Northwestern visits Michigan on Saturday, and both teams likely need a win to maintain their chances of becoming bowl-eligible.
The defending national champion Wolverines, who are 5-5 under first-year coach Sherrone Moore, will be heavy underdogs next week on the road against rival and second-ranked Ohio State.
If the Wildcats (4-6) pull off an upset at the Big House and close the regular season next week with a win against Illinois at Wrigley Field, they would have a chance to play in the postseason for the second time in two seasons under coach David Braun.
Northwestern (4-6, 2-5 Big Ten) at Michigan (5-5, 3-4)
- Time/TV: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, FS1.
- Line: Michigan by 11½.
- Series: Michigan leads 59-15-2.
Key matchup
Michigan’s running game vs. Northwestern’s run defense
The Wolverines lean on RBs Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings a lot because they’re among the worst passing teams in college football. Michigan averages 155.5 rushing yards, and the Wildcats give up an average of 114.6 yards on the ground, ranking 28th in the FBS.
Players to watch
Northwestern: WR A.J. Henning played at Michigan from 2020-22 before transferring. He had five catches for 42 yards against Ohio State last week. Henning has matched his career high with 45 catches after he had 25 receptions over three seasons with the Wolverines.
Michigan: Preseason All-America TE Colston Loveland leads the team with 53 catches, 560 receiving yards and four receiving TDs. He shares the single-season record (Bennie Joppru, 2002) for catches by a TE.
Facts & figures
The Wildcats have lost three of their last four games. … QB Jack Lausch was 21 of 35 for 201 yards and ran for a TD against the Buckeyes but was sacked four times and lost a fumble. … The Wolverines, who have lost four of five, had a bye last week. … QB Davis Warren was 16 of 32 for 137 yards in their last game, a 20-15 loss at Indiana. … Michigan has won seven straight and 12 of 13 against Northwestern, with the lone loss during the stretch in 2008 at the Big House.
