Very little has come easy for Michigan this season. The Wolverines needed a second Hail Mary attempt to beat Western Michigan, a final stop to take down Oklahoma, and a final stop to beat Penn State. Add in a game-winning touchdown pass by Iowa and Michigan has been on both sides of winning and losing on a play.
And things likely don't get any easier whatsoever this weekend. Not only will Michigan host Indiana, the reigning national champions, but the Hoosiers come into Ann Arbor hungry. Indiana suffered its first loss since the 2024 season last weekend after Ohio State won by inches.
Michigan is set to turn the ball over to Tommy Carr, who replaced Bryce Underwood in the second half last week against Penn State. How will Carr and the Wolverines fare against Curt Cignetti's team? Michigan on SI predicts the outcome.
Trent Knoop
I really think Michigan's defense can hold its own against Indiana, and I wouldn't believe the Hoosiers are going to roll into Ann Arbor and win going away. While the Wolverines' defense is legit, so is Indiana's. The problem for me going into this game is that we have no idea what to expect from Tommy Carr.
The freshman certainly sparked Michigan's offense last weekend, but the Wolverines didn't ask much from Carr. He sparked the offensive line and running game to play better. If that happens this weekend, Michigan has a fighter's chance. But I believe Indiana will make Carr beat it. Making your first start against the Hoosiers is a tall task, and I'm guessing Michigan's offense doesn't score enough points to win this game.
Final score: Indiana 24, Michigan 13
Justice Steiner
This has to be one of the more intriguing Michigan games in recent history. Hosting the defending national champions while a true freshman quarterback is going to be making the first start of his college career. Time to get the popcorn ready.
Saturday feels like a real chance to put this season back on the right trajectory. Indiana is coming off a heartbreaking loss against Ohio State and I am sure they will be coming out playing like they have something to prove. But the Indiana offense does not scare me. Against the better teams in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers haven’t put a ton of points on the scoreboard. I don’t think Michigan pulls this upset off, but I do think this game is close for four quarters.
Final score: Indiana 24, Michigan 20
Lucas Reimink
This week, Michigan hosts the defending National Champion Indiana Hoosiers fresh off a tough loss to Ohio State. Josh Hoover struggled in that game against the best defense he's seen up to this point, and I think Michigan’s front seven on defense is actually better than the Buckeyes’. If Michigan can limit Indiana’s run game and put pressure on Hoover, there will be opportunities to force turnovers and stall their offense.
On the Michigan side, obviously the story is Tommy Carr. We saw what he could do in the second half last week against Penn State, and the entire team immediately looked like they flipped a switch and became good again. I do believe Michigan’s offense is on its way to figuring things out, and if the defense can force some turnovers I think that would be enough to pull off an upset. Unfortunately Indiana is one of the best teams in the country at not turning the ball over, and their defense is still nearly elite. I got the Hoosiers pulling away late and winning
Final score: Indiana 27, Michigan 17
Jacob Westendorf
You can only put so much lipstick on a pig. Unfortunately for Michigan, that's exactly what I think this QB change is.
Tommy Carr may prove to be a better option than Bryce Underwood, but was not asked to do much in Saturday's win over Penn State.
If Saturday's game was basic addition, this week is level two calculus. Indiana’s defense is mean and nasty up front. They're blades of grass away from riding a 23 game winning streak.
Thanks to that loss, they'll be angry and focused. Michigan's defense keeps them in the game, but ultimately the offense won't be competitive enough to knock off the Hoosiers
Final score: Indiana 21, Michigan 10
Jason B. Hirschhorn
The Wolverines have finally settled on a quarterback for Saturday's matchup. Freshman signal-caller Tommy Carr will reportedly get the nod this weekend, though that means his starting debut will come against the defending national champions.
But regardless of the opponent, the coaching staff will ask Carr to carry a much heavier burden than he did in relief of Bryce Underwood last Saturday. To have any chance of upsetting Indiana, Michigan needs a more balanced offense than a week ago, when Carr attempted just seven passes in the entire second half. Head coach Kyle Whittingham praised the newly minted starter for his "football IQ" and study habits, but the game still represents a major challenge for Carr.
And that challenge seems a little steep for a team still finding its way on offense outside of the quarterback position. Home-field advantage helps, but the Wolverines still don't have great answers for a Hoosiers squad that would have defeated Ohio State if not for Nick Marsh's failure to keep his feet in bounds.
Prediction: Indiana over Michigan
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