from 247 UM/IU sites...quick primer from IU perspective...
To kick off our stories previewing the Hoosiers, we check in with our sister site
Inside Indianaand chat with Hoosiers beat writer Seth Tow about Indiana's perspective in the matchup. Check out what he had to say below, and follow him for all things Indiana
on Twitter.
What should Michigan fans know about Indiana's offense? With new faces in the run game and at quarterback, how much does the offense still look like (former Indiana coach) Kevin Wilson's "CHAOS" offense as opposed to (new offensive coordinator) Mike DeBord's approach?
DeBord's offense looks completely different than Wilson's did. The "CHAOS" offense was aptly named -- Indiana's offense was often chaotic last year. I'm not sure how else to describe a team that had a 1,000-yard rusher that struggled to run the ball last year. Wilson just never committed to the running game, and Richard Lagow's inconsistency made it harder to overcome that when he wasn't at his best. When Wilson did run it, it was often an outside run. But DeBord seems to prefer running it up the middle, and true freshman Morgan Ellison is a running back that fits that style well.
Redshirt freshman Peyton Ramsey has taken over as IU's starting quarterback after sharing duties with Lagow for the first four games. The offense unquestionably flows better with Ramsey at the helm, as his mobility adds another element for defenses to pay attention to. He doesn't have the arm strength that Lagow does, but he's been pretty accurate this season. It certainly helps when you have a receiver like Simmie Cobbs to throw to. Cobbs is a lot of fun to watch, and he's easily IU's most reliable receiver. Tight end Ian Thomas can also be dangerous in the pass game as well.
The other thing to watch with IU's offense is the pace. A lot of college offenses run no-huddle, fast-paced tempos, but I've never seen an offense operate at the speed this unit does. The Hoosiers really hustle up to the line and move quickly, and I think that's why Ramsey is a better fit than Lagow -- fewer incomplete passes allows IU to play really fast.
Indiana's defense has rapidly improved since Tom Allen came to town. What have been the keys to that success?
Two things have led to that success.
1) Tom Allen loves the blitz. You'll rarely see Indiana deploy a straight three-man rush. Cornerback or safety blitzes aren't uncommon for IU. And that approach has led to success. Indiana was 18th in the nation last year in tackles for loss, and 32nd in the country in sacks. The Hoosiers are right around there again this year, although numbers may be down because IU has already faced Ohio State and Penn State.
2) Allen's biggest talking point defensively is takeaways. He constantly talks about the importance of defensive takeaways, and his defense responded last year. The Hoosiers were one of two Big Ten teams with 10 or more interceptions and fumble recoveries in 2016. IU is off to a much slower start in the takeaway department this year, however, as the Hoosiers only have four in as many games.
There are some injuries in the secondary that have contributed to that, as sophomore defensive backs Marcelino Ball and A'Shon Riggins have missed a few games now. But it's still been a somewhat surprising drop-off given the way the unit excelled in forcing takeaways a year ago and that IU had the most returning defensive starters in the Big Ten.
What's the fan excitement level building up to this game, and did Michigan losing to Michigan State impact that?
It's a little hard to gauge. There's definitely more excitement for this game than a typical game, but not as much as you might think. It's definitely not where the excitement level was for the opening night game against Ohio State. IU is coming off a shutout win, but it was against FCS opponent Charleston Southern, so even that didn't generate a ton of buzz.
I'm expecting a big crowd — likely with a large Michigan contingent — but I'd be surprised if the student section doesn't show up strong on Saturday, at least for the beginning. A win over Michigan would be huge for fan excitement and buzz around this team going forward.
What players could give Michigan the most trouble on either side of the ball?
Offensively, Cobbs is the man to watch. He's fifth in the conference in receiving, and he's raised a lot of eyebrows with some of the
plays he's
made en route to
doing so. He's a phenomenal athlete, and like I said, is just a lot of fun to watch go to work. A more under-the-radar name I'll throw out there is redshirt freshman Taysir Mack. He had a big game last week against Charleston Southern with 111 yards and two touchdowns. The chemistry between Mack and Ramsey (well, really between Ramsey and all his receivers, but especially with Mack) is obvious. It will be interesting to see if they link up for a big play against an infinitely more stout defense.
Defensively, keep an eye on Tegray Scales. The linebacker was an All-American last year, and his playmaking ability is undeniable. He's the leader of the defense (and really the leader of the whole team), and he leads by example. He's IU's leading tackler by far and he leads IU with 3.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. He's one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten. Also, cornerback Rashard Fant has been very quiet this year -- and it's because opponents have pretty much stopped throwing to his side of the field. He's an absolute lockdown DB capable of shutting down some really good receivers -- he kept Juwan Johnson in check against Penn State two weeks ago.
On special teams, Griffin Oakes seems to have regained his confidence after struggling last year. The 2015 Big Ten Kicker of the Year is perfect in both field goals and extra points so far this year. Also, Australian punter Haydon Whitehead is still adjusting to playing American football -- he grew up playing Aussie Rules -- but he can be a force in field position when he's on his game. His ability to punt with either leg is one of my personal favorite things to watch for during Indiana games.
What does Michigan need to do to win on Saturday?
Simply put, the Wolverines need to make Peyton Ramsey look like a freshman. Indiana's defense is its strength, but I'd argue it all starts with the offense. Against Ohio State, IU's offense was clicking in the first half and the Hoosiers led at halftime. But in the second half, IU fell into a slump offensively and went three and out frequently.
In turn, the defense tired out and the Buckeyes offense started to get going. This game will be a good test of Ramsey's maturity. He played in the Ohio State and Penn State games, but this is his first Big Ten start. If Michigan's defense can get off the field and force Ramsey into making mistakes, the Wolverines should win.
How could Indiana pull off the upset?
For the Hoosiers, they need Ramsey to make some plays. He's shown that capability, even against the good opponents IU has faced, so far. Against weaker opponents, it becomes obvious that when IU's offense goes three and out and the defense doesn't get much rest, the opposing offense starts to get momentum going. If the Hoosiers can avoid that, they should at least be able to keep the game close, if not have a chance at an upset.
Also, the Hoosiers have to avoid the fumbling problems that have plagued them of late. In two of the last three games, IU has fumbled at the goal line and been lucky to recover in the end zone for a touchdown. In the game when that didn't happen, IU still fumbled three times. It will be tough to beat any team when you put the ball on the ground that much, let alone a ranked opponent.
Author
Zach Shaw @_ZachShaw
