IU vs. Michigan What I'm Watching: National spotlight, No. 4 Wolverines come to town

Indiana began its season knowing that it had to take advantage of early opportunities, because once they got into October, and especially November, the Hoosiers would be facing opponents against whom they'd be sizable underdogs.

The Hoosiers missed out in what appeared to be one of their most winnable Big Ten games when they lost 35-21 at Nebraska. They follow that with what appears to be one of the least winnable games.

Bloomington will get to shine in the spotlight Saturday morning with Fox's Big Noon Kickoff show posted up outside Memorial Stadium. But when the game kicks off at noon, the Hoosiers will be three-touchdown underdogs to No. 4 Michigan, the defending Big Ten champions and a College Football Playoff team in 2021. In what is, to say the least, a twist from the ordinary, the mighty Wolverines are the Hoosiers' homecoming opponent.

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The game is one of three the Hoosiers have remaining against opponents currently ranked in the top 10 -- Nov. 5 at home against No. 10 Penn State and Nov. 12 at No. 3 Ohio State -- and it is one even IU fans had to expect from the beginning was a likely loss. However, after falling to 3-2 with the Nebraska loss, the Hoosiers could desperately use a shocking upset or even a surprisingly competitive performance. Here are five things I'll be watching for on Saturday.

Will the Hoosiers get their playmakers back?

Cam Camper didn't make the trip to Nebraska due to illness, D.J. Matthews warmed up but still wasn't healthy enough to play due to a hamstring injury, and the Hoosiers played the Cornhuskers without those dynamic players.

It showed. Outside of two brilliant touchdown drives at the end of the first half and a fumble recovery in the end zone, the Hoosiers never got inside the Nebraska 40. Those two drives covered 145 yards and they totaled 290.

So the Hoosiers obviously need them back, and even one would make a major difference. Camper has been Indiana's most reliable offensive player with 33 receptions and 418 yards (both rank fourth in the Big Ten). He has been quarterback Connor Bazelak's go-to target on third-and-long. The Hoosiers were converting more than 47% of their third downs coming into the game, but were 2 of 15 against Nebraska.

Matthews hasn't been as productive, but no one in the receiving corps has more pure speed and ability to separate from defensive backs. He has 17 receptions for 198 yards.

Allen said Thursday the status of each man will be a game-time decision. Camper is still working through his illness and a hamstring injury tends to be a nagging one.

The Hoosiers aren't a top-10 Big Ten offense with them, but when they're away, the Hoosiers don't have anything approaching a go-to receiver. The Hoosiers might not beat Michigan with a full boat, but they need Camper and Matthews just to make it interesting.

Do the Hoosiers have their best five up front yet? Can they possibly block Michigan?

Coach Tom Allen said after the Hoosiers' loss at Cincinnati that they might need to do some shuffling to put their best five offensive linemen on the field, as the unit has struggled. The only change was Mike Katic and Zach Carpenter swapping left guard and center, simply because Carpenter injured his right thumb and is not currently capable of snapping the ball.

Still, it's worth asking if there will be more movement. Left tackle Luke Haggard seems safe in his position, but the Hoosiers have used a rotation at right guard with Tim Weaver and Kahlil Benson, and redshirt freshman Josh Sales has been pushing starter Parker Hanna at right tackle. Hanna had some positive moments on Saturday, but he's also had struggles against the pass rush, and Sales is one of the Hoosiers most talented young linemen. There could be a different look on Saturday.

Regardless of who the Hoosiers put up front, Michigan's front won't be easy to contain. The Wolverines put two edge rushers in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft last season in Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, so they aren't quite that loaded this season, but they rank second in the Big Ten in sacks with 15 and have 29.0 tackles for loss in five games. Senior defensive end Mike Morris has just 10 tackles, but six are for loss, including four sacks. The Wolverines are giving up just 2.9 yards per carry and rank in the top four in the conference in scoring defense, total defense and passing and rushing defense.

Will Jaylin Lucas really get more touches?

IU freshman running back Jaylin Lucas made two Nebraska defenders look silly on a 34-yard run late in Saturday's loss, immediately begging the question of why he has just seven carries so far this season.

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Allen and offensive coordinator Walt Bell both said it is a priority to get the ball in Lucas' hands more. That being said, they also explained why it hasn't happened yet. Lucas is 5-9, 170 pounds and as physically developed as he might be for his size, he's sometimes giving up 100 pounds or more to the defensive linemen he has to try to pick up in pass protection. That's more of an issue with the Hoosiers playing uptempo offense because they don't like to sub while they're rolling, so it's harder to get Lucas in for a play. Running backs Shaun Shivers and Josh Henderson have been effective every-down backs even if they haven't proven to be the same kind of home run threat Lucas appears to be, so IU has been more comfortable with them in for long stretches.

Still, the Hoosiers need more yards and points, so they might be willing to sacrifice a little tempo even if they aren't willing to sacrifice pass protection. Getting more snaps for Lucas will create ripple effects, so it will be interesting to see how the Hoosiers go about it.

Can the Hoosiers even slow Michigan's rushing attack?

As the rest of college football gets wider and faster, Michigan has focused more on the run game in recent seasons. That's why the Wolverines have kickstarted coach Jim Harbaugh's tenure after a period when his job seemed to be in danger.

Michigan ranks sixth nationally and second in scoring offense with 45.4 points per game, even though it has thrown the second fewest passes in the Big Ten. They rank 13th in the nation in rushing with 221.8 rushing yards per game and 11th nationally with 5.6 yards per rush. Tailback Blake Corum has the beginnings of a Heisman Trophy campaign going with 611 rushing yards (fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision) and 10 rushing touchdowns (first). They have a bruising offensive line filled with four-star talent and returning All-Big Ten picks in guard Zak Zinter and tackle Ryan Hayes, and several rushing options beyond Corum.

Indiana has faced more rushing attempts than any team in the Big Ten because of its own offensive tempo, so just two Big Ten teams have given up more than the Hoosiers' 713 yards. However, they are giving up just 3.3 yards per carry, a respectable figure that puts them seventh in the conference. However, they haven't faced anything liked what they'll be up against with the Wolverines.

Can IU make Michigan any less effective and efficient?

IU defensive coordinator Chad Wilt noted Monday that what stands out in all ways about Michigan is that they are "effective and efficient." That's true on the ground, but it's even more true in the air. The Wolverines don't throw it much but seem to make big plays.

Corum forces opponents to keep bodies in the box, so the Wolverines get occasional opportunities to take advantage. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy has completed nearly 79% of his passes for 848 yards and six touchdowns against zero interceptions. The Wolverines have thrown the second fewest passes in the conference, but they are third in the conference in yards per pass with 9.3 and rank third in passing efficiency behind Ohio State and Minnesota. Wide receiver Ronnie Bell is one of four receivers with more than 100 yards, and it's not an easy group to cover.

Indiana has brought some havoc back with Allen back calling the defensive plays, as the Hoosiers rank third in the league in sacks with 14, and they have four interceptions. Disruption will be critical, but IU won't have many opportunities to pass rush because Michigan generally stays ahead of the chains.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football vs Michigan 5 things to watch, Fox Big Noon Kickoff