Three keys for Ohio State Football to beat Michigan
By Ryan Stano
3. The Ohio State football team has to win the turnover battle.
Nothing kills momentum quite like turning the ball over. That is especially true when you’re on the road in a hostile environment. The Buckeyes found that out against Wisconsin when McCord turned the ball over three times. They still won the game, but barely.
That is not something Ohio State can afford on Saturday. They have to win the turnover battle. Preferably, they shouldn’t turn the ball over at all. Before that game, McCord had done an excellent job of keeping the ball safe. He has to keep it safe against TTUN.
On the flip side, Ohio State’s defense needs to create some turnovers of their own. We saw McCarthy get rattled last week against Maryland and throw a terrible pick right near the endzone. If Ohio State can get pressure on McCarthy, he’s prone to mistakes.
Michigan’s right tackle is vulnerable on the rush. Lining up J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer against him will lead to Michigan having to chip or leave a running back to help pass protect. That means more opportunities for the secondary to make plays.
If Ohio State can snag a turnover or two and keep it clean on their side, they should be in a great position to win this game. Michigan hasn’t had to come from behind at any point this season. With their run-centric offense, I’m not sure they’re built to do that.
Next. No more excuses for Ryan Day. dark
If Ohio State does all three of these things on Saturday afternoon, they should be walking out of the Big House with revenge.