by Brian Smith
Special to Under The Rock
Anyone that handed a ticket to an usher and walked into the so-called Big House to watch Michigan play football knows tradition echoes out of the stadium, not noise. One of the biggest myths in all of college football is that Michigan Stadium is, well, loud. It's not quiet, but it's nothing like Tennessee or many SEC stadiums. Take it from someone who's been to Michigan Stadium twice.
he Hoosiers sojourn to Ann Arbor, Mich. on Sep. 26. It will probably be a noon game, and the Michigan fans will expect an eminent victory against an opponent it usually tramples. The Wolverines will run out of the tunnel and touch the Go Blue banner while the band is playing and the crowd is cheering. Again, it's not that loud, thanks to a bowl-shaped stadium which allows noise to escape into the autumn air. Simply put, IU needs to set aside the fact they are playing the famed winged helmets and instead realize they are facing a team that is still in the infancy stages of its new offense with a freshman quarterback. Never mind Michigan's defensive talent undermines its stout reputation.
Could it be? Could the Hoosiers knock off the Wolverines in Ann Arbor?
Michigan fans have been spoiled for over 100 years, but with a true freshman taking shot gun snaps and the defense not up to its traditional standards, no game is a sure win for Big Blue. Mull over Michigan's horrendous offensive statistics from last season:
Michigan lost 18 fumbles, averaged 143 yards passing, completed less than 49% of its passes, and barely averaged over 20 points per game, ranking Michigan last or next to last in every aforementioned Big 10 statistic. The defense gave up nearly 29 points per game. Not your grandfather's Michigan, is it?
How do the Hoosiers game plan to defeat Michigan? The strategy revealed tomorrow...
