Tennessee football: Vols, SEC, top 25 predictions for Week Six of 2019
No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 19 Michigan Wolverines
Line: Michigan -3.5; Over/Under: 47.5; TV: Fox
Saturday, Oct. 5 at Noon E.T.; Michigan Stadium; Ann Arbor, Mich.
Although Tennessee football has concerns about Jeremy Pruitt, the Michigan Wolverines are all-out ready to turn on Jim Harbaugh. He has consistently had 10-win seasons in Ann Arbor, but that’s not what he was paid to do, and now, in his fifth year, people are searching for more results.
On Saturday, he has a must-win game against an Iowa Hawkeyes team that is one of those typical Kirk Ferentz programs to show up every four to five years. They win with dominating defense and an overpowering game in the trenches, and they have already proven they can win close games, beating the Iowa State Cyclones 18-17 on the road.
Michigan has already struggled severely with a team built like Iowa, getting blown out by the Wisconsin Badgers. Can they recover from that at home on Saturday? Harbaugh is not always trustworthy with his back against the wall, but there is no excuse for him not to be able to win this game. Can he deliver?
Prediction
Harbaugh’s criticism is warranted, but we should bet on him to pull this one off. Michigan is at home, they have the horses, and Iowa, despite its use of running backs by committee, has nobody on the level of Jonathan Taylor. This will be a run-heavy game, so put all your money on the under. But Michigan wins and covers just barely.