For the last week, Ohio State’s players and coaches have referred to their annual and upcoming clash with Michigan as war.
It always is, they say.
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5–6, 3–4 BIG TEN ROSTER | SCHEDULE |
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NOON – SATURDAY, NOV. 29 OHIO STADIUM COLUMBUS, OHIO |
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ABC |
To illustrate and drive home the point, head coach Urban Meyer booms LL Cool J’s “It’s Time For War” on an infinite loop in the Woody Hayes Center though, by his own admission, Meyer has no idea who LL Cool J is. “I just know the song's name … it's not on my iPod or iPad or something,” he said.
But it sets an ultra aggressive tone for an ultra-aggressive game and ultra-aggressive rivalry that means so much more than football to those folks up in Ann Arbor and down in Columbus.
“I hear people say that it's just another game … we don't take that approach at all,” Meyer said Monday. We just make a huge deal out of rivalry games. I want the players to take ownership in the program, part ownership in the game.”
“This is not another game. This is the game.”
And if sixth-ranked Ohio State is to continue of its final playoff push as the regular season comes to an end, it will need to best an arch rival itching to play spoiler to the Buckeyes’ resuscitated hopes and dreams.
OPPONENT BREAKDOWN
College football’s winningest program finds itself in unprecedented turmoil. Off the field, athletic director Dave Brandon resigned in late October amidst dwindling public support, slipping, slipping attendance figures, and various missteps aimed at curing such ills.
On the field, the Wolverines have had a free fall from national relevancy. Under Brady Hoke — who Brandon hired in 2011 — Michigan is 21-19 since beating the Buckeyes three seasons ago. It’s why Saturday is widely expected to be his last game directing the Wolverines.
It’s also why Michigan’s greatest weapon against Ohio State might be rallying around the embattled head coach, though Hoke continued to downplay his job security Monday.
“They can speculate and do all of that … if we get distracted — and I get distracted — in what we are doing, that is not fair to those 115 kids,” Hoke told reporters at his weekly press conference.
“From that piece alone, I think I have said it, I have never been worried about a job. I am worried about the job we do for those kids."
But the truth is a 5-6 campaign seems to be the tipping point for Hoke and a coaching staff that have regressed each season since winning the Sugar Bowl in 2011.
While Michigan’s defense ranks ninth in total defense (302 yards a game) and 21st in scoring defense (21 points), the offense is almost incomprehensibly bad for a roster full of four- and five-star recruits. The Wolverines are 117th in total offense (330 yards) and 115th in scoring offense (20 points).
Senior quarterback Devin Gardner is completing 61 percent of his passes, but 14 interceptions have only fueled Michigan’s offensive woes. His 1,663 yards and eight touchdowns on the year are reflective of a near-non existent pass game that’s limited weapons like wide receivers Devin Funchess and Amara Darboh.
And without a consistent run game, Michigan’s been the definition of futile on offense. The Wolverines are 20-point underdogs for a reason. Another loss to Ohio State should be the final nail in the coffin of the Brady Hoke era in Ann Arbor.
Of Note: On defense, the Wolverines dismissed senior defensive end and captain Frank Clark after disturbing domestic violence charges were filed against the Glenville High School and Cleveland native. He led Michigan’s defense in tackles for loss and had 42 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Buckeye Breakdown
On paper, it’s easy to see why Ohio State is nearly a three-touchdown favorite to win for the 12th time in the last 14 meetings.
The Buckeyes, who boast one of the nation's premier offenses and a top-20 defense, are an upset or two away from ascending into the sport's first-ever playoff if they win out. Meanwhile, Michigan's unraveling means The Game has undoubtedly lost a great deal of its luster in respect to the national conversation.
But to the coaches, players and fans involved in it, the age-old contest seems to matter as much as ever.
Because of this, Ohio State — which has already clinched a return to the Big Ten Championship Game next weekend in Indianapolis — is wary of the Wolverines, who they say will give it their best punch despite a considerable and obvious advantage.
“The stakes are raised for both sides. If we want to go where we want to go, we have to beat them; if they want to make it to a bowl they have to beat us,” senior defensive tackle Michael Bennett said.
“Then, it's just the classic rivalry. There are so many different reasons to play each game and this one always has more. It's going to be exciting, it's not going to be some 11-1 team vs. some 5-5 or 5-6 team, whatever they are. It's going to be the team up north vs. Ohio State like it is every year.”
Added junior linebacker Joshua Perry: “The great thing about this game is one team could not have won a game all year and the other one can be undefeated,” Perry said, “but you never know what’s going to come out the gate. That’s why you play it, that’s why you enjoy it and why you prepare."
And though Michigan might be in its greatest nadir, there is a certain respect for Michigan’s unfulfilled-aptitude at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
“They have a lot of talent, from that quarterback position to the receivers. They have talent all over the field. It’s kind of hard to wonder what’s going on up there, like ‘How come they’re not winning more games?’” senior linebacker Curtis Grant said.
“Any time this team wanted to explode, they could and just go crazy.”
Which, at least offensively, is sort of what the Wolverines did against the Buckeyes last season. In a 42-41 win that came down to a last-second two-point conversion, Michigan dropped 600-plus yards and nearly pulled off a colossal upset in Ann Arbor.
You have to figure Meyer’s rolled the tape of that game early and often this week.
“Their personnel will play their very best against us,” Meyer said. “That was as obvious as you can be last year.”
How It'll Play Out
For a game and a rivalry that's as emotional as it gets, sometimes one team's Xs are considerably better than another team's Os.
If you were to look at a side-by-side statistical comparison of these two teams with the opponent's name covered up, you'd think it was a team from the bottom half of the Big Ten. The only reason people think this could be a game is because it's The Game and it's Michigan.
It's really, really hard to imagine the Wolverines — given considerable defects and consequent struggles against inferior teams — sauntering into Ohio Stadium and pulling off the upset. Michigan hasn't won in Columbus since 2000.
Emotions, rah-rah speeches and rallying cries can only do so much. And the Wolverines aren't sneaking up on an Ohio State team that's already been embarrassed once this year.
ELEVEN WARRIORS STAFF PREDICTION: Ohio State 38, Michigan 17
