Roundtable: Breaking down The Game – Page 3

The lines are playing well enough to hold up. The run defense had one bad game against Wisconsin. That’s it.
Shea Patterson is on. He’s looking and playing comfortable and he’s not making the big mistakes.
It’s Justin Fields in a really, really, really big game. Let’s see.

Shea Patterson has regained his confidence and is playing his best football
Michigan’s defense has been lights out since the Wisconsin game
Nico Collins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Ronnie Bell form one of the top receiving trios in the nation

Peaking at the right time – The Wolverines have played their best football over the past month, which is exactly they needed to have a chance to beat Ohio State. The Michigan team that scraped by Army and got blown out by Wisconsin probably would have been blown out by the Buckeyes, too, but the Wolverines are playing at a higher level now, making them a dangerous team that even the undefeated Buckeyes need to be legitimately concerned about.
Home-field advantage – Michigan hasn’t lost a home game since 2017 (against Ohio State), and Ohio State hasn’t faced a real road test all year. The Buckeyes have won each of their first four road games this year in dominant fashion, but a trip to the Big House will be far more hostile than Indiana, Nebraska, Northwestern or Rutgers. That will put a different kind of pressure on the Buckeyes that they’ll have to prove they can handle.
Time to flip the script – The Wolverines are long overdue for a win over the Buckeyes, Michigan-killer Urban Meyer is no longer on Ohio State’s sideline and Jim Harbaugh certainly doesn’t want to be 0-5 in the rivalry game. It seems like Michigan has placed a bigger emphasis on The Game and preparing for it than in past years, which it had to do because of the emphasis Ohio State places on it. That just might be what the Wolverines need to turn the tables.

Quiet confidence. There’s not the talk we’ve heard from this Michigan team in the past. The leaders on this team seem to have more respect for the rivalry and maybe that’ll translate to a better mindset and preparation.
The improvement curve. I wasn’t sold on the couple of games we saw initially, but now there’s no doubt this team is better than the one that struggled against Army and Wisconsin. Not only does Don Brown have the defense rockin’ again, but the offense is hitting its stride and can create some mismatches on the outside.
Revenge. It could be time. Though last year was pegged as the revenge tour, I get the sense it’s for real this time. Michigan is tired of hearing about Ohio State and more tired of being the brunt of jokes because of last year. Emotion will be high behind a home crowd ready to bust at the seams.

Line play on both sides. The offensive line seems to have figured everything out from the early struggles and seem like it can protect Shea Patterson amply as well as open up cavernous holes for the running backs. The defensive line looked like a liability early on but has become a dominant force since the Iowa game. If the Wolverines can dictate the game up front, they’ll win.
Homefield advantage. Know it’s been said already, but who’s the best team Ohio State has faced on the road? Indiana. Wisconsin and Penn State were both in Columbus and both teams limped into the Horseshoe. Justin Fields played well in hostile Nebraska, but the Huskers don’t belong in the same league as either of these teams at the moment. If the going gets rough, really for the first time all year, can Ohio State handle it in what could be a raucous environment? Also, the Wolverines are undefeated at home with Shea Patterson at QB. Speaking of which…
Shea Patterson. He’s been lights out the past few weeks, and I have a sneaking suspicion he’ll be a much bigger factor in the run game as well. If he can play with the same amount of confidence as he has in recent weeks as well as keep the Buckeyes off-balance, the maize and blue have a shot.

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