3 Keys for Michigan Football in Big Ten title game vs Purdue

COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 26: Running Back Donovan Edwards #7 (R) and Quarterback J.J. McCarthy #9 (L) of the Michigan Wolverines celebrate after a college football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 45-23 over the Ohio State Buckeyes and clinched the Big Ten East. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 26: Running Back Donovan Edwards #7 (R) and Quarterback J.J. McCarthy #9 (L) of the Michigan Wolverines celebrate after a college football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 45-23 over the Ohio State Buckeyes and clinched the Big Ten East. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) /
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Michigan co-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore high fives running back Donovan Edwards (7) after Edwards’s scored a touchdown against Ohio State during the second half Nov. 26, 2022 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
Michigan co-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore high fives running back Donovan Edwards (7) after Edwards’s scored a touchdown against Ohio State during the second half Nov. 26, 2022 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. /

Win on the ground

Winning the rushing battle is always key. We saw that stat flashed a number of times last week that the team that wins the battle of rushing yards usually wins the Michigan-Ohio State game.

But if you think about it, that’s probably true of most games. If you run the ball well and stop the opponent from running well, you are going to win, at least most of the time.

Football, at the end of the day, isn’t really that complicated. That’s why Harbaugh’s commitment to the trenches and running the football is genius. When Michigan was losing to Ohio State, the Buckeyes were the tougher team.

Ryan Day’s win in the series was all about J.K. Dobbins and the fact Michigan couldn’t stop him. Justin Fields toasted Don Brown too, but if you go back to that game, you’ll see Ohio State controlling the line of scrimmage.

That has changed and the dominance in the running game on offense and defense is the biggest reason why the Wolverines have won 19 of 20 Big Ten games.

It’s also a trend that needs to carry over to this game. Purdue is ranked eighth in the Big Ten in rushing defense and ninth in the Big Ten in rushing offense. Michigan football is first in both.

If the Wolverines can run the ball, the offense should have a field day against a defense that has struggled to defend the pass (21 TD passes allowed, 10th in Big Ten in pass yards allowed) and also, the best way to keep O’Connell off balance is to pressure him and winning on the early downs is imperative to making that happen.