ANN ARBOR, Mich. — After 2021, when Michigan football ran, ran, and ran some more on Ohio State in the second half of The Game, head coach Ryan Day knew he needed to make some changes. He brought in Jim Knowles to oversee his defense, and while he made the Buckeyes tougher up front defensively, the result ended up being the same in 2022.
Thus far in 2023, Ohio State’s defense has been particularly stout, coming in second in the country in scoring defense and not allowing much from opposing offenses. Teams can run, but not much. Plays can be had, but they’re not long. So, for Michigan, if it’s to win against its rival on Saturday, it will need to play more like it did in 2021 up front, because OSU doesn’t let you get much.
“It’s definitely a front seven that plays well together,” senior left guard Trevor Keegan said. “They’re stout, they’re athletic. And they’re playing good ball. Really good with their hands, really good technique-wise. It’s definitely a challenge. And we’re excited for it. Obviously, this game, the jerseys that they’re wearing heightens our preparation. So, are we prepared?”
The Buckeyes have several key players up front, particularly on the defensive interior. Tackle Tyleik Williams is the star, but Mike Hall Jr. and Ty Hamilton have also been a lot to contend with. On the edge, Jack Sawyer and J.T Tuimoloau have taken big steps forward year over year.
For right guard Zak Zinter, the offensive line will need to be a bit more cohesive than it has been over the past three weeks if the run game and pass protection is going to have success against the scarlet and gray.
“They’ve got good guys inside and on the edge,” Zinter said. “So we just got to do what we do — focus on little details, feet in the ground, get hands-on, don’t allow too much space. So they’ve got some twitchy guys up front for sure.”
Statistically, Ohio State isn’t much better at run defense than it was a year ago, moving up from No. 26 to No. 21 thus far, but it is allowing 20 fewer yards per game from 2022. Still, Zinter is confident that some of the things that Michigan has in store for the Buckeyes will be successful and that the Wolverines will find some advantages.
“They definitely changed some things on defense so shore it up a little,” Zinter said. “Some gaps schemes here and there but we’re gonna find different ways to attack them and I’m sure they’re gonna have something new for us as well.”