Getting to Know Michigan with Maize & Blue Review

It's Big Ten Championship week and Purdue enters as a significant underdog against the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan has had an excellent season to date, as they enter undefeated with a No.2 ranking. Purdue has a tough task ahead of it, so let's learn more from the source. this week I spoke with Josh Henschke of Rivals' Maize N' Blue Review to learn more about the Wolverines.

Michigan has been on quite the run the last two years. How did Harbaugh finally get over the hump?

I think the secret sauce to the Michigan program is overhauling the culture in Ann Arbor. Not like it was bad before but it was clear that something had to change. The players established a leadership council, Harbaugh went for a younger approach on the coaching staff and allowed the coordinators to do their jobs without him being so hands-on. Those subtle changes speak volumes as to why the Wolverines are in the position it is today. It's an unrecognizable culture that feels sustainable.

The closest Michigan has come to a loss this year was against Illinois a week after Purdue beat them. How did the Illini nearly spring the upset?

I think a lot of it had to do with Blake Corum getting hurt. It completely gummed up what Michigan likes to do on offense. Couple that with Donovan Edwards missing the game due to injury, it had to rely on inexperienced youth to take over the reigns of the running game. The Illini also play a very similar, physical brand of football. It was a fun game to watch. Defense made plays when it had to and the offense, as much as it tried to give the game away, did just enough to win.

Is there a possibility of a letdown game after an emotional road win at Ohio State?

No chance that happens. The Wolverines are too close to their goals to overlook a team at this point in the year. There's already things being emphasized in practice to focus on Purdue, like changing the 'Beat Ohio' drill reserved for Ohio State and renaming it 'Beat Purdue'. They know the stakes.

The Michigan ground game has been tremendous this year. Is Blake Corum back, or does it matter with Donvan Edwards?

I don't expect to see Blake Corum take the field on Saturday. Donovan Edwards is very capable of handling the workload, as many saw on Saturday against Ohio State. Edwards is the more efficient receiver than Corum, so he adds a little extra to the offense.

What weaknesses does Michigan have on defense that Purdue can exploit?

It's hard to outline what kind of weaknesses Michigan has after what it did to Ohio State. I think the Buckeyes were able to exploit the longball a bit on the defensive backs. I think the DBs are excellent in coverage but are susceptible to the home run ball.

What is the recipe for an upset for Purdue?

I've said all year, the one team that can 'Out-Michigan' Michigan is the team that's going to win. Win the line of scrimmages, out-physical the Wolverines and beat them at their own game. If Purdue can outrush the Wolverines in this one, I think the chances of an upset go up exponentially.