Ohio State Football: Strength on strength on Saturday
The Ohio State football team and Michigan Wolverines are ready for the premier game of the year that will be a strength-on-strength battle at Noon on Saturday.
The air always feels different during the week of The Game, and this year it has even more juice. The Ohio State football team and Michigan Wolverines are two freight trains on a collision course like 2006. As I mentioned in my last article, this matchup will be strength vs. strength, so let’s unpack it further.
The Ohio State offense has turned heads all year long, but no performance was as impressive as last Saturday’s against Michigan State. The Buckeyes put forth the most efficient and productive output in a Top-10 matchup, probably in college football history in the first half.
CJ Stroud will look to continue his incredible redshirt-freshman season and pick up where he left off against the Spartans. Chris Olave has seen great success against the Wolverines and will be crucial as a deep threat. His presence will have to be respected by the safeties, which can aid in the running game and not allow Michigan to stack the box.
Ohio State’s offense is potent and can beat teams in many ways. TreVeyon Henderson has already rushed for over 1,000 yards, and Olave and Wilson have the opportunity to join JSN and surpass the 1,000-yard threshold as well.
The numbers being put up by the 2021 Buckeyes will go down as one of the best in history, but will it just be on paper like 2018 Oklahoma or etched in people’s minds like 2019 LSU?
The strength of TTUN is its defense, specifically in the passing game compared to the Buckeyes’ previous two opponents. Despite Michigan State being ranked as the 130th pass defense in yardage per game, the Spartans were 34th in yards per attempt. So C.J. Stroud’s and the offense’s performance on Saturday is not to be undersold.
Michigan’s defense has been solid and will present challenges to the Ohio State offense, but the accurate indicator of the game will be if they can make the Buckeyes sustain drives.
The Maize and Blue surrender a mere 178.4 yards per game through the air and 128.5 on the ground. For reference, Stroud threw for 225 in the first quarter last week – he was that good.
If Ohio State can jump out to an early double-digit lead like the last two weeks, it will undoubtedly favor the Buckeyes. Michigan’s offense is more balanced than you think and highly dependant on running the ball. The Wolverines are not built for a quick-strike shootout style of play despite averaging 36.9 points per game.
However, if The Game trends like the Penn State game where the offense sputters or settles for field goals, that will give TTUN a chance by keeping it close. Statistically, both teams are similar overall on defense, but the offense is where the Buckeyes separate.
The anomalies for the Buckeyes are the Penn State and Nebraska games against two of the better defenses. Ohio State racks up 112 more yards per game while scoring nearly 11 more points than Michigan.
Ryan Day has his team firing on all cylinders, and they will be ready after having The Game canceled last year.
I expect the offense we’ve seen over the last two weeks to be the one that shows up. Michigan has an underrated offense and has thrown the ball more efficiently than people think, so we will see just how good the system is or if the passing game can keep them in a high-profile matchup.
The Game is not going to disappoint. I have looked at the numbers and evaluated both teams’ eye tests, and I believe this showdown will either be played within 10 points or see the Ohio State football team get out to a big lead and never look back.
Next. Ohio State football: A poor Heisman argument. dark
I don’t think there can be an in-between, but that’s why we play the games. Get ready for a physical battle in the trenches. Tackling, execution, and running the football will be critical as always in The Game. It’s time for war.