Here is part nine of a 12-part series in which we count down Michigan Wolverines football's 2021 strength of schedule from the easiest game (12) to the most difficult contest (1). Checking in at No. 4 is Indiana, Michigan's Nov. 6 opponent in Ann Arbor.
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Head Coach: Tom Allen (5th season) — 24-22 record (.522)
Recruiting Rankings
2017 — 65th
2018 — 45th
2019 — 38th
2020 — 48th
2021 — 63rd
2020 Record: 6-2
Indiana finally had its breakthrough season in 2020, with the Hoosiers posting a 6-2 record. They got off to a hot start to the year, winning their first four contests — versus Penn State (36-35 in OT), at Rutgers (37-21), against Michigan (38-21) and at Michigan State (24-0). The Hoosiers then fell in a close one, 42-35, at No. 3 Ohio State and showed they could compete on the biggest of stages, before they beat Maryland (27-11) and Wisconsin (14-6) to cap off a one-loss regular season.
Indiana felt snubbed by not being the East Division's representative in the Big Ten Championship Game, with the conference changing its minimum game mandate to accommodate Ohio State, which played just five regular-season contests. The Hoosiers also felt they deserved a berth into a more prestigious bowl game — they lost to Ole Miss, 26-20, in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2.
All in all, it was a successful season for the Hoosiers, who, until last year, hadn't posted a win percentage of .750 or higher since 1910. Under Allen, Indiana appears to be setup for more success to come its way.
Did You Know?
• Michigan is 59-10 all time against Indiana.
• Indiana's win over Michigan in 2020 was its first since the 1987 season. Michigan had won 24 straight over the Hoosiers from 1988-2019. Indiana is looking to tie its longest win streak in the series with a win in 2021.
2021 Preview
Indiana should have a similar look to last season in multiple ways, with redshirt sophomore quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and key offensive weapons returning and the team having a strong defense — the side of the ball it leaned on quite a bit last season — with some important pieces coming back.
Penix tore his ACL in the third-to-last game of the season against Maryland and was forced to miss the final two contests altogether. Before that, he was enjoying a stellar season in which he completed 124 of his 220 pass attempts (56.3 percent) for 1,645 yards and 14 touchdowns, while throwing four interceptions — helping lead the nation's 43rd-best passing offense. Perhaps his best game came against the toughest of foes — Ohio State — when he threw for a career-high five touchdowns, while his three scoring tosses against Michigan weren't shabby either.
Despite wideout Whop Philyor graduating and heading off to the NFL, Penix has some steady targets to throw to, namely in fifth-year senior wideout Ty Fryfogle and redshirt junior tight end Peyton Hendershot. Fryfogle, a first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-American selection, led the squad in receiving yards with 721 and touchdowns with seven. Interestingly enough, Philyor notched 17 more catches than Fryfogle but churned out only 495 yards to Fryfogle's 721 yards — the latter's 19.5 yards per catch average ranked third in the Big Ten and tied for 30th in the country.
While Fryfogle will serve as Penix's most explosive weapon, Hendershot, a third-team All-Big Ten pick last season, is as consistent as they come, a dangerous red zone threat. He racked up 23 catches for 151 yards and four scores last season.
Four starters return on Indiana's offensive line, and when the Wolverines take on the Hoosiers Nov. 6, Michigan fans may recognize one of IU's interior offensive linemen, redshirt freshman Zach Carpenter, who transferred out of U-M before the conclusion of the 2020 campaign. He is set to compete for the starting job at center or right guard.
Flipping to the defensive side of the ball, where Allen specializes ... Indiana was a solid defense (43rd) when it comes to not allowing yards, but even better keeping opponents out of the end zone, with its scoring defense checking in at 19th nationally (20.3 points per game allowed).
Headlining a front seven that allowed just 137.1 yards per game on the ground last season (34th nationally) is junior linebacker and second-team All-American Micah McFadden, a junior. He led the team in every major tackling category in 2020 — solo tackles (44), total stops (58), tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (6.0) — and was flat-out dominant as a run-stuffer. He also had the ability to drop into coverage, and notched two sacks on the year.
Despite being so good against the run a year ago, the Hoosiers were known for their talent on the back end of their defense, especially when it came to taking the ball away. Out of the team's 20 forced turnovers, 17 of those were interceptions, and that mark was second in the country and first among Power Conference teams.
Safety Jamar Johnson will be an early-round draft pick in April's NFL Draft, and losing him is a big blow — he was second on the team in tackles (43) and tied for a team-high four interceptions. But junior safety Devon Matthews is back, and he proved to be one of the team's best defenders last season, notching 40 tackles, one interception and a team-leading six pass breakups. Sophomore corner Tiawan Mullen should be a steady force as well, after posting 38 tackles, three interceptions and four pass breakups in 2020.
Why No. 4 In The Countdown?
Indiana wasn't an explosive team last season, but they didn't need to be. They played at a methodical pace and played complementary football. That was enough to outlast the Wolverines, who hung in for three quarters but couldn't keep it close at the end in Bloomington. And that's why this game — despite being in Ann Arbor — will be so tough this coming season.
Penix and his arsenal of weapons proved to be too much to handle for the Wolverines' secondary, and just when the Maize and Blue started keying on the pass, the Hoosiers wore them down at the end with the run game and sealed the game. Michigan simply has too many question marks to say this game will be a likely win. This one is sandwiched in between road games at Michigan State and at Penn State, making it a fairly tough stretch.
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