We break down why Michigan football will beat the Ohio State Buckeyes in consecutive years for the first time since 2000.
The Michigan Wolverines haven’t beaten the Ohio State Buckeyes in back-to-back years since 1999-2000, a few years longer than most Michigan football seniors.
Buckeye quarterback and Heisman trophy contender, CJ Stroud, looks to come out on top for the first time as the Ohio State starting quarterback.
Despite throwing for 394 yards last season, the Michigan football defense sure seemed to contain Stroud and company, holding the high-flying Buckeye offense to 27 points, their second-lowest offensive output during the season (second only to the game against Nebraska where Ohio State managed to put up 26 points).
What about the Wolverines?
We here at GBMWolverine.com certainly hope that star running back Blake Corum is at least able to play and hopefully make a considerable impact, but his status is up in the air. Many Michigan players are set to return, though.
Star players such as running back Donovan Edwards, tight end Luke Schoonmaker, defensive lineman Mike Morris, and linebacker Junior Colson, are expected to not only play, but likely play starter-level snaps in this game.
Does Michigan football have enough in the tank to get the job done? Can J.J. McCarthy get the job done? Will the injury of Blake Corum be too much to overcome?
We discuss those questions and more. Join us as we break down the reasons we feel Michigan thumps the Buckeyes.
Michigan football is a horrible matchup for Ohio State
What does Ohio State do well? Score in bunches and capitalize on their opponents’ turnovers.
What does Michigan do well? Dominate the time of possession battle and not turn the ball over on offense.
This iteration of the Michigan Wolverines is a worst-case scenario for these Ohio State Buckeyes. Michigan has been a dominant team in regards to keeping the enemy offense off the field, rankings third nationally (only behind Minnesota and Air Force) in time of possession. But why is this important?
Simply put; Ohio State is not built as an offense to play patient, methodical football. They want to take an early lead and pile on the enemy. In games where their opponent has been of a similar mold to Michigan the Buckeyes have struggled (see Penn State and Northwestern).
Additionally, the Wolverine defense presents a unique challenge to the Buckeye quarterback turned Heisman trophy contender, Stroud. What’s the challenge?
They get pressure from the interior defensive line.
Stroud is flat-out bad under pressure and even worse when pressured up the middle. He has a bad habit of not moving within the pocket and instead bails or makes an errant throw far too often. Fortunately for Michigan football, the best part of its defense is the interior defensive line.
Led by frosh Mason Graham, captain Mazi Smith, veteran Kris Jenkins, and frosh Kenneth Grant, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, and the Wolverine defense looks to collapse the interior offensive line of Ohio State and get that aforementioned pressure on Stroud.
As long as Michigan wins in the trenches, maintains the advantage in the time of possession battle, and gets pressure from the interior defensive line they will win this game.
All the pressure is on Ohio State
Jim Harbaugh and the seventh version of his Michigan Wolverines finally got the proverbial “monkey off their back” last season by vanquishing the Buckeyes at home in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Prior to that win — in every game against the Buckeyes sans 2015 — all the pressure in the world was on Harbaugh and his Wolverines.
Last year’s win changed things, and now the shoe is on the other foot.
If you perused Buckeye message boards and the Ohio State Twittersphere following the 42-27 beat down in 2021 you would come to the same conclusion as I did: Ohio State fans are ready to abandon ship if head coach Ryan Day drops another to “that team up north”.
That Buckeye narrative is much the same as we are in the heat of “The Game” week.
There’s no doubt about it, Michigan football got over the hump last year, and in a season where they weren’t expected to contend for the conference (let alone a college football playoff berth), they’re playing with house money.
The fact that the Wolverines are able to play free and loose and already know what it takes to beat the Buckeyes instills confidence not only in the players and coaches but in the fanbase as well.
And if we are betting on any coaching staff to perform well under pressure, I’m taking Jim Harbaugh and co. who’ve proven they have what it takes to get the job done in a big matchup, unlike the Ryan Day-led Buckeyes.
J.J. McCarthy will have his best game as a Wolverine
It’s about time J.J. McCarthy has a breakout game, and as confident as he seems to be, this week would be as good as any. McCarthy has all the tools (and he will need them) to get the job done against Ohio State.
Arguably the most talented and highest-upside Michigan quarterback since former starting quarterback Devin Gardner, McCarthy has shown flashes at times and has been ever so close to connecting on a couple of big plays that would take him from a run-of-the-mill Big Ten quarterback to a star in the making. The type of quarterback who wins a game like this against a highly-ranked team.
My opinion: McCarthy rises to the occasion and gets the job done.
Whether on the ground, solely through the air, or a little bit of both, McCarthy will be given every chance in the world to succeed. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has proven in every matchup against the Buckeyes that he can develop and call an excellent game plan that exploits Ohio State’s weaknesses. I expect that to be the same come Saturday.
As long as McCarthy is put in places to succeed (he will) and is able to execute those plays (we hope) then the Michigan Wolverines have to love their chances against Ohio State.
Frankly, if McCarthy can perform in the manner that the offense predicates — taking care of the football, hitting the open man through the air, and improvising on the ground with his legs, then I. am of the opinion that it’s more than enough for Michigan to win.
Here’s to hoping.