Ohio State Football: Michigan failing to prepare for Ohio State

While Michigan has improved greatly since their early season struggles, I think they’ll still greatly struggle against the Ohio State football team.

This last week, the Wolverines beat Sparty big. While most people see this as Michigan improving (and yes, their offense looked the best it has all season) I can’t help but look at this game as the reason UM will struggle against the Ohio State football team.

Michigan has a lack of identity and focus.

Before, during and after the Michigan State game, Michigan tries hard to convince everyone how indifferent they are towards MSU. On College Gameday, Desmond Howard listed Sparty as the No. 3 rival of the Wolverines. Michigan fans consistently call them, “little brother” and try to be above them in everything they say.

For anyone who watched that game, however, the Wolverines did not act like the Spartans were their third rival. This was a team that clearly hates Michigan State and wanted to pound them into submission. All of the jawing and extra physicality showed the contempt these programs have for each other.

And I think that is fine. Have a strong in-state rival. But, why is there so much energy spent on convincing the world they don’t care when they clearly do?

Michigan reminds me of the high school cool kid who seems too good to care about certain trends/activities, but deep down they really care. This kid spent all their energy on putting up a front instead on doing what they really wanted to do.

The effort Michigan puts into the facade impacts the way they can focus on other rivals. Every player and fan seems to be acting cool and tough, while in reality they hate the nextdoor neighbor.

There seems to be way too much energy spent on acting cool than on getting ready for the game.

This is what separates the Buckeyes from the Wolverines.

The Buckeyes don’t rank their rivals, we have one. Most fans hope the Wolverines lose in every sport, everyday.

Even if you stretch the number of Ohio State rivals to two and include Penn State, there is no pretense of, “Do we hate them or are we too good for them?” We hate them. We want to beat Penn State in everything.

This is where the Wolverines seem to be spinning their wheels. If a team has a rival, don’t spend your energy avoiding that fact. Embrace it. Be open about it. Hate that team.

And teams can have more than one rival. SEC teams consistently have three or four rivals and there is not this back-handed charade to try to convince the world that animosity does not exist.

Michigan spends too much time being the “cool kid” in high school instead of just being honest with themselves.

Ohio State spends 365 days focusing on beating their rival. There is a single-mindedness that Michigan cannot replicate until they fully embrace their relationship with Michigan State. Until they do, there will continue to be effort spent acting like they are above Michigan State that could be spent trying to beat Ohio State.