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November 16, 2018 - Image 13

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The Michigan Daily

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FootballSaturday, November 16, 2018
8B

What to Watch For: Indiana

It’s the game before The Game.
To most, Indiana is but a
nameless, faceless blip on this
path inevitably destined for a
clash next Saturday. This game
holds little big-picture meaning
so long as the Michigan football
team takes care of business and
emerges with its health intact.
This is college football, though.
Crazier things have happened
— crazier things happen nearly
every week — which helps bring
into focus Michigan’s laser-like,
week-to-week external mentality.
Next week means far, far less if
the Wolverines don’t beat the
Hoosiers on Saturday.
Here’s what you should be
watching for in a game most
expect to be a rout:
1) Health
There are real pre-emptive
measures the coaches can (and
will) take to ensure maximal
health for next Saturday. For one,
as was the case last week, junior

quarterback Shea Patterson almost
assuredly will not be running the
ball — or taking any unnecessary
hits.
Patterson
getting
hurt
against a .500 Indiana team would
either be a result of tremendously
bad unluck or malpractice.
That being said, football is
football.
Players
have
instincts
they can’t — and
shouldn’t — simply
turn off. As in
most
games,
a
player might leave
the game in the
second
quarter
and questions will
fly about why he
was still playing.
Things
happen.
For Michigan, emerging from this
game as healthy as possible is the
top priority ahead of next week’s
showdown.
2) Can Indiana move the ball?
Ah, the matter of the game.
There will be football played
Saturday, and if the players and
coaches are to be believed, it has

their undivided attention. Indiana
isn’t the pushover Rutgers was —
nor quite the challenge Michigan
State or Penn State presented on
paper. After last week’s 34-32 win
over Maryland, the Hoosiers are
averaging 31 points over their last
three games. In that span, Indiana
quarterback
Peyton
Ramsey
has
thrown
for
711
yards
and
five
touchdowns,
while completing
66 percent of his
passes.
Partially
a
product
of
a
weaker
defense,
the Hoosiers are
just 1-2 in that
span. Still, this is an offense
capable
of
stringing
together
chunks — and points — if Michigan
has one eye on next week already.
The top-ranked defense in the
country should have no problems
taking care of Indiana.
But
again,
crazier
things
happen.

3) An early lull?
It’s cliche, sure. And if you
listen to 10 seconds of what this
coaching staff is saying — or have
watched this team play all year
— it seems outlandish. But we’re
talking about 18-22 year-old kids
one week away from one of the
biggest games of their lives.
Indiana has two conference
wins. The Wolverines are 23-4
in the Harbaugh era. The line for
this game appears to be settling
around four touchdowns.
All of this creates a presumption
that has undoubtedly seeped into
the players. Whether they pay
it mind is certainly a different
question; but there’s no doubt
they’re thinking about what a win
over Ohio State would mean, what
a Big Ten title would mean. It’s
human nature.
It seems likely that will be
evident, one way or another, early
on. If Michigan starts slow, that
could indicate an unexpectedly
ardous afternoon. If not, the
“Revenge Tour” party bus should
cruise onto Columbus.

4) Tarik Black’s emergence?
Barring
disaster,
Michigan
is going to go to Columbus next
week at near full strength. Two
weeks
ago,
fifth-year
senior
Chase Winovich referred to the
Wolverines as a, “battleship,” in
saying how they plan to go to Ohio
State.
Well, that battleship is nearing
full ammo.
Sophomore wide receiver Tarik
Black returned to the field two
weeks ago against Penn State,
catching a touchdown that was
nullified by a penalty. He hasn’t
officially caught a pass yet. If he
is able to reach the form expected
out of him — the form seen in short
windows between injuries during
his career — that battleship will
look all the more terrifying.
This would be the week to
re-integrate
Black
fully
with
fellow sophomore receivers Nico
Collins and Donovan Peoples-
Jones, a real chance to continue
to smooth that rapport between
Black and Patterson in what will
likely be a blowout victory.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will likely rest or protect his players when possible on Saturday to avoid potential injury ahead of the Wolverines’ biggest game of the season against Ohio State.

MAX MARCOVITCH
Daily Sports Editor

Here’s what
you should be
watching for
Saturday.

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