Peyton Ramsey was 4/5 for 39 yards and had 13 rushing yards on the drive as he was confident attacking the Wolverines defense.

Michigan wouldn’t be phased by the early score from Indiana, as quarterback Shea Patterson was perfect on the drive, going 7/7 for 79 yards and a six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ronnie Bell, his first this season after he’s been struggling to get in the end zone.

Indiana would struggle on their next drive as Ramsey got hit as he threw and safety Daxton Hill, who is starting for the first time this season, intercepted the ball. Michigan wouldn’t move much on their drive and would end up punting the football.

After the interception, Indiana would have another solid drive that went 52 yards on seven plays as Ramsey got into the endzone on a one-yard quarterback sneak to give Indiana the lead once again.

Michigan didn’t let them enjoy the lead for long as once again Patterson helps drive the team down the field. Running back Zach Charbonnet got his first carry for 22 yards to open the field, but Patterson overthrew on two easy touchdown passes. He would want the tough touchdown as he threw a beautiful 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones who made a wonderful catch as well. Michigan ties it up at 14.

After three straight punts, two by Indiana and one by Michigan, the Wolverines would break the punt spell as Patterson just threw up an 18-yard pass to wide receiver Nico Collins that would be caught for a touchdown as Collins just used his size to dominate the defender and give Michigan the 21-14 lead, their first of the day.

POSITIVES:

Michigan’s passing game is working well once again. Patterson is 13/18 for 176 yards and three touchdowns. Earlier in the year, we saw a more run-first approach for the Wolverines offense as they seemed to adjust to their old playstyle. Now the offense seems to have switched to a pass-first approach as Patterson is playing his best football this season.
The wide receivers for Michigan are getting open against the Indiana secondary. On two of the incomplete passes by Patterson, he overthrew two wide-open receivers for touchdowns. The Indiana secondary is having trouble covering the multiple weapons from Michigan as they don’t know what else they can do.

NEGATIVES:

Michigan has five penalties so far today for 44 yards. While the yards aren’t much, they have hurt themselves on defense with two penalties in the secondary. On offense, a false start and an intentional grounding forced Michigan to punt on their second possession. Special teams even got a penalty as tight end Erik All was taunting. Just mistakes everywhere by the team that is only helping Indiana stay in this game.
Michigan hasn’t had much success when running the football so far, as the team has 16 carries for 56 yards. The longest run as been by Charbonnet who got off a 22-yard run. Besides that big gain, it’s been tough getting yards on the ground for the Wolverines.
Punter Will Hart is having his worst game of the season so far today. He has three punts for just 94 yards with his longest being 39 yards. The poor punts gave Indiana some good field position when they came back onto the field on two of the three punts. His third punt was his best so far today, so maybe he has figured out his issues.

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Safety Brad Hawkins OUT, Daxton Hill starting against Indiana

Michigan football takes on Indiana today and will be without starting safety Brad Hawkins. Freshman safety Daxton Hill will start instead.

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According to one person close to Michigan who is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, starting safety Brad Hawkins will not be playing today against Indiana and freshman safety Daxton Hill will start in his place.

The reason why Hawkins is missing today’s game? Precautionary measures. Hill has had game experience so it shouldn’t be anything new for the former five-star prospect. Hill has played in nine games so far this season, with 17 total tackles, three pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and one and a half tackles for loss.

Hill will start out with a tough test for his first game to ever start as Michigan is taking on a 7-3 Indiana team that gave Penn State a scare last week, only losing 34-27. With nine games under his belt though, starting shouldn’t be a huge transition for Hill.

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2019 Michigan Football Week 13 Rooting Guide

Michigan football takes on Indiana this week, but while the Wolverines play that game, what are the other games you should focus on?

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Coming off their big 44-10 win last week against Michigan State, along with some teams ahead of the Wolverines losing, Michigan moved up to 13 in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings. If they want their small chance of reaching the playoffs, some top 10 teams are going to have to start to fall.

This week we’re back to just three games for Michigan to keep their eye on, and one of them will be hard for some people to side with. Check them all out below.

Game 1: No. 6 Oregon vs. Arizona State

Oregon and Utah are the two PAC-12 teams that have a chance to go to the playoffs if they can win out, then beat the other team in the conference championship. While a loss in that game eliminates one, the other could still go. If one of those teams loses a game before playing in the conference championship, then win the conference, they might miss the playoffs.

Oregon has a higher chance of losing this week as they take on an Arizona State team that has some good fight in them. This would be Oregon’s second loss of the season and it would knock them out of the top 10, possibly further depending on the score. A chance to move up at least a spot is something Michigan needs.

Root for: Arizona State

Game 2: Texas A&M vs. No. 4 Georgia

Another team with one loss that could face a possible upset this week is Georgia as they take on Texas A&M. Georgia is most likely going to the SEC title game unless they lose two in a row. While those odds are slim, they could still lose one possible game that’s this week.

Georgia already lost to an unranked team earlier this season, and another loss to an unranked loss team could knock them down even further away from the top four spots despite possibly going to the SEC Championship game. If Georiga could be knocked down and possibly eliminated from the playoff hunt, that helps Michigan.

Root for: Texas A&M

Game 3: No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 2 Ohio State

While the saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” could be used this week as Penn State takes on Ohio State, it needs to be ignored. Ahead of the big game next week, Michigan doesn’t want Ohio State to be 10-1. Penn State defeating Ohio State shoots them up the polls and knocks Ohio State down somewhat and Michigan doesn’t get a chance to move up and beating Ohio State won’t be looked at as impressive.

Having Ohio State defeat Penn State pushes Penn State down the rankings, and depending on how many points they lose by, they could fall below Michigan or barely stay above them. For Michigan to move up as high as possible if they are able to upset Ohio State next week, them beating an 11-0 team is better than 10-1. Ohio State losing to Michigan would knock them down in the polls and could shake up the playoff race.

Root for: No. 2 Ohio State

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What Indiana is saying about Michigan before their matchup

Michigan football takes on Indiana this week. Check out what their coaches are saying before the game on Saturday.

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Michigan takes on Indiana this week and the main focus for the Wolverines has been to not overlook Indiana as Ohio State is on deck next week. The team knows that Indiana can’t be overlooked as a trap game opponent and that they have to focus on them before Ohio State.

Before taking on Michigan this week, Indiana head coach Tom Allen spoke to the media and gave the Michigan football program some praise for their success.

“Really a lot of respect for them and their coaches and the talent that they have and how they have recruited and they are who they are historically,” Allen said. “But they just, they’re playing their best football, watching them on film the last couple days. And really impressive football team, physically and athletically and just doing a lot of great things in all three phases, they have got talented specialists. And excellent quarterback and stable of running backs. And, boy, really impressive receiver core. Big, physical, experienced offensive line.”

He then transitioned to their defense led by defensive coordinator Don Brown and how good they are behind him.

“Some new faces on defense,” Allen said. “But very, very athletic. Very explosive. And Don Brown does a phenomenal job schematically and they play really hard. And Coach Harbaugh has got them playing really, really well. So I know they had a big game last week, an important game for them and they played really, really good football, so, in all three phases. So just really an opportunity for them to come here.”

Allen wasn’t the only coach to speak to the media as defensive coordinator Kane Wommack spoke about facing Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson and how he’s changed since playing at Ole Miss, where his dad, Dave Wommack was the defensive coordinator when Patterson was there.

“I’ve gone against Shea Patterson now when I was the defensive coordinator at South Alabama when we went up there to play Ole Miss, then of course last season and this season,” Wommack said. “My dad was the defensive coordinator when he was at Ole Miss, so I’ve kind of known about him for a long time. I think very highly of him and how he plays the game. Certainly, I was a much bigger fan when he was with my dad at Ole Miss, now he just seems to be a big pain in the tail, but he’s just a very talented football player. He’s very gifted, he can make all the throws, he can extend plays and drives with his feet. I think what they have done and evolved to offensively certainly meshes well with what his skillset, and I think they’ve taken advantage of their quarterback and their outside skill.”

“I think they have done a good job of developing him into becoming more of a complete pocket-passer,” Wommack said. “I think the emphasis for him has been to stay in the pocket, keep his eyes downfield. I do think one of the best things … I think him and Johnny Manziel are the two best players that I’ve faced in terms of when they escape the pocket, they keep their eyes downfield. … He does a great job of keeping his eyes downfield, always looking to extend drives and throw the ball and not scramble and rush.”

Indiana offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer also spoke to the media about the Wolverines defense, led by Brown.

“Yeah they’re really good on defense,” DeBoer said. “They have good personnel, and obviously Coach Brown with what he’s doing with his group, he’s having a lot of fun with them, you can tell. He’s letting them play, and the thing that’s really impressive I think is how disciplined they are with what they do. They come at you a lot of different plays, they’re going to keep you off balance. Up front, there’s just a lot of things happening. It’s really impressive, you can tell there’s a lot of experience that’s going into the plans that he puts out there on the football field each and every Saturday.”

DeBoer also brought up how Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey will put his past issues against Michigan behind him this week and focus on the game this week.

“I’ve flipped through those games and understand what’s taken place,” DeBoer said. “But we’ll figure out how to attack their defense and lay out the plan of what we’re going to try to accomplish on Saturday.”

Michigan takes on Indiana on Saturday, November 23 at 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.

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3 Things to Watch for Against Indiana

Michigan football is looking to get past a pesky Indiana team this week. What are the three biggest things headed into Saturday’s matchup?

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Michigan is coming off a huge 44-10 win over rival Michigan State last week. This week they travel to Indiana to take on the Hoosiers in a game that is tougher than it looks for the Wolverines.

Michigan is 8-2 as they head into the game with their Big Ten Championship hopes destroyed, but with a minuscule hope of reaching the College Football Playoff if crazy things can happen in the next three weeks. The Wolverines’ main goal is to reach a New Year’s Six Bowl right now and to do that they need to keep winning.

Check out my main three things to watch this week against Indiana.

1. Will the offense be able to keep up their hot streak?

Against Penn State in the first half, the Wolverines looked lost on offense and could only put up seven points. They discovered something in the second half and came up short of forcing overtime as wide receiver Ronnie Bell dropped the game-tying touchdown. Since that loss to Penn State, the Michigan offense has kept up their play from the second half in that game.

In the Big Ten, Michigan is second in points per game, averaging 42.3 points, first in opponent points per game with 10.3 points, second in points per game difference with +32 points, second in yards per game difference with +200.7 yards, and tied for first in turnovers with just one.

The lack of turnovers has been huge for the offense to find some life and finally show everyone what they were supposed to look like in their Week One game. Along with the lack of turnovers is the playcalling seems to have been shaken up somewhat by offensive coordinator Josh Gattis as we’ve seen more RPO getting used.

Michigan is taking on the 18th ranked defense in Indiana and it could be a challenge for the offense to keep up their hot streak against a feisty Indiana team that has been giving the Wolverines a challenge for years. If the offense can keep their hot streak up against Indiana, that would be a huge boost for the team.

2. The close games between the two schools must stop

The past four years, Michigan has had trouble beating Indiana with ease. In 2015, Michigan needed double overtime to beat Indiana 48-41. In 2016, Michigan won 20-10, in 2017 Michigan won 27-20 in overtime, and last year Michigan won 31-20 as kicker Jake Moody kicked a Michigan record six field goals in that game.

This year the trend since head coach Jim Harbaugh has arrived needs to die. Indiana gave Penn State problems last week and only lost 34-27. Michigan doesn’t need to just win this game, but they need to blow Indiana out like they have to Maryland, Notre Dame, and Michigan State. They can’t make Indiana look strong.

By blowing Indiana out, it will demonstrate just how explosive the offense has been, and how tough the defense still is behind defensive coordinator Don Brown. Another close win against Indiana shows that Michigan is still having trouble with the Hoosiers but barely gets the edge in the end.

3. Michigan can’t overlook Indiana

For the third time since Harbaugh has arrived in Ann Arbor, Indiana plays Michigan a week before Ohio State. It can be hard for players to not take their eyes off the Buckeyes, but the game before the Buckeyes is one that can always be labeled as a trap game. Indiana happens to be the common opponent in the yearly game before Ohio State.

Michigan can’t overlook Indiana and while they have yet to lose to them when they play them before Ohio State under Harbaugh, the close score of the games shows that they are a problem every year. This is why Michigan needs to blowout the Hoosiers, to show that they didn’t overlook them and are surprised by the tough competition.

That doesn’t mean that the close wins in the past mean they overlooked Indiana. Winning big and not having issues with Indiana can show that they were focused on stopping them. Penn State could be accused of overlooking Indiana and look what happened there. Why would they overlook Indiana? Because Penn State takes on Ohio State this week. Michigan can’t fall for the same trap, even if they overcome it.

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5 Players to Watch Against Indiana

Michigan Football is looking to avoid getting upset from Indiana this week. Here are the five impact players ahead of this week’s game.

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Michigan has a big challenge this week in the Indiana Hoosiers. As the Wolverines are coming off a big 44-10 win over rival Michigan State, and with Ohio State coming up after Indiana, the Hoosiers are stuck in the middle which means they could be overlooked on the schedule. Indiana isn’t a pushover either, as they only lost to Penn State 34-27 last week and have been impressive all season long.

Indiana is 7-3 and has a chance to go to a solid bowl game this year if they can win one or two more games. Beating Michigan would be a huge boost for the Hoosiers as they could be looked like a more serious threat in the world of college football.

Before kickoff happens on Saturday, check out the five players you should pay attention too once the game starts.

1. WR Ronnie Bell – MICHIGAN

The biggest surprise of the 2019 season for the Michigan football team has been the emergence of wide receiver Ronnie Bell as the number one wide receiver on the team. Last week he had a career-best game, getting nine catches for 150 yards against Michigan State. Bell leads the team in catches and yards with 36 for 610 yards this season.

With more eyes getting locked on him by opposing defenses, Bell could be facing stricter coverage beginning this week and that could change up his production. Indiana could have some troubles containing the wide receiver, but with many other weapons on the Wolverines offense, they might have to deal with him in just single coverage.

For Indiana’s offense, their quarterback who is an underrated threat…

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Michigan moves up in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings

Michigan football got a big win last week over Michigan State. With others ahead of them losing, how far do the Wolverines move up?

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Last week Michigan fell a spot in the College Football Playoff Rankings, falling to 15. This week, multiple teams ahead of them lost and the Wolverines won 44-10 over their rival Michigan State. Michigan would move up in the latest rankings as they were given a good shake up after the upsets and close games that happened last week.

No. 4 Georgia beat No. 12 Auburn, No. 20 Iowa beat No. 8 Minnesota, No. 10 Oklahoma beat No. 13 Baylor, Iowa State beat No. 19 Texas and West Virginia beat No. 24 Kansas State. All of those games will have an impact on the latest rankings this week as new teams should emerge in the rankings.

Check out the latest edition of them below.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS WEEK 13:

LSU
Ohio State
Clemson
Georgia
Alabama
Oregon
Utah
Penn State
Oklahoma
Minnesota
Florida
Wisconsin
Michigan
Baylor
Auburn
Notre Dame
Iowa
Memphis
Cincinnati
Boise State
Oklahoma State
Iowa State
USC
Appalachian State
SMU

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Week 13 Big Ten power rankings, Michigan doesn’t move after big win

Michigan football got a big win over Michigan State last week, how does that game affect the latest Big Ten Power Rankings this week?

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Michigan got a big win over Michigan State last week, winning 44-10 as it was the biggest Big Ten game last week despite the records of both teams. It wasn’t the only huge game in the conference though, as Iowa was able to ruin Minnesota’s undefeated season, and possibly ruin their College Football Playoff chances, along with leaving them in doubt of going to Indianapolis in a few weeks.

We saw some shift among the bottom seven teams in my latest power rankings for the Big Ten, check them out below.

1. OHIO STATE 10-0 (7-0)

Ohio State was supposed to blow out Rutgers this week and while they did win 56-21, the score was closer than many predicted. Quarterback Justin Fields had a great game, going 15/19 for 305 yards and four touchdowns as he led the offense as the passing game was the bread and butter for the offense.

The defense allowed Rutgers to put up 231 yards of offense on them and find the end zone three times. They were given some fits from the Rutgers rushing attack that got 110 yards and two touchdowns on 40 carries. Ohio State takes on Penn State this week as if they win they are going to the Big Ten Championship game.

2. MINNESOTA 9-1 (6-1)

Minnesota doesn’t fall despite losing their first game of the season to Iowa 23-19. Quarterback Tanner Morgan went 25/36 for 368 yards and a touchdown as he led the offense in their efforts to win the game.

The defense had issues with trying to stop Iowa’s passing game, letting their quarterback Nate Stanley go 14/23 for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Their defense held Iowa to 290 yards while their offense put up over 400 yards, but they still couldn’t get the win. They take on Northwestern this week as they try and keep themselves in the driver seat in the Big Ten West.

3. PENN STATE 9-1 (6-1)

Penn State had a tough test this week in Indiana, winning 34-27. Penn State’s ground game was the deciding factor as they scored three times on 45 carries for 192 yards. Running back Journey Brown had 21 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown.

The defense was having issues with Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey, letting him go 31/41 for 371 yards and a touchdown, along with 12 carries for 31 yards and two touchdowns. Penn State was able to hold on though and this week’s game defines their season. If Penn State can win against Ohio State, they just need to win their final game and they go to Indianapolis.

4. WISCONSIN 8-2 (5-2)

Wisconsin was struggling at first but ended up pulling away against Nebraska, winning 37-21. Running back Jonathan Taylor had another good game, getting 204 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, but he did fumble once.

The Badgers defense allowed almost 500 yards of offense as they were getting gashed by the Nebraska offense. Nebraska ran for 273 yards on 37 carries and they scored twice. Wisconsin takes on Purdue this week as they try and keep their Big Ten Championship hopes alive.

5. MICHIGAN 8-2 (5-2)

Michigan got a huge rivalry win last week as they dominated Michigan State 44-10. Quarterback Shea Patterson had his best game at Michigan ever, going 24/33 for 384 yards with four passing touchdowns. Patterson threw for over 300 yards for the first time at Michigan and the offense finally looked like a well-oiled machine.

The defense was able to hold MSU in check, holding them to just 54 rushing yards on 30 carries. Michigan forced two turnovers and blocked a punt as it was just a dominant game by the defense. Michigan takes on a feisty Indiana team this week as they will have to be on the lookout for a possible upset.

6. IOWA 7-3 (4-3)

Iowa jumps up a spot after upsetting Minnesota 23-19. Iowa was able to run somewhat on the Golden Gophers defense, getting 117 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries.

Iowa’s defense struggled to stop the passing attack from Minnesota, but when it came to stopping the run they did that with ease. They held Minnesota to just 63 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. Iowa takes on Illinois this week in what could be a solid matchup.

7. INDIANA 7-3 (4-3)

Indiana falls down a spot after coming up short on beating Penn State, losing 34-27. While Ramsey had himself a good game, the running game couldn’t get much going without him. Besides Ramsey’s carries, the running attack for Indiana only got 60 yards on 19 carries, never finding the end zone.

The defense did all they could to stop Penn State’s quarterback Sean Clifford, having him go 11/23 for 179 yards and a touchdown, but let him rush for two touchdowns and 55 yards on 10 carries along with a fumble. Indiana takes on Michigan this week as they look to get a big win for the first time this season.

8. ILLINOIS 6-4 (4-3)

Illinois was on a bye week last week. This week they take on Iowa as they look to improve their bowl stock.

9. PURDUE 4-6 (3-4)

Purdue was on a bye week last week. This week they take on Wisconsin as they look to keep their bowl hopes alive as one more loss knocks them out of the postseason antics.

10. NEBRASKA 4-6 (2-5)

Nebraska gave Wisconsin a scare in the first half, only down 27-14 as quarterback Adrian Martinez had himself a game, going 13/23 for 220 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but he also had 89 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

The defense couldn’t stop the running game from Wisconsin but also had some troubles with their quarterback Jack Coan, who went 13/21 for 162 yards and a touchdown. Nebraska takes on Maryland this week as they try and keep their bowl hopes alive.

11. MICHIGAN STATE 4-6 (2-5)

Michigan State falls down a spot after getting embarrassed by the Wolverines, losing 44-10. Quarterback Brian Lewerke had a better game than last season, but he still struggled as he went 17/30 for 166 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

While the MSU defense was getting torched by Patterson, they held Michigan’s ground game in check, holding them to 83 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries. MSU takes on Rutgers this week as they look to try and keep their sights on a bowl game after this season.

12. MARYLAND 3-7 (1-6)

Maryland had a bye week last week. This week they take on Nebraska as they try and ruin the Cornhusker’s bowl chances as Maryland is already eliminated from bowl play.

13. NORTHWESTERN 2-8 (0-7)

Northwestern moves up after getting their second win of the season as they beat UMASS 45-6. Northwestern won this game on the ground as nine different people ran the ball for a combined 52 carries for 334 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Aidan Smith only went 7/13 for 76 yards and threw two interceptions.

The defense did well in holding UMASS to 83 yards on 31 carries on the ground. They had issues in the passing defense, allowing both UMASS quarterbacks to combine for 227 yards on 25 passes, but they did force an interception. Northwestern takes on Minnesota this week as they could try and ruin their underdog season.

14. RUTGERS 2-8 (0-7)

Rutgers falls into the last slot of the rankings after they lost 56-21 to Ohio State. The offense put up a good fight as quarterback Johnny Langan went 12/26 for 121 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The ground game scored twice with 110 yards on 40 carries.

The defense struggled to restrict the passing attack from Ohio State, but they did better than expected in holding the ground game to 217 yards and two touchdowns on 44 carries. Rutgers plays Michigan State this week as they try and knock MSU out of bowl eligibility.

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Michigan football quick film hits: Michigan State

Michigan football defeated Michigan State 44-10 in the battle for the Paul Bunyan trophy. When rewatching what was noticed in the win?

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Coming off their bye week, and the game before Michigan State last week, Michigan defeated Maryland 38-7. This week the extra week of preparation would be huge as the Wolverines dominated the Spartans 44-10 as they win their second-straight against MSU.

The offense woke up as quarterback Shea Patterson threw for over 300 yards for the first time at Michigan as he led the group down the field multiple times throughout the game. The defense gave the MSU offense a tough go at it and even the special teams had some big plays. Check out what I found during my re-watch of the game.

OFFENSE

In the first quarter with 7:17 to go, Michigan got away with three false start penalties as both left tackle Jon Runyan Jr. and right tackle Jalen Mayfield, and tight end Sean McKeon moved before the ball was snapped. Michigan wouldn’t score on the drive, but that could’ve been another early penalty for the Wolverines. Early mistakes gave MSU life and in rivalry games like this, you can’t let simple mistakes happen.
The jet sweep with wide receiver Giles Jackson was a great play call by offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, using Jackson’s speed along with great blocking can open up the field. That was an example of the kind of offense he wants to run at Michigan.
Still not a fan of the wildcat play calls and when they are made. In the second quarter, Michigan runs back to back wildcats inside the five and while they did score on the second attempt, I still don’t get why when you are down and so close to scoring to you risk anything crazy happening in a rivalry game. If they were up by 14+ then the call is safe but inside that five-yard line Patterson can be dangerous with his arm or leg, running a wildcat usually means you run. Maybe one of these times Haskins will pass as a trick, but until it happens it still isn’t a good call this early in the game and in the situation they were in.
Patterson using his legs to get out of the pocket and still get a throw off is huge for this offense. Earlier in the year, Patterson couldn’t do that much with his oblique injury and he rarely ran it on the option plays. Now having him as a threat in those plays, and to escape the pocket and gain yards with his legs instead is huge for this team.
Both catches by wide receiver Mike Sainristil were impressive, as he had to dig deep and catch both before they hit the ground. Great effort and plays by him.
Michigan ran another wildcat play with less than five minutes to go in the first half, again inside the five as it was a loss of three on the play. Tied 7-7 and close to taking the lead it still was a poor decision to call that there.
Something not talked about much in the win was the blocking by the wide receivers on the outside on the screen passes and sweeps. Wide receiver Ronnie Bell didn’t just catch the ball well, he blocked well also as he played lights out in this game.
I like the idea of the trick play with backup quarterback Dylan McCaffrey near the end of the third quarter. Both options were shut down but it was still a nice play call. Up by two scores near the end of the quarter, that is a lot better to call something like that then the wildcats called earlier.
The fumble by wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones on the punt return in the fourth quarter was one a few mistakes made by the Wolverines in this game. That could have set up the Wolverines to possibly score again, but it came at a time where the game was already out of reach so it isn’t as crucial as it would be if it was closer. Still, he needs to clean that up for the future.

Now onto the defense and their performance…

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