[jwplayer hpdi49yU-XNcErKyb]

The eve of the 116th edition of ‘The Game’ is upon us in this 150th year of college football.

The buzz of anticipation surrounding this season’s match-up has made for plenty of hypothesizing and speculation. Ohio State comes into Ann Arbor ranked No. 1 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings and approaching juggernaut status. Despite the Buckeye fanfare, the No. 13 ranked Michigan Wolverines are looking forward to Saturday’s showdown with quiet confidence.

Michigan’s offense vs. the OSU defense

The Michigan offense has found its groove in the last 8 games of this first season under Josh Gattis’ direction. It has been the ability to run the ball and keep the offense balanced, which has created the big-play capability of late. A good mix of the option game, designed tailback runs, and now quarterback runs, has forced opposing defenses to overplay the box. When opponents have loaded up defenders against the run, Shea Patterson has found his speedy outside targets in space.

There is no doubt, however, that the Wolverines offense will have their toughest challenge of the season against Ohio State. The Buckeyes have produced what many believe is the best defense in the country, leading the nation in both scoring defense and fewest yards per game. This unit is loaded with NFL talent across the board, most notably defensive end Chase Young.

This is a senior-led, athletic, and fundamentally sound defense running a 4-3 base and multiple coverages on the back end. The secondary is not afraid to play press-man coverage with a single-high safety, then mix it up with zone late in the game and on third downs. Many times against Penn State, the Buckeyes would show press-cover-1 and then drop into a cover-3 scheme at the snap. Cornerbacks Jeffrey Okudah and Damon Arnette are both capable of locking down the outside routes long enough for the dangerous Buckeye pass rush to get home.

The paramount concern of the Michigan offense will be executing versus this exceptional Ohio State front four. Jashon Cornell and Davon Hamilton anchor the inside of the defensive line, complementing the unique talents of Chase Young off the edge. Cornell and Hamilton are very athletic in their own right, creating many ways to disrupt the interior of an opponent’s offensive line. Watch for the Buckeyes to slant and twist these interior linemen against zone-blocked run plays, in order to free up linebackers in the hole.

Chase Young might possibly be the best player in the country right now. Ohio State co-defensive coordinators Jeff Hafley and Greg Mattison are continuing to find ways to unleash Young’s talents. In their base 4-3, Chase Young often plays the 6-technique or 7-technique, coming off the edge. On third downs, however, they will stand him up in a 2-point and stem him all over the field like a linebacker. The offensive line’s call will dictate that blitzing linebackers typically get picked up in pass protection by the running back. Therefore creating a mismatch of epic proportions. Even when Young goes head to head with an offensive tackle, he is almost impossible to block 1-on-1. His speed and balance allow him to bend the corner on offensive tackles with efficiency. The outside rush collapses the pocket, then Young closes his upfield hip and cuts off the quarterback as he climbs the pocket. Michigan tackles Jon Runyan and Jalen Mayfield will need to have flawless footwork to keep balance and aggressive hands to strike first. Chase Young is very adept at using his hands to gain leverage and control an offensive lineman with his upper body strength.

The Ohio State defense is experienced and well-coached, so their defense is capable of calling audibles and changing their scheme on the fly. If Michigan tries to run odd sets like the “wildcat” or double quarterback looks with McCaffrey, the Buckeyes will sniff it out. Big plays may also be hard to come by, considering the team speed and ability of Ohio State’s free safety Jordan Fuller. Look for Josh Gattis to be patient, taking what the Buckeyes give him, utilizing any match-up advantage he can find. A lot of motion and formation shifts may be used to get an extra blocker in position to combo or chip on Chase Young. We could also see a lot of play-action out of option and RPO looks, as well as the bubble screens and tunnel screens with Ronnie Bell, Peoples-Jones and Sainristil. If the Wolverines can establish physicality along the front and find a rhythm, the running game might get rolling, and then open up the deep ball too.

OSU’s offense vs. the Michigan defense

The Ohio State offense is averaging 49.8 points per game and putting up over 500 yards of offense a game. They are led by the fourth-best rushing attack in the land, featuring running back J.K. Dobbins and dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields. The real heroes of that Buckeye run game are the big guys up front, however. The offensive line has been anchored by guards Jonah Jackson and Wyatt Davis, and center Josh Meyers. Those interior three have been the key to running the staples of the Ohio State offense: the inside zone and outside zone option runs. Just as important for the Buckeyes option game has been J.K. Dobbins’s ability to patiently wait for running lanes.

The inside zone option to Dobbins is often complemented by the Buckeyes’ “batch” play that features the outside zone look with the inside quarterback run. This is just one of many ways Ryan Day will get Fields into running situations. Look for possible quarterback draws or waggle plays where Fields moves outside of the pocket with an option to throw. One thing we could see on Saturday that we didn’t see in the Urban Meyer gameplans: the Buckeyes quarterback under center. Ryan Day has brought back some of the single-back sets and offset-I formations that he ran at Boston College. So lookout for some play-action passes to tight ends and fullbacks in the red zone.

The Ohio State passing game has benefited greatly from their dangerous running attack. Justin Fields has completed nearly 70% of his passes for over 2,300 yards, 33 touchdowns, and just one interception. The Buckeyes quarterback has impeccable throwing mechanics and a strong and accurate arm that can get the ball to any route on the field. If he has a downfall, it is his ability to read defenses and quickly work through progressions. We haven’t seen a lot of complex routes from Ohio State this year, with mostly half-field concepts and 2-route reads. If his primary and dump down routes are shut down, he will be looking to run. The key to stopping Fields as a running threat could be mixing in some cover-2, or having a defensive lineman (Hutchinson) or linebacker (Hudson/McGrone) spying him.

Having Carlo Kemp and Michael Dwumfour get a good push in the middle will help immensely on first and second down situations to take away run lanes. Aidan Hutchinson is also going to be key, as he will often be the defensive end put in conflict on the Buckeyes’ “batch” option play. Keeping his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage; trusting his second-level teammates to keep contain, and pressuring Fields at the mesh point, will all be keys. With Dobbins’s ability to read running lanes and make cutbacks, Cam McGrone and Jordan Glasgow also must ensure that they make clean tackles.

Last year in Columbus, one of the major breakdowns for the Wolverines was the inability to reach the quarterback with their pass rush. The extra second or two provided by the Buckeyes’ offensive line gave them time to beat man coverage with crossing routes. To remedy the situation, Don Brown installed more zone concepts hidden within his cover-1 base. He also was afforded more speed and athletic ability on this year’s defense, providing an opportunity for new personnel packages. The nickel and dime looks with four defensive ends in a speedy four-man front have been his favorite answer for fast spread teams. Having Kwity Paye, Michael Danna, Aidan Hutchinson, and Josh Uche all chasing after Justin Fields at once should help add some pressure. Coach Brown has also been able to add more speed and athleticism to his secondary with freshmen Dax Hill and Vincent Gray. Now that the two newcomers have had some experience in Big Ten play, they are contributing to the overall success of the team in a big way.

If this Michigan defense removes the mental block of previous Wolverines losses and executes, they can ensure a victory. A stout defensive performance can keep the crowd engaged and as we all know, you can’t win if you don’t score. This is arguably the most evenly matched any Michigan defense has been versus the Buckeyes in terms of speed and athleticism in recent memory. Adjustments to the scheme have also been made to fit the talents of the personnel.

Could this Jim Harbaugh team be the one to finally breakthrough? I’m just as anxious to find out as you are.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1361]