Ohio State Looking to Rebound With a Win over Michigan
The 17-14 loss to Michigan State is not an indictment on Ohio State’s program or the often anemic offense. It is testament to the strength of the Big Ten. The state of the Buckeyes’ program and the condition of the conference have never been better.
There is no denying that it hurts to lose, but good will come of it, even if they drop the game against Michigan this Saturday. The Big Ten has respect again because of Urban Meyer, Mark Dantonio and Jim Harbaugh. This is cause for celebration, not despair
Unfair or not, the luster of Ohio State’s dominance under Jim Tressel is a bit tarnished by the fact that the Big Ten was littered with mediocre teams for far too long. That is no longer true.
This does not mean that expectations need to change. Far from it. Ohio State should always be in the hunt for a Big Ten title and the College Football Playoff. The only difference is there is a legitimate balance-of-power now and that will fuel Meyer and his program to greater heights for seasons to come.
Some will argue that you should never root for a conference. On some level, that is entirely true, especially for a team like Ohio State that will get the benefit of the doubt in most cases if it is competing for a spot in the playoff. On the other hand, going undefeated, regardless of talent, is unlikely. Other factors like conference strength are extremely important in the playoff era.
Of course there is no need to cheer for the Big Ten ad nauseam like the SEC folks do for their conference, but there is nothing wrong with wanting the the Big Ten to be the best. Winning the Big Ten Championship feels better when it is a challenge to earn it.
Whether a championship is possible this season remains unknown. Penn State beating Michigan State seems unlikely considering Dantonio’s teams generally play well when the stakes are high, but this has not been a typical year. Upsets do happen. The Buckeyes need to play this week as though it will happen.
Beating Michigan is always important, but this year the Game has more significance. The Harbaugh era is off to a great start and a win over Ohio State will prove the Wolverines are back among the nation’s elite. The Buckeyes can show that they are still dominant, own the rivalry and are not ready to relinquish any glory to the Team Up North.
Even with so much on the line for both teams, the pressure is definitely on the Buckeyes. Beyond pride, there is concern about the team’s ability to bounce back from the heartbreaking loss. The good news is they rarely lose under Meyer, let alone lose back-to-back games. We’re going to find out what this team is made of this week.
This is gut check time for the offensive line and J.T. Barrett. Neither played well against the Spartans or for that matter most of the season. This is where Ezekiel Elliott is right. Inconsistent play calling is causing up and down performances from the Slobs and the quarterback.
We now know that this offense is unable to just flip the switch and light up the scoreboard. That is not going to change this week. What they can do is go with what has worked most of the season, power football with No. 15 in the lead.
Elliott is the best player on the field and he needs the ball for the offense to be dynamic. Yes, he was emotional after the loss and should have shown better maturity. What is indisputable is the line surges when he has the ball. Not every play works, but most do. Give him the ball, even if the Wolverines know it is coming.
Defensively, allowing 17 points against the Spartans does not diminish that the Silver Bullets have been stellar all season. They have brought their A game all year and there is no reason to expect anything less this week. The only concern is whether the toll of being on the field more than needed will impact the gas in the tank should the offense struggle again.
Next: Spartans use Tressel-Ball
Analysis
Times have changed a little over the years, but the one constant is the need to beat Michigan. There is no time to dwell on the loss to the Spartans. Forget about it and start a new winning streak.
While the Buckeyes may not control their destiny in terms of winning a championship, the last thing they want to do is lose this game and Penn State pulls off the upset. That would be a difficult pill to swallow and make for a long off-season.
This will be the final game against Michigan for many significant players. It would be shocking to see a second sub-par performance out of this team. The leaders will be ready to go and rise to the occasion. Buckeyes win 31-24.