The best Ohio State-Michigan games are those with everything on the line.
On Saturday, a Big Ten East title and a likely College Football Playoff berth will be up for grabs. For the first time since Urban Meyer arrived at Ohio State, the Buckeyes are underdogs to the Wolverines.
The 10th-ranked Buckeyes will play host to the No. 4 Wolverines at noon Saturday in the 115th rendition of "The Game" at Ohio Stadium.
Three Keys For An Ohio State Victory
Avoid turnovers
Ohio State’s margin for error will be as small is it has been the entire season. The Buckeyes can’t afford to make many mistakes, and they certainly won’t be able to overcome a turnover-filled offensive performance. Ohio State has had 10 fumbles in the past three games and has recovered half of them. In the past seven games, Dwayne Haskins has tossed six interceptions.
Both Michigan and Ohio State have positive turnover margins, though the Wolverines have a plus-0.73 margin per game (14th in the country), while the Buckeyes have a plus-0.36 margin per game (37th in the country). Expect the Wolverines to be searching for errant Haskins throws, since they have more than twice as many interceptions (11) as fumble recoveries (5).
The Buckeyes have won the turnover battle in every Ohio State-Michigan game since 2013, when they beat the Wolverines 42-41, and it’ll be pertinent to maintain that trend on Saturday. Given the defensive issues, there’s a decent chance Ohio State wouldn’t be able to overcome coughing the ball up more than Michigan.
Offensive line controls the line of scrimmage
If Michigan gets what it wants in Ohio State’s backfield, the Buckeyes will almost assuredly lose.
Their defensive struggles have been well chronicled, and if their offense doesn’t get rolling, it could be a long afternoon. Dwayne Haskins operates best in a clean pocket and both J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber have run the ball well lately, which means the pressure lays on the offensive line to ensure the team has the ability to find spaces in a stifling Michigan defense that allows fewer rushing and passing yards than any other team in the country.
Even if Chase Winovich doesn’t play, the Wolverines have enough talent in the front seven to worry Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ offensive line has been out of sort for much of the season. This will be the most important matchup of the game.
Greg Schiano can’t get out-schemed
Greg Schiano turned Rutgers into a winning program and was an NFL head coach, but he certainly hasn’t shown he still has the ability to out-think opposing offensive coaches any longer. The list of coaches who have out-schemed Schiano continued to lengthen on Saturday when Matt Canada got the better of Ohio State.
Michigan doesn’t possess the big-play threats that have done the most harm to Schiano’s defense, but the combination of Shea Patterson, an improved offensive line, a solid running back and a crop of talented receivers should concern the Buckeyes. The Wolverines likely won’t deviate much from the offense that has helped them to 10 wins, so Schiano won’t have any excuse if defenders are out of position or are not put in position to make plays.
Three Michigan Players To Know
Josh Uche
Most eyes will be on Devin Bush, but don’t overlook his fellow linebacker, Josh Uche. Last year, Uche had just three tackles in 10 games. This season, his first as a starter, Uche leads Michigan with seven sacks. He has 14 tackles, and more than half have come for losses.
The Floridian doesn’t have overwhelming size at 6-foot-3, 238 pounds, but he’s been a pass-rushing threat the entire season, and has been an even bigger force recently. Uche has two-sack games against Michigan State, Northwestern and Penn State. He’ll try to get loose against Ohio State on Saturday.
Lavert Hill
Though Lavert Hill only has one interception this season – it was a 21-yard pick-six against Wisconsin – he’s one of the most consistent players in Michigan’s secondary.
The 5-foot-11 cornerback was a second-team All-Big Ten honoree last season as a sophomore, and he’s only improved in his second season as a starter. Hill was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation's top defensive back. He has five pass break-ups and 12 tackles.
Ohio State doesn’t have just one wideout for him to blanket, but expect Hill to minimize Haskins’ throwing lanes to whomever he covers.
Shea Patterson
Had John O’Korn even been an average quarterback, Michigan likely would have beat Ohio State. Instead, O’Korn was one of the least efficient quarterbacks the Buckeyes had played in recent memory.
Shea Patterson, a former five-star prospect and a Mississippi transfer, is a massive upgrade. He has passed for 2,177 yards with 18 touchdowns and four interceptions. The dual-threat quarterback also has 60 rushes for 255 yards, including a pair of touchdowns. He’ll certainly test his legs against Ohio State’s defense, but Dre’Mont Jones said when Patterson runs, he looks to throw.
“I think overall he’s a great player,” Davon Hamilton said. “He is more of a competitor than anything. We’ve really got to prepare for him. We respect him very much.”
Three Important Ohio State Players
Isaiah Prince
Isaiah Prince’s career at Ohio State as a three-year starter looked to be taking an upward trajectory. He had a rocky sophomore season and got dominated by both Penn State and Michigan. Then, last year, he bounced back with a solid season. As a team captain, he looked prepared to take another leap and become one of the top two linemen on the team, along with fellow returning starter Michael Jordan. That hasn’t happened, though, and he has regressed in the past couple months.
Facing one of the top defensive fronts in the country and Rashan Gary, a possible first round NFL draft pick in April, Prince must return to the consistent, solid form he played at for most of last season and the beginning of this season. He’s the emotional leader not just of the offensive line, but of the entire team. After Ohio State’s loss to Purdue, he’s the player who stood in the middle of the locker room and gave the rah-rah speech. The Buckeyes need him to take that energy onto the field on Saturday and keep Gary from living in Ohio State’s backfield.
Dre’Mont Jones
Not having Nick Bosa has certainly decreased the production of Ohio State’s defensive line. However, Dre’Mont Jones has remained a force up front, even as he has battled injuries.
He has 34 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Jones also has a fumble recovery for a touchdown and a pick-six to go along with one forced fumble and two pass deflections. Michigan’s offensive line has certainly improved, but Jones has a chance to make a significant impact. Defensive stops have been hard to come by for the Buckeyes recently, and Jones will be key to the possibility of Ohio State either forcing punts or getting takeaways.
Dwayne Haskins
This will be Dwayne Haskins’ game to win, and it’s the biggest game of his career.
If he leads the Buckeyes to victory, there’s a good chance they’ll go to the College Football Playoff. Haskins helped Ohio State beat the Wolverines last year, and he’ll need a repeat of that performance to beat Michigan a second time. He ran the ball more last week than he had in any prior game, but in order to beat the Wolverines, he’ll need to have a spectacular game through the air.
