Michigan football: 5 things I want to see from the Wolverines against Indiana

College football season always zips by too fast, and this year is no exception. It seems like the great seasons go by even faster and, so far, this has been a great season for the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan plays it final home game of the year Saturday when its hosts pesky Indiana (4 p.m. ET; TV: Fox Sports 1). The Wolverines have been perfect at home all year and a 9-1 overall and 7-0 in the Big Ten. Indiana is 5-5, but just 2-5 in the Big Ten and is still looking to get bowl eligible.

Here are five things I want to see from Michigan this weekend against Indiana:

1. Don’t let Indiana hang around into the fourth quarter

Indiana is just 5-5 but the Hoosiers have played well for long stretches of their losses and had a chance to beat Ohio State and Penn State late. They’re just an average team, but they play hard and they will hit you on defense. You don’t want them being a play or two away from winning late, so it would be best for Michigan to continue what they’ve been doing, roughing up people early. Get out to a big lead, and Indiana might lose some of that energy — and confidence.

2. Get back to dominating by running the ball often

Michigan has watched a lot of film this week, and they saw Maryland roll up 353 yards on the ground in Bloomington last week. Michigan needs to do the same thing Saturday, handing off the ball to Karan Higdon and company often, and rolling up some big stats. Michigan kept quarterback Shea Patterson out of harm’s way last week, and that’s a wise plan again Saturday. Keeping Patterson healthy for next week’s big showdown with Ohio State is important. Grind it out, get a win and go home.

3. Defense needs to make Indiana one-dimensional

Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey is a nice player, and he can move around and make plays with his feet. He thrown for 18 touchdowns and 2,335 yards, but he falters under pressure and has thrown 11 interceptions. Michigan will have a huge advantage if it can keep Indiana in third-and-long situations. Freshman running back Stevie Scott (894 yards) has had a nice year, so Michigan needs to focus on him, especially on first down, and make Indiana throw the ball.

4. Early turnovers will ignite the Big House

The 100,000-plus in the Big House have loved watching this team play this year and Saturday won’t be any different in the home finale. And nothing gets a crowd excited more than scoring off of early turnovers and jumping out to a quick lead. It would be nice to make this a stress-free three-hour farewell coronation.

5. Keep all key players healthy with Ohio State a week away

Let’s be honest. Everything Michigan wants to accomplish this season can get done with a win at Ohio State next Saturday. It’s a huge game every year, but this year it’s finally Michigan’s time to get over the hump and beat the Buckeyes. That being said, it’s especially important this week to stay healthy so all your best weapons are ready to go next week. Injuries are part of football, so the best formula to avoid them is to get out to an early lead and get the starters off the field as early as you can. The Wolverines are pretty healthy right now, so let’s keep it that way.

Tom Brew

Tom Brew has been a recognized reporter in Big Ten sports for decades. Among other projects, he writes about Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.