Michigan Football: Nothing left to do except beat Ohio State

With the nemesis at the gates of the Big House, Michigan football will fight like no other to derail Ohio State’s championship dreams.

There is only one more sleep until the two most hated sports rivals battle in Ann Arbor once again. It will be exactly 371 days since OSU flat-out embarrassed the Wolverines in the previous meeting. The Buckeyes still have a national title to play for, but for Michigan football this is their equivalent to it.

OSU is coming off a high after claiming the Big Ten East to earn itself a trip to Indianapolis. They were finally tested in a rather close affair with Penn State. Ryan Day has taken over seamlessly for Urban Meyer and is now in position to do something that Meyer couldn’t in his first year as head man and that of course is win the whole thing.

Michigan football has been on a roll since losing to Penn State in October. Unfortunately, this will be Jim Harbaugh’s stiffest competition to date. He is under a severe alert need to dethrone the Buckeyes for the first time since he played at U-M. By doing so, Harbaugh can cement his landmark win in five seasons in Ann Arbor.

Shea Patterson is attempting to obtain a perfect 14-0 home record in the Big House. Michigan hasn’t lost at home since 2017 to these same Buckeyes. To end the drought Patterson and his teammates will have to play the game of their lives. In the days leading up to “the game” they are saying it is going to be different, but to halt OSU’s dominance you knowingly need more than just words. Execution, play-calling, being more physical, throw in a few breaks and even some of that Michigan magic that will all have to be in their favor to come out on top.

Michigan’s offensive line has not seen a defensive line like Ohio State’s either. Chase Young gets to the quarterback faster than Usain Bolt. He must get double or even triple teamed for the better part of this one. Ryan Hayes, Sean McKeon, and Nick Eubanks should all be used as extra blockers when necessary. As seen in prior outings, giving Patterson time to run the offense can lead to more of his recent hot play.

On defense, Don Brown has got to find a way to slow down the RPO attack. OSU has owned the ground game recently and the results prove it. The way that Michigan’s ends and linebackers read the run-pass option might just be the key to neutralizing their high-octane offense. If the maize and blue can maintain pressure on Fields throughout, then that may spark some mistakes made by the Georgia transfer as seen against Penn State. Michigan is currently ranked second in the FBS at pressuring the opposing QB’s.

No matter how it plays out, it is going to be a war like it is every time this rivalry takes center stage.

Michigan football will fight to replicate what the basketball team is doing on the court by making this Thanksgiving week one to remember in the annals of Michigan history. The Michigan Wolverine universe is overwhelmingly ready to fire their next shot and ruin the Buckeyes season on Saturday afternoon.