Michigan Football: 3 Keys for Wolverines against Ohio State
By Josh LaFond
Michigan football needs to play its best ball of the season to get the job done on the road in Columbus, Ohio. What needs to happen to come out on top?
For the first time since 2006, Michigan football and Ohio State enter The Game 11-0 and for the first time since 2016, this game is a top-3 matchup.
Michigan football should see a plethora of stars who’ve been absent recently return to the starting lineup this week as well. Tight end Luke Schoonmaker, running back Donovan Edwards, wide receiver AJ Henning, defensive end Mike Morris, and others are healed by all accounts and are ready to rock and roll in this game.
Ohio State on the other hand has been marred by injuries to key positions as well, seeing wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba go down early in the season, and starting running back Miyan Williams go down two weeks back.
The Buckeyes have managed to get by without Jaxon Smith-Njigba as Marvin Harrison Jr. has proven himself to be a superstar in the making. Losing Williams on the other hand has been a bigger blow to an already shaky Buckeye running game.
The Wolverines need to play their best ball of the year if they look to win back-to-back matchups against the Buckeyes for the first time in nearly 20 years.
Specifically, though, what does Michigan football need to do to come out on top? Let’s talk about it with three keys to victory for the Wolverines.
Get inside pressure on C.J. Stroud
C.J. Stroud isn’t like previous Buckeye quarterbacks that have flamed out in the NFL. He’s the real deal.
Sure, Ryan Day and co. have helped Stroud pad his stats at the end of games by leaving him in whilst in a blowout — boosting his Heisman candidacy. But that doesn’t detract from his talent.
Stroud can make all the throws and fits balls into NFL-sized tight windows nearly every game.
His weakness, though? Throwing under pressure. Namely, throwing under pressure when the middle of the pocket has collapsed.
We saw him struggle in The Game last year despite throwing for just under 400 yards last year. With Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo coming free on the edge, it certainly rattled him — it was visibly evident even on television.
Ironically enough, however, statistically, he is even worse under pressure when the middle of the pocket is collapsed (interior defensive line getting push against the left guard, center, and right guard of the offensive line).
Michigan’s biggest strength on defense? Well, that just happens to be its interior defensive line.
The game could very well come down to how much pressure Mason Graham, Mazi Smith, Kris Jenkins, and Kenneth Grant can get on stroud from up the middle.
If Michigan does get that pressure, you got to like their chances.