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Illinois faces the daunting task of traveling to the Big House in Ann Arbor on Saturday to face the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines. Kickoff is set for 2:30 CT with the game televised on BTN.
This will be the 95th meeting between the two programs. Michigan holds a 69-23-2 advantage in the all-time. The game is also Homecoming for Michigan. U-M has won four of its last five games in Ann Arbor against UI.
Michigan had a bye last week after drubbing Rutgers 78-0 on Oct. 8 to run its record to a perfect 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten). The Wolverines moved ahead of Clemson to No. 3 in the AP poll.
OrangeandBlueNews caught up with Chris Balas from TheWolverine.com to get the lowdown on Michigan ahead of Saturday's contest. Follow Chris Balas on Twitter @Balas_Wolverine
The always entertaining Jim Harbaugh obviously has this thing turned around. Talk about Harbaugh’s impact on the program, and the major steps he took to get Michigan back to where we have come to expect from it historically.
Chris Balas: Harbaugh is one of the three best coaches in football at any level, probably, and he demands excellence. He surrounds himself with the best coaches, lives and breathes football and is the most competitive guy we’ve ever seen here — right up there with Bo Schembechler. He is a football savant — opponents at Big Ten Media Day marveled at how they had prepared for the offense, only to see 40 plays they hadn’t seen before when they actually got to the game.
He’s relentless on the recruiting trail, which has helped bring top end talent to Ann Arbor — that’s where it starts. But for all the talk about Brady Hoke’s failures here, this team is made up of a lot of veterans he recruited. There are All-Big Ten and All-America upperclassmen all over this roster, and Harbaugh has gotten the most out of them.
Anyone who has been paying attention to college football knows the name Jabril Peppers, and we’ve seen the weekly highlights. But who are some other on the Michigan defense that Illini fans should be aware of?
CB: The defensive line might be the best (at least the deepest) Michigan has ever had. Nose tackle Ryan Glasgow won’t get the pub, but he’s arguably the best lineman in the league. Fifth-year senior end Chris Wormley is among the nation’s leaders in pressures, senior end Taco Charlton is right behind him and interior lineman Maurice Hurst has been un-blockable since returning from a minor injury.
The corners might are the best in the conference, and one of the best pairs in the country. Senior Jourdan Lewis has allowed a QB rating of 0.0 since returning from injury in week four, and senior Channing Stribling on the other side has graded out almost as highly. The numbers you’re seeing are no fluke.
Michigan put up video game numbers in the 78-0 drubbing of Rutgers two weeks ago. That score understandably strikes some fear into the hearts of future opponents. What makes the Wolverines’ offense so explosive? Who are the playmakers?
CB: It’s not really explosive as much as it is methodical. Senior tight end Jake Butt is the best pass catcher, and he’s often a mismatch for linebackers. Fifth-year senior receivers Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson aren’t the best pair Michigan has ever had, but they’re very good (though Darboh has dropped a few this year).
The right side of the Michigan O-line (and center Mason Cole) has improved a lot this year, and there’s a stable of backs that has kept the chains moving — along with a pair of young guys in freshman Chris Evans and sophomore Karan Higdon who can break off the big runs. They’re also getting great field position because of the special teams. Peppers leads the nation in punt return yardage, and that’s with having 114 yards taken away by penalty. Between that and a defense that has allowed third down conversions at only 12 percent(!) this year, that’s really helped out an offense that still has to improve behind redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight.
It’s premature to talk about it – there’s a lot of football left to be played by both teams. That said, college football fans have to be looking forward to the Michigan – Ohio State game on Nov. 26. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe it. Will both teams enter the game undefeated? Keys to beating the Buckeyes? What’s the buzz around campus?
CB: That’s the game everyone is pointing to, and the buzz has become a bit dangerous in that there are still road trips to East Lansing and Iowa City, tough places to play regardless of how the teams have been faring. Michigan is already an 18.5-point favorite at MSU and an 11-point favorite at Iowa, so it would take a big upset to prevent it … and it doesn’t appear Ohio State will be losing anytime soon after dodging a bullet at Wisconsin.
Michigan’s defense is better than Ohio State’s. It’s going to be up to the offense to put some points on the board in a hostile environment. The team with the more experienced quarterback usually wins in this game, and that will be Speight’s first trip to the ‘Shoe. We expect a great game, but advantage OSU at home.
Michigan is rolling, and most expect Saturday’s game to be a lopsided affair. Are there any Achilles Heels that a struggling team like Illinois can exploit and at least keep it respectable? What are some other keys to the game?
CB: The left side of the offensive line is banged up and has been inconsistent. If Illinois can get to Speight early and rattle him, get Illinois off to a good start, the Illini could hang around. That’s what Colorado did, and U-M had a fight on its hands. Michigan has also struggled a bit staying in rush lanes against mobile quarterbacks, so that’s something to watch. UCF got most of its rushing yardage on QB scrambles.
The kicking game, too, has been sketchy at best. Force some field goals early and prevent touchdowns, get a few misses and Illinois could get a confidence boost. That’s how Wisconsin hung around. But this is a dominant defensive football team that’s also good offensively. If they’re not looking ahead to MSU, Michigan should put this one away early.
