3B
TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com
Behind Enemy Lines: Founder of Hoosier
Network and WIUX caster Eddie Cotton
With College Football Playoff
hopes, the No. 4 Michigan football
team (7-0 Big Ten, 9-1 overall) is
looking for that top-four spot in
the Cotton Bowl or Orange Bowl.
Indiana (2-5, 5-5) needs a win just
to be bowl eligible.
Though the two teams have
vastly different season trajectories,
the narratives have largely been
left to the wayside in their matchup
since
Jim
Harbaugh
started
coaching
the
Wolverines.
In
2015,
Michigan
escaped
Bloomington
with
a
48-41
shootout victory
in
double
overtime.
The
following
year
sang a different
tune, with the
Wolverines
winning, 20-10,
in
the
snow.
And last season, another overtime
game in favor of Michigan. While
this year projects to be a blowout,
the past says otherwise.
The Daily spoke with Eddie
Cotton, a founder of The Hoosier
Network
and
broadcaster
for
WIUX, to learn about Indiana’s
challenges
and
opportunities
ahead of Saturday’s game at
Michigan Stadium.
The Michigan Daily: From
a pure record standpoint, has
Indiana performed above, at or
below expectations?
Eddie Cotton: Oh God, that’s
a tough question. I would say at
expectations.
The
expectation
every season at this point for
Indiana football is 6-6. If you go
6-6, that’s kind of a win because
bowl games are not exactly rich in
the program’s history. So the fact
that the program has two games
remaining and is one win away
from a bowl game is exactly the
expectation.
Potentially
better
than expectations, but the way
that it’s happen has been kind of
poor.
TMD: Given where the team is
at right now, where do you think
the fanbase stands with Tom Allen
in his second year?
EC: I think there are two sides
of the coin. The more radical
Indiana fan is genuinely frustrated
with Tom Allen. There were
calls for him to get fired after the
Minnesota game, which to me is
absurd because he’s in his second
season. But there are concerns
because he’s never been a head
coach before this and he’s made
some mistakes in terms of game
management and head coaching
type things. But the rational fan
understands it’s only his second
year, he brought in one of the best
recruiting classes Indiana has
brought in last year. That’s why
we’ve seen so many young players
playing for Indiana and why there
are reasons for hope — all the
players that are vital for Indiana
are so young and will be here for
a few years. Especially with the
quarterback
situation.
Michael
Penix looks like a star, he’s out for
the season, but he’ll get a redshirt.
The rational fan looks at that and
is okay with it and sees that Tom
Allen still has potential.
TMD: Coming off a win against
Maryland, what has the vibe
been around the team this week
being one game away from bowl
eligibility? Do they sound like a
hungrier team?
EC: I don’t know what to say
about the vibe out of the team. I
can say the vibe of the coach has
been very adamant about that
sixth win. He said after the last
win against Maryland that they
absolutely squeaked out, Tom
was very adamant that they knew
how much the win was because
it was all about a bowl game, so
that kind of pushed them to win.
The fan base themselves are more
self-deprecating about it. They’re
kinda just like “Yeah, yeah this
season is kinda over.”
TMD: Michigan opened as
26.5-point favorites. Do you agree
or disagree with that spread?
EC: I disagree with that spread
because Indiana historically, as
in just the recent history, has
kept it close against Michigan,
Ohio State, Penn State and then
completely lost it in the third and
fourth quarter. Indiana will do
the same thing again and keep it
close for a half, and stay within 26
points.
TMD:
Two
overtimes
and
a 10-point game the past three
meetings.
Even
with
talent
mismatches, can you pinpoint a
particular reason why this game
can be competitive?
EC: They can stay competitive
in this game because it’s a trap
game. Realistically, it’s easy to
overlook Indiana and then you
start playing them in real life and
it’s like “Hey, they’re not that
bad.” To stay competitive in this
game, they’ll need to be aggressive
offensively, which I don’t think
they will be. If (quarterback)
Peyton Ramsey doesn’t make any
mistakes, seemingly he’s very
good at being conservative and
managing a game, they can stick
around.
TMD: For an offense largely
dependent on Ramsey and running
back Stevie Scott, how do you think
they will fare against Michigan’s
defense?
EC: Not great. You mention
Stevie Scott and Indiana has this
issue where they seem statistically
to rely on Stevie Scott. But every
big game they play against a good
run defense, they give up on the
run after about eight carries. I
think Scott had about 11 carries
against Ohio State, and against
Michigan State he didn’t touch
it more than five times. It’s a bit
hyperbolic, but once the second
half came they stopped running
the football. Don’t be surprised if
Michigan’s defense forces Indiana
to throw the football downfield
five yards every play.
TMD: Indiana doesn’t have a
strong pass defense, but the run
game is more of Michigan’s bread
and butter. Who do you think their
x-factor is offensively?
EC: The whole key is (Karan)
Higdon. The biggest problem for
Indiana defensively all year has
been being able to handle RPO,
because they don’t have the man-
to-man talent. If Michigan can
establish Higdon early, then the
idea of just having Higdon on
a play-action play — or maybe
his running will force Indiana’s
defense into situations that they’re
not comfortable with, because
they have no idea what they’re
doing in an RPO situation.
TMD: Prediction?
EC: 27-13 Michigan. It feels
right. It’s on the books.
Indiana at
Michigan
Matchup:
Indiana 5-5;
Michigan 9-1
When: Saturday
4 P.M.
Where:
Michigan
Stadium
TV/Radio: FS1
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Senior running back Karan Higdon passed the 1,000-yard mark for the season last Saturday in Michigan’s 42-7 victory over Rutgers in Piscataway.
ETHAN WOLFE
Daily Sports Writer