Two weeks later than usual, rivalry week has finally arrived at Ohio State.
Whether The Game will actually happen on Saturday remains uncertain, as Michigan had to cancel its game this past weekend against Maryland due to COVID-19 cases in its program. The Wolverines could return to team activities on Monday, but we might not know for a few days whether the team up north will actually be making the trip down south to Columbus this weekend.
Nonetheless, “It’s Time for War” at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, as the Buckeyes are currently expecting to play their rivals and will prepare accordingly unless they’re told otherwise. And unless we hear otherwise, we here at Eleven Warriors will proceed forward as though the 117th edition of The Game will be played at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, with the Buckeyes favored by more than four touchdowns and looking for their ninth straight win over Michigan, who hasn’t defeated Ohio State since 2011.
There aren’t a whole lot of good things to say right now about the Wolverines, who have had their worst season yet of the Jim Harbaugh era with a 2-4 record, but nonetheless, here’s a look at some of what you should know about Michigan going into this week’s game.
Dealing with Its Own COVID-19 Issues
While we have a general idea of which players were impacted by Ohio State’s spike in COVID-19 cases two weeks ago after 23 players were unavailable for Saturday’s game against Michigan State, we don’t know which or how many Michigan players tested positive last week to force the Wolverines to pause football activities. But it’s fair to assume that the Wolverines will be without some key players if they make the trip to Columbus this week, which could only make things worse for a team that already lost to Michigan State, Indiana, Wisconsin and Penn State with a healthier roster.
That’s one reason why Ohio State is a historically heavy favorite for this year’s rivalry game, and also a reason why some Ohio State fans have theorized that Michigan is looking for a way out of the game – though Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel adamantly denied that in an interview following the Maryland cancellation.
No matter how badly the Wolverines want to play the game, that might not be an option if they continue to have positive COVID-19 tests this week. But if they are able to, both teams will be somewhat shorthanded thanks to the Big Ten policy that sidelines all players who test positive for 21 days before they can return to competition.
Major Questions at Quarterback
When Cade McNamara replaced Joe Milton in the second quarter of the Wolverines’ Nov. 21 game against Rutgers, it looked like Michigan might have finally found the solution to its quarterback troubles. McNamara completed 27 of 36 passing attempts for 260 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for a touchdown against the Scarlet Knights, leading the Wolverines back from a 17-0 deficit to a 48-42 triple overtime win.
However, McNamara suffered a shoulder injury in Michigan’s next game against Penn State, leaving his status in doubt for this week’s game.
Milton drew some Cam Newton comparisons after his performance in Michigan’s season-opening win against Minnesota, in which he threw for 225 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 52 yards and a touchdown, but things have gone downhill from there. He’s completed less than half of his passing attempts in each of Michigan’s last three games, and there's been talk – though details are scarce – that he’s also battling an injury of his own.
With Dylan McCaffrey also opted out for the season, Michigan’s quarterback options are scarce beyond McNamara and Milton. True freshman Dan Villari, a three-star recruit who didn’t receive any other offers from Power 5 schools, is the only other scholarship quarterback on the Wolverines’ roster.
If Cade McNamara can't play against Ohio State, either Dan Villari or Joe Milton will be Michigan's starting quarterback. (Photo: Marc Lebryk – USA TODAY Sports)
Haskins Leads the Ground Attack
One bright spot in a mostly bad season for the Wolverines has been the performance of running back Hassan Haskins – no relation to Dwayne – who is tied for third among Big Ten running backs this season with 6.15 yards per carry and fourth with six rushing touchdowns.
The Wolverines probably didn’t utilize Haskins as much as they should have in their first four games, as he never saw more than eight carries in any of those games, but he’s become their bellcow in their last two games, rushing for 111 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries against Rutgers and 101 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries against Penn State.
That said, they’ll need Haskins to be at his absolute best against Ohio State, which currently ranks sixth in the Football Bowl Subdivision with only 95 rushing yards allowed per game.
Persistent Struggles on Defense
Defense has been a consistent problem for the Wolverines this season, as they’ve allowed their opponents to gain more than 400 yards and score at least 27 points in each of their last five games.
Michigan’s defensive troubles haven’t been limited to one phase of defense, either. Michigan State, Indiana and Rutgers all threw for more than 300 yards against the Wolverines, while Wisconsin and Penn State both ran for over 250 yards against the maize and blue. The Wolverines currently rank 12th in the Big Ten in passing yards allowed per game (250.5) and 10th in the conference in rushing yards allowed per game (178.8).
The Wolverines do have some talented players on defense that Ohio State needs to be aware of, including projected first-round NFL draft pick Kwity Paye, who will present a tougher test as an edge rusher than fill-in offensive tackles Dawand Jones and Max Wray faced against Michigan State this past weekend. Daxton Hill, one of only two five-star recruits on Michigan’s roster, is one of the Big Ten’s best safeties.
Altogether, though, it’s been a rough year for Don Brown’s unit – and now the Wolverines have to face the team that’s put up 118 points on them over the past two years.
Kwity Paye is expected to be one of the top pass-rushers off the board in the 2021 NFL draft, but he hasn't been able to save Michigan's defense this year. (Photo: Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
Misadventures in Kicking
With only three made field goals on nine attempts this year, Michigan is currently tied for last in field goal percentage among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams who have attempted more than one field goal this season.
Quinn Nordin, who’s perhaps best known for the infamous sleepover Harbaugh had at his house when he was a recruit, has made just two of his five field goal attempts this year. Jake Moody hasn’t been any better, making just one of four. They’ve made just two field goals of 40 yards or more – and none longer than 46 yards – while missing three field goals of shorter than 40 yards.
While Michigan’s offense itself has been unremarkable, its inability to rely on its kickers is another reason why the Wolverines currently rank 67th in points scored per game (28.3).
