Week 5 of the college football season brings a rematch of the 2021 Big Ten Championship Game as No. 4 Michigan travels to take on Iowa in a game with conference title implications for both divisions. While the Hawkeyes have come under scrutiny for their lackluster offense, their defense remains elite, and the matchup presents the most significant test yet for new Michigan starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The sophomore will be making his fourth career start and first on the road after beating out veteran Cade McNamara for the job earlier this season. Iowa has allowed just two touchdowns to opposing offenses through four games and should be motivated to seek redemption for last season’s 42-3 loss to the Wolverines in the league title game.
Michigan has looked capable of matching the accomplishments of last season’s squad through four games, but the Wolverines did find themselves in a close game with Maryland at home last week before pulling out a 34-27 win. Going on the road for the first time into what should be a hostile environment will force Michigan to put its best foot forward and avoid the types of miscues that could give Iowa the energy that has been missing during its uninspiring start to the season.
Michigan vs. Iowa: Need to know
Tough venue: Iowa has won the last four meetings between these team in Iowa City, Iowa. You have to go back to 2005 in order to find the last time the Wolverines won at Kinnick Stadium. The last time Michigan played at Iowa was in 2016, when the No. 2 Wolverines lost 14-13. In total, Iowa is 5-3 against top-five foes at home during coach Kirk Ferentz’s 24-year tenure.
Something must give: Michigan ranks No. 1 nationally in scoring offense at 50 points per game, while Iowa ranks first in scoring defense at 5.8 points per game. The Wolverines’ offensive output has been helped by the inferiority of its first three opponents. Likewise, Iowa is yet to play an offense with this many weapons. The contrasting strengths makes for an intriguing battle.
Anoma’s emergence: Ferentz said this week that Michigan’s defense looks “like an NFL defense.” While that may be true, the Wolverines lost two of their best pass rushers from last season’s team to the NFL Draft in Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. In the effort to replace their production, Michigan brought in former Tennessee-Martin and Alabama defensive end Eyabi Okie during mid-August. The former…
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