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It’s arguably the greatest rivalry in all of sports, and the biggest game of the year in college football for the two respective programs, no matter either’s record coming in.
Michigan and Ohio State this year, however, are both coming in as highly-rated teams, with the Wolverines ranked No. 13, while the Buckeyes are the No. 1 team in the country. The Game this year will be played in Ann Arbor however, and the maize and blue have been rolling after losing twice earlier this season.
To break down the game, the WolverinesWire staff and College Football News’ Pete Fiutak welcome in guests Dan Hope from Ohio State site Eleven Warriors and BuckeyesWire’s Phil Harrison to get a holistic sense of what can be expected in The Big House on Saturday.
Michigan wins if…
Pete Fiutak, College Football News
It starts forcing mistakes right away and is fearless.
The pressure is ALL on Ohio State – it’s supposed to win this thing in a walk. Penn State had its chances last week to take control of the game – even though it was getting dominated – but didn’t have the ability to do it. However – even though the Nittany Lions beat the Wolverines – Michigan is playing better and at this point is the better team. Justin Fields was fine when hit with adversity, but it’s not like Ohio State was really in trouble. There’s still a bit of a “prove it” factor in the really, really big games with everything on the line.
Matthew Lounsberry, WolverinesWire
The key to a Michigan victory is keeping quarterback Shea Patterson upright and allowing him time to find his receivers. The Wolverines have weapons on the outside in Nico Collins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Ronnie Bell and others. If has time to throw, those receivers are talented enough to make big plays.
Additionally, defensive coordinator Don Brown must show he’s got answers for Ohio State’s explosive offense. Michigan’s defense was shredded last season. The Wolverines have shown different looks this season to combat some of the ways the Buckeyes attacked them last year, but Ohio State will have seen those adjustments on film. Brown has to have contingencies ready this season.
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
The Wolverines play better on both sides of the ball than any team has against Ohio State all year. That’s easier said than done, but it’s what they’ll need to do. Ohio State has dominated just about every team it’s played this year – even in its closest game of the year against Penn State last weekend, the Buckeyes still outgained the Nittany Lions by nearly 200 yards, and could have won by three or four scores if not for turnovers – as no one has found a way to consistently stop Ohio State’s offense or score on Ohio State’s defense yet.
The Wolverines have enough talent to beat the Buckeyes if they play their best football, but they are going to have to win this game with their preparation and come in with a game plan that exposes weaknesses that none of Ohio State’s first 11 opponents could.
Brandon Knapp, WolverinesWire
Michigan has to own the football like it’s theirs and they don’t want the Buckeyes to play. If Michigan can control the TOP and not just by a few minutes, but by 10+ minutes then they can win this game.
Having the No. 1 defense on the field for as long as possible can drain them and eventually wear them down to where they can’t keep up to the Michigan offense. While Michigan’s offense will be tired too, that means the defense will be fresh and ready to stop the Buckeyes offense.
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire
It absolutely has to limit the Justin Fields in the running game.
If you know the history of this rivalry, the team that wins the running battle in late November almost always comes away the victor (no pun intended there). But it’s especially important for Michigan to make life difficult on not only J.K. Dobbins, but most importantly Justin Fields. That’s because unlike last year, things start with the rushing game for OSU this year. The Buckeyes are fourth in the country in yards per game behind just the three service academies and still looked to get things crankin’ on the ground against a stout Penn State defense by calling more QB-runs for Fields. You can bet it’ll be the same in this one, and those key chain moving plays are going to be huge.
Isaiah Hole, WolverinesWire
Michigan plays at a consistent high-level throughout the game. That means keeping Ohio State off-balance on both sides of the ball.
The Wolverines have to stay aggressive on defense, especially considering OSU is 83rd in the country in sacks allowed. Forcing Fields into obvious passing downs and getting off the field on third down will be imperative. In a game like this, despite the threats downfield, stopping the run is more important than the pass. OSU is more dominant in time of possession than a year ago, and it can run the clock if it wants to, given its diversity with Fields, J.K. Dobbins and Master Teague.
On the other side of the ball, the offense has to take what is given. It might not be much, given OSU’s stout defense, but Michigan has shown over the course of the last few weeks that it can run the ball well and pass it effectively. If the Buckeyes allow the pass, do that, but don’t become one-dimensional. They can’t rely solely on one aspect over the other, there has to be balance, unless there’s a yet-undiscovered fatal flaw that can be exploited. Perhaps the X-factor on that side is QB Shea Patterson and his ability to keep the ball on the zone-read. We haven’t seen it much lately, but it feels like Michigan has been holding that back for this game.
Finally, Michigan cannot turn the ball over, and probably will need at least one to win the game. A single turnover in a game like this could be devastating, and Michigan needs to win that battle this time around.