Michigan at Iowa: Brady Hoke's Wolverines Could Earn Another Dose of Respect

"MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 8, 2008—Michigan retained the Little Brown Jug Saturday night, as senior kicker K.C. Lopata kicked five field goals, leading the Wolverines to a 29-6 victory over the Minnesota Gophers." 

Just another rare moment in the short tenure of Rich Rodriguez. As you might recall, Michigan's 2008 season would go downhill from there.

In fact, that victory over the Gophers was the last time Michigan won a conference road game over a team with a winning record.

The Big Ten, of course, was the demise of coach Rodriguez. In three seasons, Rodriguez finished 6-18 in the league, winless against Ohio State, Michigan State, Iowa, Northwestern and Penn State.

When Brady Hoke was hired in January, his first priority was to win Michigan's 43rd conference title.

“The expectation is to win the Big Ten Championship,” Hoke said during his initial press conference. “If we don’t do that, we’ve got to retool it, re-fix it and do whatever we have to do because we’re going to do that for Michigan.”

“If you don’t win your conference championship, there’s no way in heck you’re winning the national championship,” he added.

Of course, winning on the road and winning this week at Iowa would do wonders for the program.

Nobody said it was going to be easy. The Hawkeyes, 5-3 for the season and 2-2 in the Big Ten, are still undefeated at home. 

"I think they’re 59-12 or something over the last 10 years," Coach Hoke said at Wednesday's press conference.  We’ve got to do a good job with the environment and the communication on both sides of the ball. Play with great composure and play with poise and then play physical football.”

Playing a tough brand of football is what Hoke has regularly addressed. That, he says, is the key to winning in the Big Ten.

Sure, the Wolverines won at Northwestern, but the Wildcats weren't nearly the physical challenge the Hawkeyes, Spartans, Buckeyes, Badgers and now the 'Huskers regularly are.

Offensively, the Hawkeyes display their usual balanced attack. James Vandenberg is inexperienced at quarterback but he's already thrown for more than 1,900 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. He'll remind you of Northwestern's Dan Persa.

The top receiver is Marvin McNutt, who at 6'4" is nearly as dangerous as Notre Dame's Michael Floyd.

Marcus Coker, the primary ball carrier, has already rushed for 969 yards.

“He’s physical," Hoke raved about Coker. "Number one, he’s got very good definitive vision, and when he plants his foot and wants to get north and south, he gets north and south. I think he’s a physical runner. He’s 225, 230 pounds. Defensively, Iowa has been better, as they are young everywhere except corner."

So, it looks like the Wolverines might have an advantage when they have the ball, and the Hawkeyes might have a slight edge when they have it. That may explain why the oddsmakers have installed Michigan as 3.5- to 4-point favorites.