The Michigan football team is chasing a national championship with a showdown against rival Michigan State looming next week. Prior to the Wolverines' trip to East Lansing, a home tilt vs. Coach Tom Allen and the Indiana Hoosiers awaits.

Indiana has given Michigan football trouble at various times during Allen's tenure, but the Hoosiers are devoid of star talent this year.

For Michigan, an “us vs. us” mentality has prevailed this season as opponents and pundits like former Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer have done their best to break Coach Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines' disciplined and drama-free approach.

Meyer recently shared words of praise for Harbaugh that have Big Ten and national football fans talking. Harbaugh broke the silence surrounding criticism of his team's 2023 schedule.

Next season, Michigan football will take on a murderer's row of opponents including Oregon football, Texas football, USC football and the usual Big Ten foes including rival Ohio State.

For now, Harbaugh and star quarterback JJ McCarthy are focused on improving each week en route to bigger and better things. He shredded the Minnesota Golden Gophers for 219 yards through the air this past weekend, completing 14 of 20 passes in an efficient effort that is quickly becoming his trademark.

Recently it was revealed that McCarthy, a Heisman candidate who hails from La Grange Park, Ill., has been donating some of his NIL (name, image and likeness) earnings to his star-studded offensive line teammates.

“It shows the character that he has and how much love and trust that he has in the offensive lineman,” Paw Paw, Mich., native and Michigan football offensive tackle Karsen Barnhardt said about McCarthy.

So far this year McCarthy's approach to keeping his O-line happy appears to be working. The Michigan football team's offensive line has given up just three sacks all season, tied with the Iowa State Cyclones for the best number in NCAA Division I so far.