Michigan football has its toughest challenge yet of the 2026 season, but to hear the defending national champion head coach tell it, the challenge is on his side of the table.
Curt Cignetti just lost his first game at home in Bloomington, the first in two-and-a-half years, and now he'll be making his first-ever trip to Ann Arbor to face a Wolverines team that's likely surging with confidence after beating Penn State with Tommy Carr at the helm.
Cignetti opened up his Monday press conference both lamenting the Hoosiers' loss to Ohio State, which was a bit more self-inflicted with two missed field goals and wide receiver Nick Marsh running his would-be touchdown route out of bounds, as well as speaking of the challenge of facing the maize and blue.
"All right, out of the frying pan into the fires; we get ready for Michigan," Cignetti said. "Impressive team, especially on defense. But great effort on Saturday, great football game. We fell short. Plain and simple, we had great effort and had our opportunities for sure. In some ways, we beat ourselves, which is uncharacteristic of this football team. But I think we certainly proved we're capable. And we just have to clean up a couple areas. And use this setback to learn and grow, come back stronger and better.
"So, really tough opponent this week. Michigan made a quarterback change second half of Penn State. Gave them a shot in the arm, scored three second-half touchdowns to win the game. Really impressed with their defense, their quickness, their tenacity. The way they play, play in, play out, the way they run the ball. This is a top-flight defense.
"Offensively, they've got good running backs. Quarterback came in, played really well. I mean, the other quarterback has a cannon and can run, makes a lot of plays with his legs. And so, they'll be feeling pretty good about themselves after that victory. It'd be a very physical football game again, our eighth game in a row. So, looking forward here, not backward. And this will be a very tough challenge."
Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham was mum when asked who would start at quarterback, but Cignetti assumes that it will be Tommy Carr at the helm over Bryce Underwood. However, he says that he wouldn't be surprised to see both on the field at the same time, which could jibe with Whittingham's assertion that he has a plan for the game on Monday.
That said, Indiana will prepare for both, and it appears go back to look at some Utah film as well, to see how Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck handled two QBs.
"You can see what you need to see in the second half of Penn State, in my opinion, which I watched," Cignetti said. "I'd assume it would be him. There could be two quarterbacks on the field at the same time. That would not surprise me. They did a lot of that at Utah, and the other guy can make plays. So, schematically, they didn't change a whole lot in the second half."
Michigan and IU will kick off at The Big House at 12:10 p.m. EDT, with the game set to be broadcast nationally on Fox.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Curt Cignetti praises Michigan defense, weighs in on QB situation
