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Iowa Hosts Michigan in Prime Time Affair
Betting Line Favors Hawkeyes by 8
10/10/09
Iowa hosts Michigan in a huge Big 10 Football Matchup that will be seen across the Nation on ABC TV. BetUS currently lists Iowa as an 8 point favorite with a total of 47.5.
Both Michigan and Iowa are coming into this game off embarrassing performances. Michigan lost to their in state rival Michigan State for the second straight year, and Iowa barely escaped with a 3 point win over Arkansas State. Michigan got out to a hot 4-0 start including a victory over Notre Dame. They had people thinking they were a legit Big 10 title contender, but then they were beaten by a 1-3 Michigan State team. They still have a chance to prove that they are legit, and a win over the #12 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes would do just that.
But Iowa is also looking for a win to prove to their doubters that they are
worthy of being ranked #12. The Hawkeyes are 5-0 on the season with a win over
Penn State, but their close wins over Northern Iowa and Arkansas State have
people questioning them. A win over a very dangerous Michigan team is a must if
Iowa is going to be a contender for the Big 10 title.
THE PRIMETIME MATCHUP
Michigan’s Running Backs vs. Iowa’s Defense
It’s no secret who makes this Michigan offense go. True Freshman QB Tate Forcier
burst onto the national scene after he led Michigan to a hard fought victory
over Notre Dame. It looks like Forcier was put onto this earth to run Rich
Rodriguez’s spread offense. Forcier has been putting up impressive numbers
through the air, but what has been lacking with this Michigan offense is their
rushing game. If they can start to move the ball well on the ground it will open
up the passing game for Forcier. They need a dominate runner kind of like Mike
Hart was for them a few years ago. That would go a long way towards Michigan
putting big numbers on the scoreboard.
Michigan is 9th in the Big 10 in rushing offense with just 89 yards per game.
Michigan has got to get their running game going to take the pressure off Tate
Forcier, because if they don’t this Iowa defense is going to put him in
situations to make mistakes by dropping extra men back into coverage. This Iowa
defense is the reason why they are ranked #12 in the nation. Their defense is
2nd in the Big 10 in total defense, and scoring defense. They put their offense
in good situations to win, and I don’t expect that to change. If this Iowa
defense can stop Michigan’s running game then key onto QB Tate Forcier they will
stay undefeated.
THE FINAL VERDICT
The line may seem inflated at -8, but that's not without good reason. For
starters, don't pay too much attention to Iowa's performance against Arkansas
State. They were in the classic let down situation. Ark State was a game
sandwiched in between Penn State and Michigan. We already saw what happened to
Penn State, at home, when they played Iowa. Here we have a situation where
Michigan has won 3 straight in this series and 10 of the last 12. So there's a
decade worth of payback for Iowa here. Night games, in primetime on National TV
are rare for the Hawkeyes and their fans. This has all the makings of a coming
out party for Iowa. Michigan's rookie QB will be facing the best defense he's
faced all year. Count on him struggling. Iowa -8
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