Not many are giving Michigan football a chance at Ohio State on Saturday and Wolverines defensive coordinator Wink Martindale can understand why.
As Martindale has shared his concerns about facing the Buckeyes, he also knows there’s a path to victory for the maize and blue. He told Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan Football radio show that while the important thing for the defense is to go out there and play fast, with full knowledge of what they’re being tasked with, there’s a lot more on the table in terms of plays that can be called.
The way he sees it, just so long as the players execute what’s called, Michigan will be in good shape.
“Somebody asked me this the other day. A pro scout said, ‘How much of your package have you run since you’ve been here?'” Martindale said. “And it’s really about, honestly, about 25% of the package. So we have a big library to pull from. The kids do a fantastic job to adjust into anything different that we do.
“And I think, also, this is one of those games that you just line up and go play, too. So it’s going to be a great challenge for us. We know we’re the underdog going into it, and as long as we don’t play like the underdog, we’ll be all right.”
So, what does the defense have to do? While Martindale’s answer is somewhat all-encompassing, he does accurately assess the challenge that the Wolverines face.
“This is going to sound like a double-edged sword: you need to stop the run and not letting ball get over your head,” Martindale said. “And, to do that, you’re going to have to stop the run sometimes with a lighter box. And we’ve been pretty good at doing that. So that’s going to be the biggest challenge.
“I know Chip. I’ve gone against Chip before. He’s a very talented playcaller, and it’s going to be a great challenge.”
Since 2001, the team that’s run for more yards in The Game has won. Ohio State has become much more balanced in recent years and Chip Kelly has turned the Buckeye offense into a much more viable running team. But, Ryan Day wants to pass the ball, so limiting the deep shots will be paramount for the Michigan defense if it’s to have a chance.