IU enters Saturday 6-1 after a 19-15 loss to Ohio State, its first defeat since December 2024, which also snapped a 22-game winning streak. The Hoosiers outgained the Buckeyes 369 yards to 313, but two turnovers and just 73 rushing yards kept the offense from finishing drives. The run game has stalled over the last two weeks, and defenses are now putting the game in Josh Hoover's hands; he threw 40 passes against Ohio State. Help is on the way with running back Khobie Martin returning from injury. His return should give the backfield a needed boost, and how this team responds on the road will say a lot about the rest of its season.

Michigan is 4-2 and 1-2 in Big Ten play, with one-score losses to Iowa and Minnesota and a 21-18 win over Penn State last time out. The Wolverines have scored 136 points and allowed 97. Their defense is the strength, holding opponents to a 34.1% success rate, 92nd percentile nationally. The opening for IU is under center. Michigan will start freshman quarterback Tommy Carr, and a young passer making one of his first starts against this defense is a tall ask. IU generates havoc on 19.3% of opposing plays and allows 12.9 points per game, a unit built to rattle an inexperienced quarterback and turn his mistakes into short fields.