Angelique S. Chengelis, Connor Earegood, John Niyo, and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News predict the outcome of Saturday’s Michigan-Purdue game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor (7 p.m., Big Ten Network/94.7 FM).
▶ Angelique S. Chengelis: Michigan is in playoff-or-bust mode, and while the Wolverines weren’t particularly dominant at Michigan State, they got the win and moved on. The game is the day after Halloween and Purdue isn’t exactly scary, but they are better coached now under Barry Odom. The Boilermakers’ two-quarterback routine shouldn’t bother the Michigan defense too much, but the Wolverines could be handicapped a bit at linebacker. Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood needs to bounce back from last week’s tepid performance at MSU, but this game will feature a steady amount of Jordan Marshall carries. Pick: Michigan, 28-10
▶ Connor Earegood: Purdue is a better team than it was last year, but it still isn’t good. Quarterback Ryan Browne (Clarkston) turns the ball over a lot (seven picks on the year). On defense the Boilermakers struggle to string together stops. An improved performance against a bad Rutgers team nearly snapped Purdue’s 13-game Big Ten losing streak, but a 27-24 defeat kept the tough times rolling. Michigan is banged up in this one, but it’s still more talented and will play in front of a rowdy home crowd. Unless the Wolverines start thinking too far ahead, this should be a win. Pick: Michigan, 28-6
▶ John Niyo: Purdue has lost a school-record 14 straight Big Ten games, hasn’t beaten a Power Four team in nearly two full years and hasn’t won a conference game on the road since 2022. So there’s no real upset alert here. But a post-rivalry letdown for Michigan wouldn’t be a surprise, especially if a few key starters are sitting out Saturday’s game with injuries. The Boilermakers don’t tackle well enough to get off the field consistently, they own the third-worst turnover margin in FBS (minus-11) and don’t be surprised if they make a switch at quarterback if things start poorly against the Wolverines. Pick: Michigan, 31-14
▶ Bob Wojnowski: Purdue is winless in the Big Ten and has lost six straight overall, but Michigan is in no position to look past anyone. The Boilermakers use two quarterbacks, neither overly impressive. Ryan Browne completes 59.5% of his passes with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. Obviously this is an opponent the Wolverines should handle, but with mounting injuries, including the uncertainty of running back Justice Haynes, it could be tight for a while. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but it’s probably time for Bryce Underwood to run a bit more, to boost a sometimes-sluggish offense. The Boilermakers rank 100th in the nation in scoring (22.9 points) and 108th in completion percentage (59.1%). Wink Martindale’s defense should flex, and force at least two turnovers. Pick: Michigan, 30-6
