The Michigan Wolverines are preparing for their Big Ten opener against Purdue this weekend with plenty to improve upon from their first three games of the season. Michigan's offense has struggled mightily to this point and leading receiver Tarik Black is out for the foreseeable future with a broken foot, but the Wolverines still have more than enough to get by an improved Boilermakers team with ease. Here are three reasons why Michigan is guaranteed to beat Purdue this season:
1) Michigan doesn't lose conference openers
Michigan is 18-2 in their last 20 Big Ten openers and a stunning 46-3 record in such games since 1968. More impressively, those two losses in the last 20 years came in 2005 - when Michigan went just 7-5 - and in 2014, when they went 5-7 in the final year of the Brady Hoke era.
The Wolverines always seem to be ready for these games and dominated Purdue 44-13 the last time the two sides played in 2012. History certainly points to a big Michigan victory.
2) Dominant defense
Now, let's move to some on-field areas of focus. The biggest thing Michigan has going for them right now is the defense, which has been one of the best units in the entire country this year. This group ranks fifth in the country in yards allowed per game have been giving up less than 15 points per game. Not to mention the Wolverines rank in the top 10 nationally in sacks and rushing yards allowed. Those are elite numbers.
On the flip side, Purdue's offense has been average, ranking in the middle of the country in virtually every statistic. Michigan's defense has already dominated better units and will control this game from start to finish.
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3) Opportunity for the offense to get right
Purdue has played a fine schedule to this point, but their defense has already shown plenty of cracks. They rank 69th in the country in yards allowed per game and aren't in the top 40 in either points allowed per game or rushing yards allowed per game. Ohio - not Ohio State - gained nearly 400 yards of offense against the Boilermakers, who are also allowing over four yards per carry this season. That's great news for Ty Isaac and Michigan's great rushing attack.
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