Michigan set for home finale against Indiana
The Big House has been a very comfortable place for Michigan this season, going 6-0 with an average margin of victory of 33 points. The Wolverines’ “closest” game in Ann Arbor this fall was the 42-21 win over Maryland on Oct. 15.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Michigan’s last home game of 2018 end up being the closest. That’s kind of how it’s been for the Wolverines of late against Indiana, which comes to Michigan Stadium on Saturday for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff.
While Michigan (9-1, 7-0 Big Ten) hasn’t lost to Indiana (5-5, 2-5) in 31 years, since coach Jim Harbaugh took over in 2015 every game has been decided by 10 or fewer points.
“We’ve just always been in tough games with them,” Harbaugh said Monday during his weekly press conference. “Two ties, two overtime games, and a 20-10 game here in 2016. We’ve always looked at them as a really tough opponent.”
Harbaugh expects nothing different this time around from a Hoosiers squad that, despite their record in league play, has been a tough out. Indiana’s last two Big Ten losses were one-score outcomes and it is coming off a 34-32 comeback win over Maryland.
“They score a lot of points, and they’re really good on defense,” Harbaugh said.
“They attack, they throw the ball downfield, they have backs that run hard. They’ve always had a good line. And defensively, we feel like we know what they do, and they’re really good at covering up problems.”
Regardless of who Michigan is playing Saturday, there’s also the added notion of what is looming next week: The Game, Nov. 24 at Ohio State, which beyond the usual rivalry storylines will determine the East Division champion (unless OSU loses at Maryland) and will be a de facto College Football Playoff elimination game.
Asked if he thinks his team should avoid looking ahead to the Buckeyes, Harbaugh simply said, “I think that’s probably a good idea.”
A win over Indiana would mark the second time in three years Michigan went perfect at home. From 2006-15, that only happened twice.
