Andrew Sprague out, Rod Moore questionable vs. Indiana

The availability reports dropped Wednesday night, and the 2 teams are walking into the Big House looking very different.

Jared Kelly

@Jared_Kelly7

Indiana vs. Michigan: First Injury Report IU has no players listed. Khobie Martin is expected to return. Michigan All-Big Ten OL Andrew Sprague is out, and starting safety Rod Moore is questionable. #iufb

Start with Sprague, because that's the one that stings. Michigan's starting right tackle was already ruled out for last weekend's Penn State game, so this isn't a new injury. It means the Wolverines go another week without one of their best blockers. The report hasn't said what's wrong with him or how long he'll be out, and that's not comforting this deep into October.

Then it gets worse up front. Sprague being out is one thing. Having 3 more starting offensive linemen listed as questionable is a different problem: if even 2 of them can't go, Michigan is patching together a line against a defense that just won the national title. Rod Moore being questionable at safety is the other big name. He's the veteran in that secondary, and losing him would leave the back end thin against a Hoosiers offense that will happily test it.

Clayton Sayfie

@CSayf23

Availability report for Michigan vs. Indiana Jyaire Hill and John Henry Daley not listed. Rod Moore questionable. Three starting OL questionable. Thoughts?

The silver lining for Michigan is who's missing from the report. Jyaire Hill and John Henry Daley aren't on it, so for now both are expected to be available. The full picture won't be clear until the later reports come out this week, but the first one is lopsided.

Indiana, on the other hand, is about as healthy as a team gets in Week 8.

Alec Lasley

@allasley

Completely clean availability report for Indiana ahead of its road game this weekend. Appears Khobie Martin is good to make his return this week. #iufb

Getting Khobie Martin back is a big deal. The running back hurt his forearm in the first quarter of the season opener against North Texas and hasn't played since. Curt Cignetti said earlier this week that Indiana was "optimistic on him," and a clean report backs that up. Martin played 14 games for the title team last year and put up 519 yards from scrimmage and 6 touchdowns, and he gives a run game that's been struggling a weapon it hasn't had all season.

So on paper it's a healthy Indiana team getting a starter back against a Michigan team holding its breath on 4 starters plus Sprague. Watch the Thursday and Friday reports. If those 3 linemen and Moore get upgraded, it's a ballgame. If they don't, Michigan is playing the defending champs with a patchwork line, and that's bad news in any stadium.