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As part of our continuing coverage on The Game — which kicks off at noon EST on Saturday — we asked friend of WolverinesWire, Dan Hope (beat writer covering Ohio State football for the site Eleven Warriors) and Phil Harrison, (publisher of our sister site BuckeyesWire), to answer some questions about the Buckeyes to try and get a better understanding of what could happen on Saturday.
Ohio State looks like the best, most complete team in the country. What’s made it so good in Ryan Day’s first year as the head coach?
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Everything has come together as well as anyone could have imagined through Ryan Day’s first 11 games as head coach. Justin Fields has made few rookie mistakes and has been superb in his first season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. His ability to both pass and run the ball has made Ohio State’s offense tougher to defend, as has an improved offensive line (particularly in the running game) and a resurgence from J.K. Dobbins following a disappointing 2018 season. Defensively, Ohio State has improved exponentially thanks in large part to the new defensive coaches Day hired, who have implemented a new scheme that fits the players’ strengths and has them playing fast and confident.
The Buckeyes are loaded with future NFL players on both sides of the ball, and their buy-in to what Day and the rest of the coaching staff are preaching to them has been evident. The players also talk constantly about how much they care about each other and how much they are enjoying being a part of this team, and I believe there is a tremendously high level of chemistry and confidence within the team right now that is empowering them to play at their best.
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire
I always thought the demise of Ohio State was greatly exaggerated. Any other year with Urban Meyer, and with the returning talent, the Buckeyes would have been a consensus top three team. All the question marks had answers. Ryan Day had his hands all over the offense the last couple of years and knows the culture. It was about as smooth transition as you can have with a head coaching change. At quarterback, Justin Fields is one of most highly rated recruits to ever come out of high school. I thought his abilities would make the OSU offense more dangerous as long as he could get a good handle on the offense. He has. And though the offensive line replaced lost starters, it do so with guys that already had experience, either at Ohio State or elsewhere. The simplified scheme on defense has really put all those athletes in position to be successful too. All of that together has resulted in one of the most complete teams we’ve seen in Columbus in quite some time.
We talked in the offseason about Greg Mattison improving fundamentals on defense. What have you seen and why has the defense improved so much this year over last year?
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
When Mattison and the rest of Ohio State’s new defensive coaches arrived this offseason, their goal was to simplify the Buckeyes’ defensive scheme so that their players would be thinking less and playing faster. Mission accomplished. Unlike last year, when Ohio State’s defenders were constantly out of position and chasing plays from behind, this year’s Buckeyes have looked confident from the beginning and have swarmed to the ball while rarely making the kind of mistakes that lead to big offensive plays.
Mattison and fellow co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley have sought to play each of their players to their strengths instead of trying to fit them into a predetermined scheme, and they’ve used a variety of different packages and lineups to allow them to match up with each opponent without forcing their players to drastically change what they’re doing from week to week.
Most of the Buckeyes’ top defenders are returning starters from last year, so their gained experience has certainly been a factor in the defense’s improvement, but I believe the coaching changes have made the biggest difference by far. It’s evident that the Buckeyes’ defensive players have connected with Mattison, Hafley and Al Washington on a deeper level than they did with some of Ohio State’s former defensive coaches, and their confidence has enabled them to maximize their talents instead of constantly feeling like they’re out of their comfort zone.
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire
Mattison has brought so much experience from the NFL level to college that’s invaluable. That and the symbiotic relationship he has with Ryan Day, and the simplified defensive scheme has resulted in a team that plays fast and isn’t too busy trying to out think itself. Marry up athletic ability with clearly defined assignments, sound tackling, and being in the right place is the byproduct of what you are seeing this year.
If there are any perceived weaknesses on this team, what would they be?
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
That’s really difficult to answer because if there is any significant weakness on this Ohio State team, it hasn’t shown up yet. The Buckeyes have been sound in just about every area of the game, and among the best in the country in most. Truthfully, the biggest lingering concern for the Buckeyes is their lack of quarterback depth; if anything happens to Justin Fields, there isn’t another quarterback on the roster who can come close to performing at the same level. Ohio State’s defense has had some minor issues in defending the quarterback run that could potentially become a bigger issue if they play a quarterback who is more dangerous with his legs, and they still haven’t found the kind of impact they’re looking for out of their kick and punt returners. But there is no major area of weakness that I think is ripe to be exploited.
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire
I think Penn State showed that if you have the personnel and scheme to do it, some yards can be had between the tackles against the defense, especially from the quarterback spot. The defensive line gets up the field so much, it can open some over-pursuit angles up inside. You’re not going to get big plays consistently on the outside and in space because of the speed of the defense, but draws and Q-runs are there and for whatever reason, it was hard to adjust to last week.
What concerns you about this matchup?
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Michigan has seemingly hit its stride over its past four games, which has made this matchup look a lot more dangerous than it did a month ago. As well as Shea Patterson has played over the past two weeks, this might be the most dangerous passing offense Ohio State has faced, and Michigan’s defense is certainly one of the best, too. The Wolverines will also be the best team Ohio State has had to play in a road game this season, by far, so it’s still uncertain how the Buckeyes will handle the hostile environment if they end up in a close game. I think this has the potential to be the Buckeyes’ toughest test of the regular season.
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire
A couple of things really. Michigan appears to be playing its best football of the season and has a quiet confidence we haven’t seen in past years. I’ve been critical of the culture of sounding off in the media in years’ past and then not backing it up. This team seems to have a better nucleus of leaders that are respecting the rivalry and saying the right things. The mindset of the Michigan program is in a much better space this year. Add that to the sour taste of what happened last year and I think the Wolverines are coming to play in this one.
Aside from Chase Young, Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins, who are the key players that Michigan fans should be on alert for?
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Michigan fans are probably already on alert for Chris Olave after he caught two touchdowns and blocked a punt in last year’s game, and they should be, as he’s built on that breakout performance to become the Buckeyes’ best wide receiver this year. Defensively, the Buckeyes are loaded with playmakers in the secondary, led by perhaps the nation’s best cornerback in Jeff Okudah as well as Damon Arnette, Shaun Wade and Jordan Fuller. Malik Harrison is the Buckeyes’ top playmaker at linebacker, and up front, DaVon Hamilton has quietly emerged as a major difference-maker alongside Young at nose tackle.
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire
Wide receiver Chris Olave has been very underrated. He’s become the big play threat in the passing game. Michigan fans should remember him well from breaking out in The Game last year, and he’s only gotten better. He runs great routes, might be the fastest guy on the team, and can go up and make plays in traffic. Aside from that, linebacker Malik Harrison is as athletic a linebacker as you’ll see. He’s a big play guy that can roam sideline to sideline and has really come on since the end of last year. And all the guys in the secondary will be in the NFL. From corners Shaun Wade and Damon Arnette, to safety Jordan Fuller, they all have been very stingy and can blanket any passing game.
If Michigan can win this game, how can they do it against this OSU team?
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
They’re going to need to play better on both sides of the ball than any team has played against Ohio State all year, and they’re going to need to force turnovers or make big plays on special teams. Last week’s game against Penn State was the first close game Ohio State has been in all season, and three lost fumbles – two in Penn State territory that led to Nittany Lions points, and one that took a touchdown off the board for the Buckeyes – were the reason why. No team has been able to consistently stop Ohio State’s offense or move the ball on Ohio State’s defense, and I’m not sure Michigan will be able to either, but if the Wolverines can make a couple game-changing plays and put the Buckeyes into a tight spot on the road, they’ll give themselves a chance.
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire
The Wolverines have to slow down the running game of Ohio State, especially in key moments with the ability Justin Fields has in extending drives by moving the chains with his legs. He hasn’t had to run too much this year, but much like what we saw against Penn State, he’ll be needed more in this one against a very good Michigan defense. I expect him to be more a part of the rushing game plan than any other weeks, and how that’s dealt with is going to have a big say in which team wins Saturday. Without fail almost, the team that wins the running battle takes this matchup. It’s no different in 2019.
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