A lot of hype for Curt Cignetti and Indiana! Right now, the Hoosiers are 9-0 into the season and rank No. 8 in the AP Poll. They’re yet to meet a worthy match this season. After all, they’ve literally destroyed every opponent, peaking at a mind-blowing 77 points against Western Illinois in Week 2. But would the upcoming clash against National Champions Michigan give Indiana some real challenges? 

Greg McElroy doesn’t feel that the team that went undefeated last season under Jim Harbaugh has it in them to beat Curt Cignetti’s current undefeated program. In a new YouTube episode on ESPN College Football on November 9, he said, “You look at how Indiana is likely going to attack this Michigan defense. They’re not going to hold the ball. Kurtis’ work’s going to get rid of the ball really quickly. That’s the recipe.”

Despite the lackluster season under new HC Sherrone Moore, Michigan’s defense still has some formidable play-makers like Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Will Johnson. Can Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke keep up? The “extremely disciplined” 24-year-old is making a dazzling debut in Indiana this season by accumulating 2,204 yards and 19 touchdowns. This isn’t good news for Michigan, who has been struggling at the QB position right from the first month of the season. 

In addition, the Hoosiers are also known for their front seven consisting of big playmakers like DL Mikail Kamara. In their last 47-10 win against the Spartans, Indiana recorded a season-high seven sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and set a program record by holding Michigan State to 36 rushing yards. So, for McElroy, the only scenario he sees Michigan winning against Indiana is if they “ran the ball with great effectiveness against this Indiana group.” But he added, “I don’t think it’s likely.” But let’s look further into the predictions ahead of Saturday’s matchup. 

Curt Cignetti is in a race for the Big Ten Championship

5-4 into the season, Michigan has lost their chance to compete in the conference title. They were badly beaten by No. 1 Oregon, who defeated them 38-17 last week in the Big House. But they can still serve as a potential blemish to Indiana’s undefeated record. The Wolverines are currently 62-10 against Indiana in their all-time series. But this season is a game-changer for Indiana after Curt Cignetti took the reins. 

The last time the Indiana Hoosiers won a conference championship was in 1967. But what’s more interesting is that the Hoosiers only had one unbeaten season when they went 9-0-1 in 1945. If Cignetti keeps working his team at this pace despite getting snubbed, Indiana is going to have a truly big reason to celebrate in January. As for the upcoming game, they enter as a 14.5-point favorite over Michigan. Do you think Moore and the Wolverines stand a chance? 

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