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