Ohio State Football: What to Expect from the Wolverines
The Game has finally arrived. The No. 1 ranked Ohio State football team will face a Michigan team that has aspirations to ruin the Buckeyes’ perfect season.
The rival Michigan Wolverines (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) have an opportunity to put a wrench in the Ohio State football team’s (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) playoff plans. What can we expect from That Team Up North?
On offense, the Wolverines have recovered from a slow start to the 2019 season – 29 points per game in their first seven games – to an offense that has averaged 41.5 points per game in their last four games since their 28-21 loss to Penn State Oct. 19.
Quarterback Shea Patterson has thrown for 2,523 yards, 21 TDs and five interceptions, finding receivers Nico Collins (649 receiving yards, 7 TDs) and Ronnie Bell (616 yards, 1 TD). Donovan Peoples-Jones (335 yards, 5 TDs) and Tarik Black (314 yards, 1 TD) have also been difference-makers.
Collins, Bell, Peoples-Jones, Black and tight end Nick Eubanks will challenge the Ohio State secondary and could be a way that the Wolverines put up enough points to stay in the game.
The running game has been difficult for opposing teams to exploit against Ohio State, but Michigan’s two-headed beast of Zach Charbonnet (635 rushing yards, 11 TDs) and Hassan Haskins (483 yards, 3 TDs) will look to break through any holes that form in the Ohio State defensive line.
Chase Young, Malik Harrison, Jeffrey Okudah and the rest of the Buckeyes defense will have their hands full against the Wolverines offense. But will the Michigan defense be able to handle the firepower of the Buckeyes’ offense?
Defensively, TTUN ranks fourth in yards allowed per game and eleventh in points per game. The losses to Wisconsin and Penn State have kept TTUN out of both the playoff and Big Ten contention, but that doesn’t mean that this team can’t ruin No. 1 Ohio State’s perfect season.
Linebackers Khaleke Hudson, Jordan Glasgow, Cameron McGrone and Josh Uche – who have amassed 134 solo tackles and 19 sacks – will force Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins to have their best games of the season in order to come out on top.
TTUN’s strength is defending the pass as they rank fourth nationally in passing yards allowed per game (161.1 yards). K.J. Hill, Chris Olave, Binjimen Victor and Austin Mack will have sparse room against TTUN’s DBs.
Josh Metellus, Lavert Hill, Daxon Hill, Ambry Thomas and Brad Hawkins, who have grabbed only nine interceptions (compared to Ohio State’s 14), force receivers to find space to catch the ball.
Next. 5 predictions for Michigan game. dark
2019’s version of The Game will be a chance for the Wolverines to finally get the monkey off their back and beat the Buckeyes for the first time since 2011. A win for the Buckeyes, on the other hand, would almost guarantee a spot in the College Football Playoff.