Michigan Football: 3 keys to beating the Ohio State Buckeyes
By Josh LaFond
Third Key: Get Pressure from the Interior Defensive Line
You are going to see a lot of couch quarterbacks this week say something like “Michigan needs to get pressure on CJ Stroud”, or “Aiden Hutchinson and David Ojabo need to have their best games.” While that would be great, it’s not exactly a key to winning.
What is a key to winning however is getting pressure from the interior defensive line, pressuring the Buckeyes in the middle of their line. Why is this important?
Ohio State’s passing game isn’t lightning quick like we saw in 2018, but they are dynamic. That means that the time it would take Hutchinson and Ojabo to get home on sacks is probably not enough.
Speeding up CJ Stroud’s clock in the pocket is crucial to winning this game as it will cause him to take chances and put the ball in places he might not want to.
Not only that but when you factor in their stud frosh running back TreVeyon Henderson and his ability to get 4-5 yards a run, well, Chris Hinton and Mazi Smith need to have their best games of the year.
If the interior defensive line can get a push on the Buckeye offensive line, Michigan football might have more than just a prayer. They will have a legitimate shot at winning this thing.