Already up 38-21 and facing a fourth-and-one from the Michigan 43 with 2:30 or so remaining, Indiana’s offensive linemen looked over to the stands behind their bench and called for noise.
A small roar ensued, a few hundred moms, dads and grandparents obliging, knowing their kids were on the verge of a big win. The Hoosiers players raised their arms and called for more, knowing a) there was no way Michigan’s small front was stopping them and b), they had finally snapped a 24-game losing streak to the Wolverines.
"Put ‘em away!” one coach screamed.
This was Indiana against Michigan, mind you … an improved Hoosiers team, for sure, but certainly not the measuring stick for a proud U-M program.
Indiana picked it up and went to victory formation, handing the Wolverines their latest embarrassment, for lack of a better way to describe it. It dropped the Wolverines to 1-2 on the season with no realistic probability it’s going to get better anytime soon.
Somehow, U-M entered this one as a three-point favorite despite losing to an awful Michigan State squad last week, but it was apparent early Indiana was the better (and more motivated), more confident team. Head coach Jim Harbaugh won the toss, took the ball, watched his offense go three-and-out and settled in for another long afternoon.
It was RichRod-esque or Hoke-esque at its worst, a stunning development over the last eight days in which a guy once considered the best coach in the game seems to have lost his team. For the “that’s not fair” crowd, how else can the dropped balls, multiple offsides penalties (indicating a lack of focus) and, worst of all, the poor body language be explained?
