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.