FootballSaturday, November 25, 2017
8

It’s that one week of the year 

that Michigan fans look forward 
to most, even if it’s the one week 
of the last five years they’ve tried 
most to forget. 

The Michigan football team 

(5-3 Big Ten, 8-3 overall) meets 
No. 8 Ohio State (7-1, 9-2) for the 
rivalry’s 114th game this Saturday 
in Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines have a season 

to salvage, and the Buckeyes have 
hopes for the College Football 
Playoff.

The Daily breaks down this 

year’s rivalry matchup.

Michigan pass offense vs. 

Ohio State pass defense

Without 
redshirt 
freshman 

quarterback 
Brandon 
Peters, 

the starting duties fall back on 
fifth-year senior John O’Korn. 
O’Korn’s mid-season stretch of 
games showed little promise, 
though, as he completed just 
50.6 percent of his passes and 
averaged just 140.7 yards through 
his three full starts.

The Wolverines’ receivers — 

with the exception of freshman 
Donovan Peoples-Jones — have 
been all but absent since the 
original 
starting 
quarterback, 

redshirt junior Wilton Speight, 
suffered an injury against Purdue 
in September. Sophomore tight 
end Sean McKeon and redshirt 
sophomore tight end Zach Gentry 
were two of Peters’ favorite 
targets.

The 
Buckeyes’ 
secondary, 

while still a top-20 pass defense, 
might be Ohio State’s one weak 
link. It has allowed an average 
of 177 receiving yards per game. 
Regardless, 
the 
Buckeyes’ 

defensive line has an opportunity 
to tear up the Wolverines’ pass 
protection. The line has tallied 
2.6 sacks per game, and might 
be able to increase that count 
against Michigan.

If the Buckeyes can get through 

to the Wolverines’ quarterback, 
they will surely hinder an already 
out-of-rhythm offense.

Ohio State’s only Big Ten loss 

came when Iowa passed for 226 
yards and five touchdowns, but 
it’s difficult to imagine Michigan 
stringing together a performance 
like that.

Edge: Ohio State
Michigan rush offense vs. 

Ohio State rush defense

The Wolverines have to hope 

that junior running back Karan 
Higdon and sophomore running 
back Chris Evans can contribute 

more than they did against 
Wisconsin. Last week, the pair 
combined for just 45 yards.

In the three games before, 

Evans 
and 
Higdon 
averaged 

a combined 263 yards and 2.6 
touchdowns per game.

The Wolverines will need that 

level of production, but they 
might not have a shot to reach it. 
Ohio State has the tendency to get 
into high-scoring shootouts, but 
most of its opponents’ points are 
coming in the air.

The Buckeyes have allowed just 

nine rushing touchdowns this 
season, and they managed to hold 
one of the Big Ten’s best running 
backs, 
Penn 
State’s 
Saquon 

Barkley, to just 44 yards when the 
two teams met in October.

Edge: Ohio State
Ohio State pass offense vs. 

Michigan pass defense

This will be the most pivotal 

matchup to watch.

Ohio State quarterback J.T. 

Barrett averages 245 passing 
yards per game. Michigan’s pass 
defense, however, allows just 144.

Michigan 
also 
gets 
an 

extra boost with the return of 
sophomore 
cornerback 
Lavert 

Hill, who suffered a concussion 
two weeks ago against Maryland. 
Hill and sophomore cornerback 

David 
Long 
will 
both 
be 

imperative to shutting down the 
Buckeye’s top receivers — Parris 
Campbell and K.J. Hill.

Urban 
Meyer 
has 
plenty 

more receiving weapons than 
Campbell and Hill, though. Ten 
different Buckeyes have receiving 
touchdowns this year, led by 
receiver Johnnie Dixon, who has 
10 of his own.

Potentially Ohio State’s most 

dangerous offensive weapon will 
actually be tight end Marcus 
Bough. At 6-foot-5, Bough has all 
the characteristics of someone 
that could trouble the Wolverines’ 
pass defense. Michigan struggled 
immensely against Penn State’s 
6-foot-6 tight end Mike Gesicki 
because the Wolverines don’t 
have the physical size to match 
up.

Edge: Ohio State
Ohio State rush offense vs. 

Michigan rush defense

This 
critical 
matchup 

offers a menu full of young 
talent. Michigan’s two fastest 
linebackers, sophomores Devin 
Bush and Khaleke Hudson, will 
have to chase down Ohio State’s 
top two running backs, freshman 
J.K. Dobbins and sophomore 
Mike Weber.

Dobbins is having a stellar 

freshman 
season 
with 

1,069 rushing yards and six 
touchdowns, and he is also 
followed by Barrett, who has 689 
yards.

Michigan’s 
defensive 
line, 

though, should be up for the 
challenge. 
Fifth-year 
senior 

tackle 
Maurice 
Hurst 
and 

sophomore end Rashan Gary 
are two of the Big Ten’s best 
D-linemen, and they will make it 
difficult for Ohio State to open up 
any gaps inside.

And when Dobbins, Barrett 

and Weber try to run around 
them, Bush and Hudson will 
follow in pursuit.

Edge: Michigan
Special teams
Michigan redshirt freshman 

kicker Quinn Nordin finally hit 
a field goal after missing three 
attempts in the previous four 
games.

He converted a 39-yard field 

goal against the Badgers and 
lit up in excitement. Assuming 
Nordin’s rough patch is over and 
done, he could be crucial again 
if Michigan struggles in the red 
zone.

The 
Wolverines’ 
freshman 

punter 
Brad 
Robbins 
has 

strengths and weaknesses to 
note. While Robbins, an Ohio 
native 
himself, 
averages 
just 

around 40 yards per punt, he 
forces returners to make fair-
catch calls often with how long of 
a hang time he manages.

Neither 
Ohio 
State 
nor 

Michigan has a kick return 
touchdown this year, but the 
Wolverines do have one punt 
return for a score all the way back 
in September.

Both teams haven’t had any 

major contributions from their 
special teams this year.

Edge: Push
Intangibles
Ohio State has a lot on the line. 

The Buckeyes would surely be out 
of the playoff picture with a third 
loss, even though they are already 
moving on to the conference 
championship game.

Michigan, on the other hand, 

doesn’t have much going for it 
outside of pride. Having already 
lost the three biggest games of 
their season, it’s tough to see the 
Wolverines pulling out this last 
one.

Edge: Ohio State
Prediction: Ohio State 24, 

Michigan 7
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines have an opportunity to spoil Ohio State’s season Saturday while also salvaging their own to some degree.

Breakdown: Michigan vs. No. 8 Ohio State

TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

