Michigan heads into Saturday’s trip to Minnesota carrying a fresh loss and a little uncertainty, but not a lack of respect from the national crowd.
The Wolverines, who dropped their first game of the season on a game-ending Iowa touchdown, are on the road for the first time this year to face the Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Michigan has owned this matchup, winning the last five meetings, yet Minnesota believes it has a real shot to spring the upset.
Some national analysts agree. Fox Sports’ four-person panel leaned Minnesota, with three picks going to the Gophers and one to Michigan.
Still, Brad Crawford and Chris Hummer both backed the Wolverines to leave with a win.
“The value in this game is with Minnesota. The Gophers are 3-1 with a quality road win over Washington.
Meanwhile, the Wolverines have played four games this season, and three of them have been decided by seven points or fewer. But … I think Michigan has found something with Bryce Underwood.
He's played much better the last two weeks -- a 68% completion rate, a four-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio -- and Michigan is by far the best defense the Gophers have seen this season. The Wolverines respond on the road.”
The former Cornell and Baylor wide receiver also sees Michigan taking control in Minneapolis.
“I think Michigan off a loss and that offense trending upward a little bit dangerous. I like it going to Minnesota.
I love row the boat. Fun expression.
Michigan will be rowing the boat, winning and covering out there in Minnesota.”
There’s no mystery about the talent gap. Michigan should be the more gifted team when it walks into the stadium Saturday.
But that was true last week, too, when Iowa came to town. The Wolverines controlled that game in almost every way except the one that mattered most.
Bryce Underwood has kept getting sharper since Week 1. Against the top-ranked defense in the country, he finished just four yards short of his career high in passing yards. Michigan had a chance to win that game by three scores, but the offense never fully finished the job.
So the real question this weekend is simple: which Michigan team shows up?
If the Wolverines clean up the penalties, solve the red-zone issues, and play with the kind of discipline they’ve lacked at times, their talent should carry the day. If not, Minnesota can stay close and make things uncomfortable.
And if Michigan flies around on defense and takes what the Gophers give it, the road trip should end with the Wolverines looking much more like the team many expected in the first place.
In Other News...
Minnesota Gets A Rare Game Day Spotlight Before Michigan
The buildup to Minnesotas matchup with Michigan is starting well before kickoff, as FOXs Big Noon Kickoff will air from the University of Minnesota campus for the first time. The pregame show is expected to bring a fan pit, giveaways and a set inside Huntington Bank Stadium, turning what is already a major Big Ten stage into an all-day spotlight for the Gophers and their home environment.
For P.J. Fleck, the value goes beyond a single Saturday. He pointed to the exposure the university gets from hosting a national pregame show, noting the boost it can provide in front of recruits and the broader college football audience. With about 170 people involved in production, Minnesota is getting a rare showcase moment before one of its biggest home games of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Weekend Just Got Bigger For Gophers Fans
Saturday on the University of Minnesota campus is turning into a full-blown football day before the Golden Gophers even take the field. FOX Big Noon Kickoff will air live from in front of 3M Arena at Mariucci beginning at 9 a.m. CT, giving fans an early start ahead of Minnesotas matchup with Michigan. Gates open at 7:30 a.m., and the setup comes with the kind of extras that turn a game day into an event, including giveaways and a P.J. Fleck lookalike contest.
For Minnesota fans, the timing adds even more juice to a matchup that already carried plenty of attention. The Gophers and Wolverines are set to kick off at 11 a.m., with the game airing on FOX 9, and the national pregame show should only amplify the atmosphere around campus. It is the sort of weekend that can make the whole area feel like part of the broadcast, even before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Could Look Different Against Minnesota For One Big Reason
Michigans buildup for Minnesota has been shaped by more than just the matchup itself. With John Henry Daley and Dom Nichols listed as questionable, the Wolverines are looking at a game plan that could ask a few more players to step into the rotation, and Nichols is still expected to play despite the designation.
That opens the door for names such as Tariq Boney, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Jaime Ffrench and Mason Bonner to factor in more prominently if the staff decides to spread the workload around. For Minnesota, it means the prep work could be a little trickier than usual, with Michigan potentially showing a different look depending on who is available and how much it wants to lean on depth. [Read more 🡒]