When I first came up with the idea to write a college sports blog I wrote a few pieces in advance for the college season. I wrote a season preview, my first Heisman watch and a few other quick things. But, blogs aren’t built in a day, so by the time it was completed, we were a few weeks in so I didn’t post the things I had written.
I tell you this because I remember writing in my first piece that one of my intentions was for you to read the blog and use the knowledge in the office, the classroom, the locker room, with a cop that pulls you over, etc. College football is a nation-wide language, and everyone’s speaking it this week with Ohio State-Michigan on the horizon.
Today I’m going to show you who to watch for in this game. It’s one thing to put on the game (3:30 kick, by the way), but it’s another thing to put it on and know more about the game than the average viewer.
I’ll try to keep some method to this madness, here goes nothing.
Quarterbacks
Ohio State: Troy Smith has become a household name It’s pretty safe to say that his bid for the Heisman Trophy is contingent on his performance this Saturday. Smith doesn’t make a lot of mistakes; he has 50 career passing touchdowns to just 11 interceptions (26-4 this year). Smith is no stranger to Michigan, he was the starter when OSU topped the Wolverines the last two years.
Michigan: Chad Henne has started every game at quarterback since stepping on campus in Ann Arbor (Saturday will be 36 straight). The junior has had a career far different than his counterpart (Smith was all over the field freshman year and was part of a two-quarterback system for a while which didn’t work, obviously). More than the maturation of his physical abilities, Henne has honed the intangibles over the course of his career (i.e poise, leadership). He’s tossed 18 touchdowns this year and thrown seven picks. The kid can take a hit too.
Advantage: Ohio State. He’s a Heisman finalist, last home game in the (former) Horseshoe.
Running backs:
Ohio State: The tandem of junior Antonio Pittman and freshman Chris Wells has worked well for the Buckeyes. Pittman does the heavy lifting with 214 carries, 1032 yards and 12 TDs while Wells has carried it 97 times for 511 yards and 6 TDs. I would say think Tiki Barber-Brandon Jacobs of the Giants, but Jacobs has about 2-3 inches and 30-40 pounds on Wells. Just know that Pittman is the little guy and Wells is the big guy, but both are outstanding backs.
Michigan: When Michael Hart is healthy, he runs. And this year, he’s been healthy. He leads the nation with 278 carries (25 a game). He’s going to need another 25 carries this weekend if Michigan wants to win (the Wolverines need to hold on to the ball for as long as they can). When Hart’s not bouncing around, the Wolverines have sophomore Kevin Grady, senior Jerome Jackson or freshman Brandon Minor (Virginian).
Advantage: A slight edge to Michigan. Very slight. Both have Top 20 rushing offenses (Michigan-12, Ohio State-20).
Wide receiver:
Ohio State: Smith’s go-to guy is Ted Ginn Jr., his high school teammate. Ginn can out sprint anyone on the field and he’s got great hands. He has 51 grabs for 677 yards and 8 TDs. He also handles returning duties, where he’s always a threat. If Smith’s not throwing to Ginn, then he’s probably eyeing Anthony Gonzalez who has 45 catches of his own. Both start at Ohio State for a reason, they take care of business.
Michigan: The first guy that comes to mind is Steve Breaston. He’s Michigan’s Tedd Ginn, minus the touchdowns. Mario Manningham handles the TD department, nine of his 26 catches have counted for six points. Adrian Arrington is the third leg of the receiving tripod – it’s a pretty impressive three-WR set. Henne also has a nice pair of tight ends to throw to, I predict a touchdown to senior Tyler Ecker (he’s been hurt most of the year, but the guy is a mountain of a man at 6’6”, 250).
Advantage: A VERY slight edge to Ohio State because of Ginn.
Defense:
Ohio State: Coming into the season, everyone questioned Ohio State’s defense considering it lost so much firepower to the draft. But the unit ranks 8th in the country (could you imagine if AJ Hawk and Bobby Carpenter were still in town?). Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis tops in tackles (91) and interceptions (5)…oh, and forced fumbles (3). The Buckeyes average three sacks a game and have forced 27 turnovers this year, both very impressive.
Michigan: The Wolverines stop the run. I’ll say it again so you can remember it: the Wolverines stop the run. The average opponent posts 29.9 yards per game. That’s the same as a team starting the game at the 20, running it to the 50, punting and not gaining another yard on the ground for the rest of the game. LaMarr Woodley is the man that makes things happen on the defensive line, his 11 sacks are 6th-best in the land. Linebacker Shawn Crable has six of his own this year, while Rondell Biggs has five (Michigan is second to Rutgers in sacks this year). It’s truly a team effort on the defensive side of the ball, there isn’t much weakness, but the D will really have to focus on Ginn.
Advantage: Michigan. But, again, it’s a slight advantage.
Of course, this doesn’t help us decide who will win this game. Both teams can throw, both teams can run, both teams can catch it and both can play defense better than about anyone in the country.
If Smith can get some time in the pocket, I think he can expose Michigan’s secondary somewhat. But, in order to do that, OSU will have to take its lumps in the running game.
We can get into Xs and Os more on Friday. I’ve given you enough to chew on today.
Comments (1)
You missed a huge factor in this roll call: the head coach. How can any discussion of OSU/Michigan not include coaching? Going back to Woody and Bo and "The Ten-Year War" to John Cooper continually losing (including his job) to Michigan, to where we are now with Jim Tressel and Lloyd Carr — coaching is part of the magic of the rivalry.
Tressel has won twice as many games against Michigan in five seasons as Cooper did in his whole career (13 seasons). Hell, right after he was hired, Tressel guaranteed victory over Michigan that fall, with the game in Ann Arbor, during the halftime of a Michigan-Ohio State basketball game. He’s got a 4-1 record against Big Blue and is looking to extend his win streak over the Wolverines to three games. For either team, it’s not only about how many games are won through the season, but if you win The Game at the end. Both teams could come into this 0-10 or 0-11, but this game is played every year like it’s the National Championship.
Advantage: Ohio State, with Tressel working the mo on going to three straight.
(To be fair and honest, and in the interest of full disclosure, I'm an OSU homer. I was born in Ohio, my loyalty is there, and if I lived in Ohio when I graduated high school, I would've gone to OSU. My dad graduated from YSU, where Tressel (who was born on the exact same day as my dad) coached the Penguins to four NCAA I-AA National Championships and two other NC appearances. Even Maurice Clarett (I know, I know) and I were born days apart in the same hospital. For one of my earliest birthdays, my aunt got me a football signed by Woody Hayes, personalized to me, telling me that he’d see me at OSU in the fall of 2002, when I would actually eventually start college. Go Buckeyes!)