Rutgers hosts Michigan as 40-point underdog
Michigan is on the cusp of reaching the heights expected when it hired Jim Harbaugh.
It took four seasons and a handful of crushing defeats to get here but the fourth-ranked Wolverines (8-1, 6-0 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) are poised to win their first conference title since 2004.
Stay out of the loss column, and the Wolverines could play for their first national title since 1997.
Rutgers (1-8, 0-6) should provide nothing more than a simple tuneup Saturday in New Jersey, as will Indiana next week at the Big House before Michigan closes the regular season at No. 8 Ohio State.
The Wolverines, who haven’t lost since the season opener against No. 3 Notre Dame, would have to beat the Buckeyes for just the second time in 15 years to keep any hope at a national title alive. It might take a miracle for Rutgers to beat Michigan, but the Wolverines (48½-point favorites) also don’t want to mess around and play a close game against one of the worst teams in FBS.
Northwestern was the last team to come close to beating the Wolverines, jumping out to a 17-0 first-half lead on Sept. 29. Since then, Michigan has outscored the opposition 163-48.
Not bad, but consider Michigan probably could have hit that scoring mark against Rutgers the last time it traveled to Jersey: the Wolverines humiliated Rutgers 78-0 and the fear around Piscataway is that it could happen again. Michigan had nine rushing touchdowns and 600 total yards (vs. 39 for Rutgers) in the rout and Harbaugh leads an even better, dangerous team into town this season.
Michigan was 111th in yards passing per game last season and the Wolverines dipped to 8-5. Former Mississippi star Shea Patterson has provided Harbaugh the quarterback he has been looking for since coming back to his alma mater. Patterson is coming off his fourth, three-touchdown game of the season and was named a finalist this week for the Davey O’Brien Award. Patterson has thrown for 1,667 yards with 14 touchdowns and is on the board at Las Vegas with the third-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy.