The last time Indiana lost a regular-season game in the Cignetti era, there was one game left in the regular season. Indiana was 10-1 after the loss, with a College Football Playoff case already built. A beatdown of a struggling Purdue team ended the regular season.
The scenario is different this week. After last week’s loss to Ohio State, Indiana still has a playoff case to build. The Hoosiers still have difficult opponents in front of them.
The 2026 schedule continues with a trip to “The Big House” to take on Michigan. Here’s everything you need to know:
Game information
Who: No. 6 Indiana (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) vs. Michigan (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten)
Where: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
When: Saturday, October 24, 2026. 12 p.m. EST
TV: FOX, Gus Johnson (Play-By-Play), Joel Klatt (Analyst), Jenny Taft (Sideline)
Radio: Don Fischer (Play-By-Play), Buck Suhr (Analyst)
The line: Indiana -7.5, O/U 42.5 (DraftKings)
SP+ prediction: Indiana 26, Michigan 18 (69 percent chance of an IU win)
Meet the Wolverines
What a tumultuous year it has been for Michigan. Head coach Kyle Whittingham’s first season with the Maize and Blue has been anything but under-the-radar.
From the Week 1 clock debate to the ongoing quarterback drama, Michigan has been under a heavy spotlight this season. Surprisingly, though, the spotlight hasn’t shown how much of a battle this team fights every week.
The offense has been a struggle. Michigan averages the second-fewest points per game in the Big Ten at 22.7. The Wolverines have the fewest total touchdowns and fewest passing yards per game in the conference. The rushing offense ranks in the middle of the pack.
Defensively, Michigan has allowed the fifth-fewest points per game at 16.2. They have been incredibly consistent, not allowing an opponent to score more than 20 points all season — the Wolverines rank near the top of the conference in just about every defensive metric.
This week will have a major shakeup. Michigan expects to start freshman quarterback Tommy Carr instead of Bryce Underwood Jr. for the first time. Carr came in to replace the struggling Underwood Jr. last week and the Wolverines scored three second-half touchdowns against Penn State.
Everything about Michigan’s offense earlier this season can be thrown out the window. It is a clean slate with numerous unanswered questions.
Injury update
The following comes from the Big Ten availability report as of Thursday at 8 p.m. ET:
Indiana
Out: None
Questionable: None
Probable: None
Plain, simple and easy. Indiana is at full strength. Most notably, Khobie Martin is fully recovered from his broken forearm and is back in the running back room.
Michigan
Out: WR Kendrick Bell, TE Mason Bonner, WR Braydon Alford, RB Micah Ka’apana, DE Julius Holly, OL Ace Hamilton, OL Andrew Sprague
Questionable: S Rod Moore, DE Dom Nichols, LB Aisea Moa, DT Enow Etta, OL Jake Guarnerea, OL Brady Norton, OL Blake Frazier
Probable: Andrew Babalola
Michigan has three starting offensive linemen questionable and perhaps its best offensive lineman in Sprague out. Moore, the Wolverines’ starting safety, is a big name to watch on the questionable list.
Storylines
Indiana’s rebound
Let’s address the elephant in the room first. Indiana operates on a week-by-week schedule where no prior game affects the next. Players and coaches made it abundantly clear all week that this wasn’t changing.
From an outside perspective, the College Football Playoff picture is wide open and Indiana still has work to do to establish itself as a contender in the field. Back-to-back losses would make that quest more difficult.
Indiana hasn’t had to rebound from a loss this early in the season in the Cignetti era. How the Hoosiers learn and grow from it is a major factor to watch in this game.
Michigan’s quarterback situation
Michigan felt the change was necessary to move on from Underwood Jr. on Saturday. That does not mean he is completely out of the picture. While the plan is to have Carr make his first career start, Indiana is still prepared for the ultra-athletic Underwood Jr. to see the field, maybe in different settings.
Carr’s first test as a starter comes against one of the best defenses in the country. Indiana has been fantastic at stopping the run and pressuring quarterbacks. It did exactly that against a top-notch Ohio State team last week. With a true freshman under center in Carr, Michigan’s choice to switch quarterbacks will be put to the test.
Can Indiana’s offense get back into form?
Indiana’s offense has been far from perfect the last two weeks in all facets.
The Hoosiers have not rushed for over 100 yards in back-to-back games after rushing for 600 yards total in their first two Big Ten games. Josh Hoover and the passing attack have been out of sync at times over the last two weeks, with some major missed opportunities.
Indiana needs its rushing attack to find a groove to support the passing game. With a heavy RPO-based offense, Indiana cannot become one-dimensional. The Hoosiers couldn’t run the ball last week and got pass-happy. That is not how Indiana’s Cignetti-era offenses have played successfully.
Michigan will provide quite the opposition, especially with its rushing defense.
Outlook
For the third week in a row, expect this one to be a classic, ugly Big Ten football game. Both defenses are top-tier. Both offenses have had their struggles. There is no telling how Carr will lead the Wolverines in his first start. It’s also unclear how well Indiana will rebound from the Ohio State loss.
Why? Because there is nothing to refer back to in either situation.
We’ll see those questions get answered on Saturday.
