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Michigan Football vs. Ohio State Preview and Prediction

By Jordan Bruetsch

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy shakes hands with offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart after a score against Purdue during the second half of Michigan's 41-13 win on Saturday, Nov 4, 2023, in Ann Arbor.
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy shakes hands with offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart after a score against Purdue during the second half of Michigan's 41-13 win on Saturday, Nov 4, 2023, in Ann Arbor. /
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Nov 18, 2023; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Blake Corum (2) carries the ball against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 18, 2023; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Blake Corum (2) carries the ball against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

Michigan offense vs. Ohio State defense

I’m very excited to see this matchup. Ohio State’s defense has taken a step forward since last season and is definitely one of the best in the nation. They have been much better at preventing big plays, which killed them last season.

The Ohio State defense has been great at creating pressure and defending the pass. But a big question here is what are the Buckeyes going to do when Michigan trots out seven offensive linemen and a tight end. Do they have the personnel to beat that? I don’t think so.

Ohio State has some tremendous athletes on defense. But I don’t think they have the size to beat Michigan when Michigan wants to run the ball. In normal sets, yes, the Buckeyes will be formidable against the run. But when Michigan trots out the big boys, like they did all day against Penn State, I think the Wolverines will have an advantage.

It’s going to be really interesting to see how the Wolverines fare through the air against the Buckeyes. The offensive line has struggled to keep the pocket clean recently, which has caused JJ McCarthy to struggle. If they don’t clean that up, the Wolverines could be in trouble.

Looking beyond the potential pressure, Michigan should be able to throw the ball with success. Roman Wilson should be back, and he is going to force the safeties to respect him. Colston Loveland and AJ Barner are going to be matchup problems for the Buckeyes and could have big games for Michigan football. They’re definitely going to see a lot of targets.

I don’t expect the deep ball to be as much of a factor this season, but JJ McCarthy is tremendous at short and medium routes, so the Ohio State defense plays into his strengths. I think the matchup here is about even.

The X-factor here is JJ McCarthy’s mobility. Against Penn State, there were tons of times where Drew Allar could’ve had a huge gain if the Nittany Lions ran a read option. Allar is not very mobile, however, so they didn’t. Obviously, Ohio State is going to prepare for McCarthy’s mobility, but he’ll have chances to make a huge impact with his legs.

If McCarthy can put together a few big runs, it could be enough to push Michigan football far enough ahead. Because of McCarthy and Michigan’s ground game, I’ve got to give the advantage to Michigan. This one could go either way though.

Advantage? Michigan by a smidge.

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