ANN ARBOR, Mich. It might be easy for a surging and rested Michigan football team to look past its next opponent.
The Wolverines, still unbeaten and up to No. 6 in the polls this week, play host to struggling Northwestern this Saturday at Michigan Stadium (noon, FOX). Jim Harbaughs team is 6-0 and riding high after a bye week, and oddsmakers peg Michigan as a three-touchdown betting favorite to win the game.
And with in-state rival Michigan State on deck, potentially pitting a pair of top-10, 7-0 teams against one another in East Lansing, its shaping up to be one of the biggest games in years.
We cant look to next week because weve got a very good opponent coming in this week, defensive tackle Chris Hinton told reporters on Monday. Weve got to take every game, every week, one game at a time. Because if we dont handle our business this week, the next week and the week after is just not as significant.
Michigan State held on to beat Indiana, 20-15, in Bloomington on Saturday, cementing the Spartans 6-0 mark heading into a bye week of their own. While they have a week of rest ahead of them, Mel Tuckers team will also have an opportunity to get a jump start on preparing for Michigan.
More: U-M football a big betting favorite to beat Northwestern
Meanwhile, the Wolverines have to take the field against Northwestern a 3-3 team thats traded wins and losses, yet is coming off an impressive 21-7 victory over Rutgers.
Remember, it was just three years ago, in 2018, when Michigan waltzed into Evanston as a big favorite and fell behind 17-0 in the first half, only to score 20 unanswered points and escape with a win.
Continually, you see the Northwestern team get better every single week, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. This year, last year, the year before that the year before that. When you play Northwestern in the middle of the season, later in the season theyre really formidable.
Michigan is one two unbeaten Big Ten teams still standing, along with Michigan State, clearing a pathway to the Big Ten championship if it can handle business in the second half of its schedule. In addition to the Oct. 30 game at Michigan State, the Wolverines must also travel to Penn State (Nov. 13) and host rival Ohio State (Nov. 27), a pair of pivotal games required for such a run. But before they get there, or even to the Michigan State game, they must first handle business in front of them.
The team has been very locked in, Harbaugh continued. Daily, weekly. The thing Im continuing to be pleased with is how they attack every single day. They didnt practice Friday, they didnt practice Saturday (but) they came back Sunday and we had as good a practice (as weve had).
Midseason grades: Harbaugh, Michigan get high marks for run game, defensive turnaround
Guys moving around, knowing what they are doing as locked in, focused as Ive ever seen a team come off a two-and-a-half day break.
Harbaugh declined to provide a concrete updated on Michigans injured players, only saying receiver Roman Wilson (undisclosed) and offensive linemen Chuck Filiaga (leg), Zak Zinter (leg) and Trevor Keegan (shoulder) are day to day but progressing.
But if there was ever a cautionary tale, look at Iowa this past week. The Hawkeyes were unbeaten and ranked No. 2 in the country and lost a stunner, 24-7, to Purdue to fall out of the top 10. While they remain the favorites to win the Big Tens West Division, their College Football Playoff hopes have dimmed. For Michigan to keep all of its hopes and dreams alive, total effort will be required on Saturday against Northwestern.
Were not overlooking them at all, receiver A.J. Henning said. We know theyre a great football team. Theyre going to come in here and give us their best shot, so were going to take the necessary preparation to try and have a successful outcome.
While Michigan is off to its best start since 2016, the team has taken a unique approach to preparing each week. Players say they treat each week of practice like theyre preparing for Ohio State, long considered the Big Tens best, while treating each team as a nameless, faceless opponent.
They hope that holds true on Saturday against the upset-minded Wildcats.
Each week, were going in with a 1-0 mindset, linebacker Kalel Mullings said. We want to be 1-0 for that week and as long as we continue to do that, well reach all of our goals.
There was never any looking past our opponent this week or onto other games. We know that we have to take of business this week, take care of business next week and if we continue doing that well be set.
Read more:
With rival on deck, surging Michigan says its not overlooking Northwestern - MLive.com
- Section 31 And Lower Decks Heading Up New York Comic Con Star Trek Universe Panel - TrekMovie - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Where to buy the Altered Starter Decks and Boosters - Polygon - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Final Fantasy XVIs wobbly Steam Deck performance gets it a failing grade from Valve - Rock Paper Shotgun - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- The Steam Deck's rare but troublesome 'loading throbber' issue has been fixed - PC Gamer - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- City Pursuing Removal of a Stone Harbor Deck Built Without a Permit - Door County Pulse - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Ellie Dubaich Wont Be Invited Back To Below Deck Mediterranean (She Angered Aesha) - Screen Rant - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- GTA V, one of the most popular Steam Deck games, is now unsupported - The Verge - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Star Trek: Section 31 & Lower Decks Beams To NYCC 2024! - Trek Central - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- GTA Online is no longer compatible with the Steam Deck thanks to its new anti-cheat software, despite BattlEye having an opt-in system for this sort... - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Parking, traffic and transit information for Penn State football vs. Kent State - Penn State University - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- AMD Plans Big Battery Boost For ROG Ally + Other Gaming Handhelds - Forbes - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Bay Area hillside home comes with one-of-a-kind 28-ton glass deck - SFGATE - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Hit the Decks! It's AMPRS&ND - Music Connection Magazine - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Jasper County Supervisors Approve Bid for Deck Repairs on Three Bridges - KNIA KRLS Radio - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Interview with Flight Panels; Chance to Win a Stream Deck XL, Profiles, and More - FSElite - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Grand Theft Auto V gets BattlEye anti-cheat, breaks online play on Steam Deck / Linux - GamingOnLinux - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- PC Gamers Can Now Play Bloodborne on the Steam Deck - Men's Journal - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering - The 10 Best Cards In Duskmourn's Jump Scare! Commander Deck - TheGamer - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- UVAs Board: Stacking the Deck for Another Year - Bacon's Rebellion - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Photos: Oakland hills mansion with see-through deck listed for $2.7 million - The Mercury News - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Now is the best time to buy a Steam Deck as new models are cheaper than refurbs - PCGamesN - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Rosie & The Revival Rev Up For Soundchecks And Tape Decks Release - musicrow.com - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Metagame Mentor: Modern with the Critters of Bloomburrow - Magic.gg - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Supergroup Rosie & the Revival Delivering 'Soundchecks and Tape Decks' This Week - antiMusic.com - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- I lived Below Deck on a luxury yacht heres what you need to know - New York Post - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Coco Gauff Decks Out in Denim at Her Collab Party With American Eagle - Us Weekly - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- The 6 Best Software For DJing Without A Controller: No Decks? No Freaking Problem! - Magnetic Magazine - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- NEW 'FLESH AND BLOOD TCG: ARMORY DECK' ANNOUNCED - ICv2 - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Rosemary Street Parking Deck on track to open later this month - - The Daily Tar Heel - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Scry for less with this Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck thats 25% off right now - Gamesradar - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- [TCG] More Info On Crossover Breakers! - YGOrganization - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- A 75-foot-wide lime green floating observation deck on the Schuylkill River scheduled to open in 2026 - PhillyVoice.com - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Dev behind turn-based strategy hit Tactical Breach Wizards shocked to slot in behind Black Myth: Wukong and the Steam Deck: "Basically number... - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Final Fantasy XVI is rough on Steam Deck, but it has potential - PCGamesN - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- 'Lost in the Shuffle': Is a deck of cards the answer to a 500-year-old murder mystery? - Yahoo News Canada - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard devs talk up their PC features, optimisations and Steam Deck verification - GamingOnLinux - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Apheros helps data centers cool down. Check out the pitch deck it used to secure $1.85 million. - Business Insider - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Read the pitch decks from these 36 creator-economy startups that helped them raise millions of dollars - Business Insider - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Clash Royale: Best Decks for What's in the Bush Event - GameRant - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering - Gruul Prowess Standard Deck Guide - TheGamer - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- The Best MTG Standard Decks - August 2024 - MTG Rocks - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Best decks for Clash Royale "What's in the Bush" event - Sportskeeda - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- I bought the TikTok Cheetos tarot deck and its surprisingly good - The Wild Hunt - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Valve released Windows drivers for Steam Deck OLED but no official support - GamingOnLinux - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Valve confirms it'll support the ROG Ally with its Steam Deck operating system - The Verge - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- 8 rooftop decks to visit at Pittsburgh restaurants and bars - NEXTpittsburgh - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Valve confirm plan to get Steam Deck's SteamOS on the ROG Ally and more handhelds - GamingOnLinux - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- LILYGO T-Deck Plus is a $70 handheld with GPS, LoRa, and a BlackBerry keyboard - Liliputing - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Star Trek: Lower Decks Character Gets One Final Season Of Growth - Hollywood Outbreak - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Tiny house with a chic roof deck can be yours for $19,000 on Amazon - New York Post - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- [Pokmon TCG] The Snorlax Deck Is Literally the Sleeper Pick at Worlds - - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Lugia VSTAR, Ogerpon ex, and Gardevoir ex make up nearly 50% of the decks at Pokmon NAIC 2024 - Dot Esports - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- On Below Deck Med, guests service themselves while chef sleeps and captain texts - reality blurred - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Jgermeister and Santa Cruz Skateboards Launch Limited Edition Decks and Apparel - Zikoko - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering - The 10 Best Cards In Modern Horizons 3's Eldrazi Incursion Deck - TheGamer - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350: an innovative deck and three different draughts - BoatNews.com - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Cruise Rooms Near Stairs and Promenade Are Best - Royal Caribbean Blog - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Observation deck reopens at The Sunsphere after steelwork construction for new welcome center - WBIR.com - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Here's What's Next for Woodstock's Parking Deck Construction - Cherokee Tribune Ledger News - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- How To Run The Modern Horizons 3's Eldrazi Incursion Commander Precon In MTG - TheGamer - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Why Below Deck Down Under Season 3 Needs To Happen - Reality Tea - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- What Happened To Daisy Kelliher After Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 4? - Screen Rant - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- When one MTG deck costs $400, can we admit there's a problem? - Wargamer - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- This $4.25M Village condo has a deck with city viewsand a rooftop studio inside an old water tank - 6Sqft - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- The Best Cards To Upgrade Your Eldrazi Incursion MH3 Precon Deck (Magic: The Gathering) - Screen Rant - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Double exit would clear the decks for very popular Manchester United signing, plans appear to be taking shape - United In Focus - Manchester United FC... - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- A Potential Below Deck Mediterranean Cheating Scandal Is About to Rock the Boat - E! Online - E! NEWS - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Incredible Bird Combo Deck Spreads its Wings Early in New Modern! - MTG Rocks - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Ghost of Tsushima runs well on Steam Deck, making its PSN nonsense all the more annoying - Rock Paper Shotgun - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Disney Lorcana: How To Upgrade The Amber/Amethyst Starter Deck From Ursula's Return - TheGamer - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Clearing the Decks for Real-Time Payments - PaymentsJournal - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Hit the Decks! It's Louis the Child Music Connection Magazine - Music Connection Magazine - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- How To Play A Dragapult Ex Deck In Pokemon TCG - TheGamer - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- NonSteamLaunchers Steam Deck plugin in testing, plus a way to Remote Play Together anything - GamingOnLinux - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Nvidia could be teaming up with MediaTek to create a Steam Deck-busting handheld gaming chip - PC Gamer - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Ghost of Tsushima single-player only on Steam Deck due to PlayStation Network features - GamingOnLinux - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- What Happened To Luka Brunton From Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8? - Screen Rant - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Steam Deck users need to download this free performance boost update - PCGamesN - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Your next Steam Deck rival could have an Nvidia GPU, according to leak - PCGamesN - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Five Steam Deck roguelikes you need to play during Replayability Fest - PCGamesN - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]