Ohio State vs. Michigan roundtable preview: Breaking down The Game across enemy lines

We participated in a roundtable preview and discussion with other Michigan and Ohio State writers on The Game. Here’s where it all went.

3 reasons Ohio State will win…

Pete Fiutak

  1. Chase Young.
  2. The offensive line doesn’t get nearly the credit it deserves. It has the ability to line up and blast away.
  3. It’s Jim Harbaugh vs. Ohio State.

Matthew Lounsberry

  1. The backfield duo of Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins has been unstoppable all season
  2. Ohio State’s defense has playmakers at all 3 levels, led by ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ Chase Young
  3. The Buckeyes have a mental advantage, having won seven in a row

Brandon Knapp

  1. Chase Young
  2. Justin Fields knows how to pick apart defenses
  3. Secondary will give Michigan receivers trouble

Phil Harrison

  1. Talent. It sounds simple, but Ohio State is just the better team across the board. The amount of skill on this team might be the best we’ve seen in a long, long time. There’s NFL guys all over the roster, and when things break down, OSU’s guys might be able to just go beat the other one in Maize and Blue on the other side of the ball more often than not.
  2. Coaching. Urban Meyer had a lot of tendencies towards the tail end of his career (Q-run anyone?) I think a lot of the success Ohio State has had this year is because Day is more unpredictable with his play calling. He’s aggressive, but he’s also calculated at times. Because of that, it’s often hard to get a beat on what the Buckeyes will do in certain situations.
  3. Justin Fields. Sometimes you just have the dude. Not to take anything away from Chase Young on the defensive line, but Fields is the key in this one. His ability to keep some of the defensive pressure honest, and take an assignment away for fear of what he can do with his legs is a huge bonus for Ohio State. He’s stronger than anyone knows, yet can run a 4.3. He’ll make more than a key play or two to keep drives going.

Isaiah Hole

  1. Ohio State is simply deeper and more talented across the board. I don’t think it’s by as wide a margin as some might suggest, but it is real and more talented teams tend to win.
  2. Ryan Day exploited Don Brown’s defense last year, and he very well could do it again. OSU just has too many options for Michigan to cover, and there’s a strong chance that the Wolverines cannot make the Buckeyes one-dimensional or stop them enough.
  3. While Michigan looks like it’s peaking, and while I hate this narrative, it’s certainly possible that the Wolverines just don’t play it’s A-game. We saw it all game against Wisconsin and in the first-half at Penn State. If Michigan starts slow, this game is all but over.
NEXT: 5 bold predictions that will happen regardless…
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