Keys to the game: Michigan football vs Iowa

On3 imageby:Chris Balas12/02/21

Balas_Wolverine

Michigan football is finally an undisputed champion again … 

Well … kind of. 

The Wolverines claimed the Big Ten East Division crown after a 42-27 beatdown of Ohio State, head coach Jim Harbaugh’s second in seven years (he and his team shared it in 2018). But Michigan’s goals go well beyond that, especially with all of them still in front of the Wolverines entering the postseason.

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The Wolverines sit No. 2 in the playoff rankings, needing ‘only’ to beat Iowa to win the program’s first Big Ten title since 2004 and advance to the College Football Playoff for the first time. 

Easy, right? Michigan is an 11-point favorite, after all, and Iowa is pretty anemic (frankly) offensively. 

The Hawkeyes are also a hard-nosed, prideful program under head coach Kirk Ferentz, something Harbaugh knows well. 

“Nothing but respect at the highest level,” Harbaugh said of Ferentz. “There are few coaches — pretty much nobody — I respect more. I did have the opportunity to play with the Ravens one year. It was his last year with the Ravens, and I have always followed his career since then. He’s just a tremendous football coach. 

“To somebody that you respect, and somebody that you’re interested in, and how they do things and what they do and how they do it … [you ask], ‘what’s caused them to have the kind of success and track record since being in the Big Ten?’ My opinion hasn’t changed, and I have the highest regard for him and what he’s done for football. 

“He’s been a trusted agent. And a friend to the game of football.”

Here’s what Harbaugh and Michigan will have to do to beat the Hawkeyes Saturday night in Indianapolis. 

Protect the football and play a clean game

Iowa is probably going to need some help to win this game given how bad its offense is. The Hawkeyes average only 3.27 yards per carry and rank 106th nationally in averaging 121 rushing yards per game. They can’t throw it, either — 109th at 179 passing yards per contest. 

Michigan handled a similar team in Wisconsin earlier this year in Madison, limiting the Badgers to 210 total yards. 

Turnovers and big plays can be the equalizer in games like these. Michigan has excelled in both areas this year, limiting each. But give anyone a short field or big plays on special teams — Iowa got back in last week’s game at Nebraska with a blocked punt — and they’ll have a shot. 

Redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara has thrown only three interceptions all year. Iowa is No. 1 nationally with 22 picks. Don’t expect U-M to change what it’s been doing — dink and dunk with the occasional shot down field to complement a strong running game.

Michigan needs to avoid dead-ball and lack-of-focus penalties, too. What will the concentration level be this week after an emotional win over Ohio State? 

We’re about to find out. This team, though, seems to have great focus and leadership.

Michigan defense must Stop the run

This is a matchup nightmare for Iowa if the Hawkeyes can’t run the ball. That might be their best hope — go big with an extra tight end and try to run right at Michigan. 

Not many teams have had success running on the Wolverines that way. Michigan State caught Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald with tempo at times, but he learned from it. Running back Kenneth Walker picked up a lot of his yards on cutbacks, too. 

U-M is 22nd nationally, having allowed 123 yards per game on the ground. If the Wolverines take that away and force Iowa to throw, it’s all but over. The Hawkeyes’ tackles have struggled in pass protection, and Michigan has an elite pair of ends ready to get after the quarterback.

Don’t enter overconfident

This isn’t hard-hitting analysis here, but it’s critical, nonetheless. Michigan is coming off its first win over Ohio State since 2011, and the Wolverines dominated. They were the aggressor, punching the Buckeyes in the mouth and never backing down. 

U-M is an 11-point favorite for a reason, but this is a program with a lot of pride more than capable of taking a blow. Now, this is also an offensively challenged Iowa team that is limited in its counterpunches. But as heavyweight Mike Tyson found out so many years ago against Buster Douglass, if you hang around long enough, sometimes you land just enough punches to win, even after absorbing a ton of punishment. 

Iowa will come to play. Don’t doubt that. Michigan needs to match the energy from the outset. 

The Breakdown: Michigan Wolverines football vs. Iowa

Iowa isn’t ‘sexy’ like Ohio State, and the Hawkeyes don’t have the hatred for Michigan like Michigan State, for example. What they do have is a program with pride with players who go hard on every down, play good, sound fundamental football and never panic when they fall behind. 

Ferentz’ teams are going to hit hard, make you earn everything you get and take some shots (probably with the tight ends, if history is an indicator). 

“I would say Iowa [is solid] in all regards — run defense, pass defense, the way they tackle,” Harbaugh began. “Offensively, their execution, the way they block, the way they run. The tremendous attention to detail on special teams and as hard as they play …

“Across the board it’s all really, really good. This is a sound, tough, fundamentally good football team in every single regard.”

But its offensive line is sketchy, and the quarterback immobile. The Hawkeyes should have a tough time scoring, and the Wolverines have enough offensively to move the ball on anyone, which we’ve seen this year. 

We’d be more concerned if this game were in Iowa City. While we’ll never take a Kirk Ferentz Iowa team for granted, we like Michigan to win this one by more than a touchdown.

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