The Michigan Wolverines travel to Madison to take on Wisconsin this weekend, and with the Badgers sitting at No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings, many don't think Michigan has a chance to win this game. However, it'd be a major mistake to overlook this talented Wolverines team. Here are three reasons why Michigan is guaranteed to win on Saturday:
1) Are we sure Wisconsin is that good?
We all know the Badgers are one of four remaining undefeated teams in college football, but we also know they've played an incredibly weak schedule. Northwestern (No. 23) is the only team they've beaten that is currently ranked, and they've only beaten two Power 5 teams that have a winning record. Simply put, they haven't been tested - and they will be this weekend. How will they respond when they hit their first bit of adversity?
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2) Michigan's dominant defense
Both Michigan and Wisconsin have quality defenses, but there's no denying that the Wolverines have the better unit. The Wolverines have demonstrated their dominance on that side of the ball all season, allowing the third-fewest yards per game (254.8) of anyone in the country and rank in the top 10 in points allowed (16.4 per game). And, perhaps most importantly for this game, have the nation's ninth-best rush defense.
That's crucial because Wisconsin's offense is almost entirely predicated on the run. Freshman running back Jonathan Taylor has become a dark-horse Heisman candidate, but the Badgers have not faced a group with the size, speed, strength, and talent of Michigan. The Wolverines are built to play physical football and stop the run - and they have better players than the Badgers.
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3) Improved Michigan offense under Brandon Peters
The Wolverines are on a three-game winning streak since Peters took over at quarterback (including two starts), and that's no coincidence. He hasn't turned the ball over yet and is giving Michigan's run-heavy offense a somewhat viable passing attack, which has led to them averaging 34.3 points over those last three games compared to just 25.1 points in the seven previous games. That improvement should lead to another Michigan win.
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