The Ohio State football team hasn't beaten Michigan this decade. It's a sad stat that they have to deal with. These seniors also don't have a pair of gold pants because of that. This year, they have the best chance they have ever had to beat TTUN because of the talent disparity.
Ohio State is the number-two team in the country and has just one loss. That one loss came to the number-one team in the country, on the road, by one. They have two wins against top-five teams. Clearly, the Ohio State Buckeyes are a very good team who can beat anyone on any given day.
Michigan, on the other hand, is a 6-5 team. They are just 4-4 in the Big Ten. They don't really have a good win on their resume, but they have a few bad losses. The talent disparity between them and the Buckeyes is very wide. That doesn't mean they still can't win this game.
Ohio State was the more talented team in this matchup in 2021 and 2022. There was no reason why they shouldn't have won either of those games. Yet, they came out with a loss. In order for them to finally clear this mental block, they have to follow three keys to win the game.
The first key has to deal with the defensive side of the ball.
1. The Ohio State football team must stop the run
This is something the Buckeyes have had issues with in each of the last three matchups. The defensive line has gotten blown up at the point of attack. Because of that, Michigan has been able to run the ball down Ohio State's throat and control the clock.
That clock control is the one way in which the Buckeyes lose this game. Keeping the ball out of the hands of Will Howard and the Ohio State offense is what TTUN wants to do. Controlling the time of possession is the best way to beat this team, especially in a game with cold weather.
That means the Buckeyes will need to get push from the defensive line. Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton have to push the middle backward during these run plays. Allow Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau to set the edge and funnel everyone back towards the middle.
Jim Knowles has been sending more blitzes from the linebackers, which has also helped stop the run. That evolution in the defense has allowed the team to be one of the best teams in the country at stopping the run. In fact, they are the third-best team in the country at stopping the run.
If Ohio State is able to stop the run and make Michigan throw the ball, this game won't be a contest. Michigan is horrendous at passing the ball. Ohio State's defense is the best team in the country in points per game, total yards per game, and passing yards. It's time they show that.
The second key to the game has to do with Ohio State's offensive philosophy.
2. Will Howard needs to make smart decisions with the football
So far this season, Will Howard has done a phenomenal job of making good decisions with the ball. His stats show that too. He has 26 passing touchdowns to go along with just six interceptions. His lone bad decision was the pick-six on the first throw against Penn State.
Other than that one horrendous decision, Howard has done a great job of taking care of the ball. That is going to be paramount in this game. One of the other ways Michigan can win this game is if they win the turnover battle. The Buckeyes don't have very many multi-turnover games.
Howard has been a massive upgrade from Kyle McCord in almost every aspect. Protecting the ball while still being aggressive down the field has been the biggest asset he's brought to the table. He's not afraid to take deep shots but also does so responsibly.
I fully expect Howard to do the same thing during The Game. Howard will be running the ball some as well, so he can't fumble. The Penn State game was the one game where he threw a pick and fumbled in the same game, and the Buckeyes were still able to win that game.
Howard has been a great leader this season. Nothing should change on Saturday. He's as ready for this game as anyone on the roster. The final key to the game is the biggest key to make sure that Ohio State ends the losing streak.
3. The Ohio State football team must be the more physical team
In each of the last three matchups between these two teams, the more physical team has one. TTUN was the more physical team on both sides of the ball. They won the line of scrimmage for both the offensive line and the defensive line. In turn, they won the ballgame.
Ohio State has been a very physical team up front this season on the offensive side of the ball. When they run the ball, they like to get the offensive linemen downhill so they can get into the second level. Even the running backs seek out contact, especially Quinshon Judkins.
TreVeyon Henderson longs to win this game. He is one of the leaders of this team that doesn't have a pair of gold pants. This is his last dance, so he wants to make sure that he gets that before he leaves. As a senior leader, he wants to help lead the team to victory. Running physically is part of that.
It's not going to be easy. Michigan's defensive line is still pretty good. It won't be easy to move their defensive front off the line of scrimmage. That will be something that Chip Kelly is going to scheme up. Ohio State has also been saving plays all year long for this matchup.
If Ohio State is able to do all of these things, they will be able to walk out of the Shoe with a win. The seniors will finally have their pair of gold pants.