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Michigan football: Game-by-game predictions for the 2017 season

By Matt Snyder

ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 22: Head coach Jim Harbaugh leads the team onto the field while playing the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 22, 2016 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 41-8. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 22: Head coach Jim Harbaugh leads the team onto the field while playing the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 22, 2016 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 41-8. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MI – OCTOBER 29: Gary Bush /

Game 4 at Purdue Boilermakers

Often the transition from the non-conference schedule to the conference season is a transition from cupcake opponents to legitimate ones, but that doesn’t appear to be the case this season with the trip to Purdue.

The Boilermakers were probably a bottom-25 team last season. They finished with a 3-9 overall record and won just a single Big Ten game (against Illinois in overtime). Their other wins came against Nevada and (FCS) Eastern Kentucky. Even if you counted games in which they were within a dozen points as victories they’d only pick up one extra win — they had 26-24 loss to Indiana. Otherwise they were getting blown out week after week.

The Boilermaker defense allowed 445 yards per game last season and had particular trouble stopping the run (they allowed more than five yards per carry). This should be to Michigan’s advantage as they’ll probably have some growing pains with a receiving corps largely populated by underclassmen.

Road games can always be a challenge in the Big Ten, but Purdue looks to have a long way to go before they’re once again a threat in the conference title race. Michigan should have no trouble in this one.

Prediction: Win (4-0)

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