Josh Hoover faces Michigan's top defense

Indiana's margin, Michigan's flags

Against Power 4 opponents, Indiana is +37 in point margin, 14th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten. Michigan is +3 in the same games, 30th nationally and ninth in the Big Ten.

Indiana is penalized 34 yards a game, seventh nationally and second in the Big Ten. Michigan gives up 68, which ranks 68th nationally and 16th in the Big Ten, double the Hoosiers' total.

Little else separates them. Both are +1 in turnover margin, Indiana 26th nationally and Michigan 29th. Michigan holds the ball 29:32 a game, 43rd nationally, to Indiana's 29:01, 49th.

Kickoffs tilt toward Michigan on returns and away from it in coverage. The Wolverines average 21.5 yards per kick return, 27th nationally, against 8.8 for Indiana, 87th. Michigan also allows 36.0 yards per kick return, 81st nationally, while Indiana allows 18.5, 31st.

Where it's decided

When Indiana has the ball, it meets the best defense in the Big Ten against Power 4 opponents. Michigan allows 17.0 points a game, seventh nationally, and 292 yards, also seventh, and leads the conference in both. Indiana gains 441 yards a game, 12th nationally and second in the Big Ten, and scores 27.8 points, 26th.

Michigan built that defense with new faces. It returns 13% of its 2025 sacks, 3.5 of 26.5, after Derrick Moore took 9.5 to the NFL. Utah transfer John Henry Daley brought 11.5 sacks from 2025, and he leads Michigan this season with 3.5, along with 6 tackles for loss.

The ground game is strength against strength. Indiana runs for 185 yards a game, 11th nationally, and Michigan allows 87, seventh nationally and second in the Big Ten. Turbo Richard leads the Big Ten with 643 rushing yards, with 6 touchdowns, and his 7.4 yards a carry rank third in FBS. Lee Beebe Jr. adds 575 yards, third in the Big Ten, with 4 touchdowns.

Charlie Becker leads Indiana in receiving yards with 694 and in catches with 39, with 8 touchdowns. He is one of 7 FBS players this season with two or more touchdown catches in three games. Indiana throws for 256 yards a game, 24th nationally, into a pass defense allowing 205, 19th. On third down, Indiana converts 45.1%, 19th nationally, and Michigan allows 32.1%, eighth.

When Michigan has the ball, the trouble is sustaining drives. The Wolverines score 17.8 points a game against Power 4 teams, 65th nationally and 17th in the Big Ten, and gain 293 yards, 70th. They throw for 145 yards a game, 18th in the Big Ten, and have gone three-and-out on 25% of their drives this season, the 13th-most in FBS.

Indiana allows 18.5 points a game, 14th nationally, and 74 rushing yards, fourth nationally and the fewest in the Big Ten. Linebacker Isaiah Jones leads the Hoosiers in tackles with 51. The opening is through the air: Indiana allows 247 passing yards a game, 11th in the Big Ten.

Michigan returns all 2,428 of its 2025 passing yards. Quarterback Bryce Underwood leads the team in passing yards with 924, with 5 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and a 58.1 completion percentage, and his 223 rushing yards tie for second on the team. Jordan Marshall leads Michigan in rushing yards with 293 and 4 touchdowns. JJ Buchanan leads in receiving yards with 482 and 4 touchdowns, and Andrew Marsh leads in catches with 28.

Michigan's fourth-quarter leads have slipped

Michigan has lost 2 games this season after leading entering the fourth quarter, which accounts for both of its losses. The Wolverines are 3-2 in one-score games, with wins of 13-12 over Western Michigan, 17-10 over Oklahoma and 21-18 over Penn State.

Indiana's streaks

Indiana has won 27 straight games against unranked opponents, dating to 2024. The Hoosiers have also won their last 30 games when leading at halftime, dating to 2024. They are 3-1 against Power 4 opponents this season, and the loss was to Ohio State.

Tobi Osunsanmi leads the Big Ten in sacks

Kansas State transfer Tobi Osunsanmi leads Indiana and the Big Ten with 7 sacks. His 11.5 tackles for loss are tied for second in FBS. He joined a line that returned 80% of its 2025 sacks, 36 of 45, and his 4 at Kansas State were part of 11.5 that transfers brought in.

Coming home, coming back

Curt Cignetti coaches Indiana. Kyle Whittingham coaches Michigan.

Indiana receiver Tyler Morris faces Michigan for the first time since leaving Ann Arbor. He played for the Wolverines in 2022-24 and caught 39 passes for 470 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Indiana receiver Nick Marsh plays at Michigan Stadium about 35 miles from his hometown of Detroit. The Michigan State transfer is second on Indiana in receiving yards with 585 on 32 catches, with 7 touchdowns, and he needs 104 yards to reach 2,000 for his career.

Indiana also added interior lineman Joe Brunner from Wisconsin and cornerback A.J. Harris from Penn State. Michigan's transfer class leaned on Utah, with Buchanan joined by cornerbacks Smith Snowden and Salesi Moa.

Indiana had 8 players drafted, including 2 wide receivers, a center and a tight end, with 3 in the first two rounds. Receiver Omar Cooper Jr. went 30th overall to New York, and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds went 50th, also to New York. Michigan had 6 players drafted, including 2 edge rushers, 2 tight ends and a defensive tackle, with 2 in the first two rounds. Moore went 44th overall to Detroit, and tight end Marlin Klein went 59th to Houston.

Michigan owns Ann Arbor, Indiana owns the last meeting

Michigan leads the series 62-11 in 73 meetings since 1900. The Wolverines are 41-7 at home against Indiana, and the Hoosiers last won in Ann Arbor in 1967.

Indiana won the last meeting 20-15 at home in 2024, in a season it finished 11-2. That Michigan team went 8-5, and defensive lineman Mason Graham was a unanimous All-American.

Since 2004 the teams have gone to overtime twice, most recently in 2017, and Michigan won both. That 2017 Michigan team went 8-5 with defensive lineman Maurice Hurst an All-American, and Indiana finished 5-7.

Three things to watch

Hoover's next touchdown pass: he needs 1 to reach 90 for his career.

Michigan's path to a close game: against Power 4 opponents it runs for 149 yards a game, fourth in the Big Ten, and its defense allows 205 passing yards.

The red zone: Michigan's defense has allowed scores on 100.0% of opponents' trips, 81st nationally, and Indiana scores on 82.4% of its own, 44th.