Big Ten Championship Edition: Five Questions for Michigan Football

Nov 26, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh hugs Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) following their 45-23 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus DispatchNcaa Football Michigan Wolverines At Ohio State Buckeyes /

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Can Michigan run the football?

Even though Michigan was able to run the football in the second half against Ohio State last week, they still struggled mightily without their star RB Blake Corum for quite a while in the game.

They got bailed out because of all of those long touchdown passes by JJ, but they can’t expect to get that every single time.

Ohio State’s DC Jim Knowles honestly called a horrible game, sending all-out blitzes, exposing his corners to one-on-one coverage in the backend with no safety help (Cover 0), and got continuously burned for it.

Purdue might not employ this type of scheme, and will probably drop more defenders into coverage, so running lanes should be bigger for whoever gets the carries on Saturday night, which I expect to be Donovan Edwards, cast and all.

Purdue’s run defense is pretty solid, if unspectacular, at #37 in the country, giving up 128.6 yards per game and 3.8 yards per rush.

Michigan should, theoretically, be able to run all over this defense.

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