TTUN does indeed appear to be a second half team, and to some extent I think the Buckeyes are too (NW, ND, PSU).
I think that if the Bucks get off to a fast start it could make a big difference in the game. TTUN, due to a weak pass game, is not adept at scoring in a hurry. They are used to controlling the clock and keeping offenses off the field. Score early and knock them off balance. Force McCarthy to make hard throws and they are in trouble.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
Yes, they use the first half to establish body blows that don’t take their full toll until the later rounds. It’s the second half that teams gets knocked down and out. OSU is very capable of landing knock out blows from the jump. I’m really hoping OSU executes like this out and does not get into a slug fest over the full ten rounds.
Yes, StL, Coach Day also has a history of starting out slow, esp against good teams. You can fill in the numerous examples. And then there are a couple times when his teams come out with a vengeance and tear out and shake down the oponent like a dog with a rag doll.
Ua Mau ke Ea o ka 'Aina I ka Pono. The life of the land is preserved in righteousness. (Hawai'i state motto) Aloha nui kakou.
Xichigan wears down the other teams which shows up in them doing better in the 2nd half. The Buckeyes needs to jump out early and then wear their defense down with the run game
It’s fascinating to me the desire to dismiss a team’s 2nd half performance as if it is immaterial to the overall performance of the team. If anything, being able to close out a game has been Michigan’s major weakness against good teams until last year.
If Michigan is within 3 points of OSU at the half, I’ll be feeling really good about their chances of winning.
It’s fascinating to me the desire to dismiss a team’s 2nd half performance as if it is immaterial to the overall performance of the team. If anything, being able to close out a game has been Michigan’s major weakness against good teams until last year.
they're also playing really, really bad offenses. the point isn't that they've outscored opponents 117-3 in the second half (which, yes, is impressive), it's that it's also been completely necessary for them to outscore opponents 117-3 in the second half. this is living on the edge against offenses with a pulse, because if they find themselves down a couple of scores, they're going to have to try and pass their way back into a game. which they don't appear capable of doing.
That’s a fair point, and that’s the fascination with The Game this year, because both Michigan and OSU will each be (by far) the best offense each other has played this year.
I agree with you that Michigan’s passing attack as of late has been inconsistent at best and looks like they will struggle if their passing has to be called on to carry the team. But for all of its inconsistency lately when passing, Michigan does have talent at QB and WR and it’s not inconceivable that they put everything together.
Honestly is your boys were gonna "put it all together", they would have done it by now. JJ and the wide receivers don't seem capable. At best Harbaugh is relying on a few gadgets and tricks he's been saving up, which by the way is a sign of being an inferior team throwing the kitchen sink at us like Rutgers did. Your basically a national brand Rutgers and when the Bucks go on another 20 year streak, you won't even be national anymore, just another Midwest has-been like Nebraska nobody want to go to.
"It's not inconceivable" is not a plan. If Xichigan is within 3 at the half (previous post), they've throttled the run and pass game of tOSU. They still have to stop the "28 points in 6 minutes" capability in the second half. The biggest difference this year for the Buckeyes is the D is legit. Y'all gonna have to win the turnover battle +3 to have a shot. It's not inconceivable, but it sure as hell isn't likely either!
Michigans is rushing for roughly 40 more yards per game than OSU (yet OSU has the better average per carry). OSU is passing for nearly 100 more yards per game and nearly 6 more points per game than Michigan. The gap between PSU and Michigan is roughly the same gap between Michigan and Ohio State (offensively). The Buckeye offense is light years better than anything that UM has seen this season. "Let that sink in"
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
Tiger, I’ve been saying the same thing. It’s like the Georgia/Tennessee game, the stats pointed to a Georgia win by double digits and that’s what happened. Michigan has the #93 out of #131 pass offense. Their fans try and sell it as “not needed to pass”, that’s fools gold against playoff level defenses. Michigan’s success has been by physically wearing down subpar teams.
Which is funny because, and this true, most Michigan fans look at our game against Penn State and say "Ohio State was losing in the 4th quarter against a team we dominated".
So, which part of the game should we disregard? The part where Michigan is terrible or the part where Ohio State got bored of playing with its food and scored 28 points in like 5 minutes? It's really hard to keep track with you guys!
I honestly think you have to take into account the entire game and not disregard anything.
To your point about OSU vs. PSU, OSU’s ability to score quick bunches of points is what scares me most about them. I worry that even if Michigan holds them under wraps into the 4th quarter, that offense (and defense) can still absolutely explode for 28 points in 10 minutes and finish you.
Michigan will not win a shootout against OSU. I think their best chance is a grind-it-out ball control game that limits OSU’s possessions.
I agree and that's why it drives me nuts when people cherry pick stats like that, as it can easily manipulated to prove a point one way or the other. My hope is that we start fast and score a couple times early, rather than stumbling around for a few drives before pouring it on later.
I do believe both teams will play their best game, but I think the ceiling for our run game (assuming healthy RBs) is higher than the ceiling for your passing game. That and the home field advantage is what gives me something in the 38-24 range, in our favor. But The Game rarely goes how people predict it will, so who knows?
Michigan feels like a team that if it gets one key player that has a high ankle sprain, they are done. They have been EXTREMELY lucky on the injury front.
It's not. But if you're already down 30 at the half, you aren't catching back up in the second half by getting 4 ypc out of Corum. You're not up against Rutgers.
I grow more nervous by the day. They CAN run the ball, whether they have to rely on the second half or not. And their D is more than serviceable. Next week is going to be a long week. Let's just make sure we trash the Terps first.
"We gotta go win this next game and make the State of Ohio proud!"-UFM
They aren't going to wear our defense down by the second half like they do with teams like Rutgers. That strategy just isn't going to work the same way. Especially if they're already down big at the half, they can run all day long. It's not getting them back in the game. They can't afford to hold the ball and run the clock out at that point.
They aren't going to wear our defense down by the second half like they do with teams like Rutgers. did to us last year.
fify.
I think this year will be different. If we play anywhere close to our best, we'll win The Game. But it's worth remembering that they got us last year with this exact plan.
Excellent thumbnail. I have to agree with High. Simply (enough) put, I think there are more outstanding questions with TTUN than there are with us. Thanks to TTUN's schedule being putrid, we haven't seen what it looks like when they have to play without a more than one score lead, they still have red zone efficiency issues, they're the least balanced offense of the top 5 teams statistically, their OL hasn't played a good front 4, and their defense hasn't played an offense with a pulse.
We certainly have our questions too, but I think ours can be fixed in two weeks. Can't say the same for TTUN.
Continue to develop our running game
Get healthy
Attack their linebackers
GO TEMPO
Load the box and stop the run
We do this consistently we win
Go Bucks
Still Severe for me. It’s really hard to know how good they are, but they’ve smashed everyone they’ve played in the past 6 weeks. Also not sure how they’ll respond if they’re forced out of their comfort zone, so I’ll err on the side of caution.
"Michigan can't throw the ball" doesn't get nearly as much traction as "Ohio State has issues running the ball." Big whoop - when you're on top, everyone looks for a weakness. Throw it all aside - The Game is gonna be a throw-down, however good or bad either team is. Knuckle up and get at it.
That all being said, the optimist in me his hoping Ryan Day uncorks a bunch of big "oh, we had those plays all along!" on them. Why show your hand against subpar teams?
While I’m not ruling out the possibility, has anything in Harbaugh’s past caused you to feel that way? Last season was his only win over OSU and it wasn’t the result of exotic play-calling or the revealing of hidden secrets. They played smash mouth football and we had no answers.
Day, on the other hand, at least at times, has thrown teams off balance-see also Clemson 2020. It was an offensive masterpiece.
Now, don’t get me wrong-I think this will be a very difficult game to win and I expect a dog fight. But if the game comes down to who has more surprises on offense then you should definitely bet on Day. He has the weapons and the know-how.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
Harbaugh had a few really good plays that they used last year. One was the AJ Henning sweep for a TD that fanned a pass to Donovan Edwards on a wheel route that froze the entire OSU LBs and secondary. Flea Flicker to Sainristil. And if he had a functional QB to execute the 2017 game plan, I think Michigan wins. So yes, Harbaugh may be a weird dude, but he’s a weird dude that lives and breathes football and he’s pretty good at it. If I had to bet, I would speculate that they have an entire package of stuff built for Donovan Edwards that is meant to absolutely screw with the defense and the mismatches he creates when he splits out to receiver.
I would expect the same from Day, as he’s creative and an offensive genius. I think the Game will all come down to who has the better adjustments on defense. Michigan lost these games when Brown was the DC because he couldn’t adjust and Day just absolutely shredded his scheme over and over again. I don’t think that will happen with Minter, but we’ll see.
Big difference Delhi is OSU has a legit DC now who can and will handle your one dimensional offense, even with your gadgets. Last year you took advantage of a subpar defense with a subpar DC, that got changed quick.
Those are good examples. I haven’t rewatched the game (for obvious reasons), but what I mostly recall was TTUN’s O-line bullying us and Haskins running us into the ground. I’m sure the few creative plays you mentioned helped but we lost because we couldn’t stop even simple run plays AND couldn’t run the ball.
I’ll give you that Harbaugh is a good coach, not denying that. But I think Day is a better offensive mind and QB developer. OSU also has more weapons on offense and an overall higher ceiling on that side of the ball.
I agree that defensive execution and adjustments will be key in determining who wins. Knowles has certainly proven to be more capable than our previous DC and while he admits that the defense is set up to give up a few big plays a game, the results so far speak for themselves. If we are able to stop Corum or at least slow him down AND account for McCarthy running (no easy task), it will be a long day for you guys, even if the defense gives up a few “trick” plays or whatever.
Should be a classic showdown. Two very different teams but both very good and capable. This game could go many different ways and I can’t wait to see how it shakes out.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
I’m gonna be really pissed if we let you guys score on that stupid mini reverse play from the 20. Pretty sure that same gadget play has scored on the first drive against us in 2019 and 2021.
Outside of Phil Steele and Joel Klatt, most in the media don't acknowledge the change on defense. Point 1(handicapper Phil Steele) is Ohio State was about 125th in defensive experience. Starts, snaps, those important things. This year they were 40th at the start. That alone is huge. The other part was the lack of leadership. Forget scheme, they didn't have a leader. Even Tulsa had 500 yards of offense. The narrative about Oregon and Michigan is just plain stupid. They could not stop anybody not named Akron.
This is not the case this year. In fact, they are good again, not just average (up from terrible). Michigan will have a hard time on offense.
You are right. The Wolverines have pretty much been "run the ball down your throats all day long. We know you know we are going to do it, but we don't care." I'm only concerned that Harbaugh has some special plays he's been saving, particularly passing plays. It just seems strange that as the season has gone on, they've gotten away from throwing the ball.
I hope Day comes out with guns blazing and a surprise or two up his sleeve. Take 'em out of their gameplan early. Would not mind another Clemson 2020 at all.
If it's going to be funny later, it might as well be funny now.
Yeah, I don’t doubt TTUN will execute some plays we’ve never seen but they can’t do that all game. Knowles has even admitted that his defense is designed in a way that might allow for a few big plays to be given up. But teams lean on what has worked for them and they can’t magically materialize a new offensive philosophy or skill set. That doesn’t mean it will be easy to stop them, but I still feel that TTUN will be fairly predictable for most of the game.
Day has never lost to the same team twice in a row. He remembers what Harbaugh said about him. The bulletin board material has stacked up. He’s been thinking about this game for almost a year. I think he’s going to paint another masterpiece. Fingers crossed.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
He’s been thinking about this game for almost a year.
That’s the overlooked factor. This is the first rematch this season with any team that beat us recently. It’s our most recent failure, and hated foe, staring us right in the face. Day pays back his losses. And it’s in our house. It’s going to be an old fashioned slugfest when their offense is on the field against our defense. But it’s the other matchup that will decide the game.
All good points, but I really hope you're right about this in particular. Because Bama made a mockery of us immediately following the Clemson masterpiece.
Good thing Harbaugh doesn't have a CJ Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr or actually any receiver that would even play at OSU. I'll take the Buckeyes by 2 scores at least
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
I have always thought that Harbough schemed the Game well. Player execution was an issue for them in the past, but last year was an exception. However, Ohio State last year was so YOUNG and inexperienced compared to many of the 5th and 6th year seniors UM had and it showed. Before the 2021 season started I had a feeling that TTUN may pick up The Game because of that and playing at home.
We will see what happens this year and it will be a great test for Ohio State. The team has more experience, a MUCH better defense, and are playing at home. Will they be able to slow down the run and get TTUN off the field? Will TTUN be much more pass heavy and test the weak point on our defense? Will we be able to run on them to open up the passing game? Is Stroud ready to get out of his head, rise to the moment, and put the team on his back? These are the questions I have going into Nov 26th.
Of course, first things first. Maryland should not be overlooked and may provide a good tune up for our secondary as well as our defensive line. Just keep winning!
Tim Biakabatuka or however you spell it. Mccarthy could have an all world day of 250 yards and Corum runs for 175 and we would be in big trouble. I am more worried about Mccarthy running for 100 yards than him passing for a career high. I think we will be ok on defense with the key being qb legs for Michigan.
OSU and Michigan have met 12 times as top-five teams, and the away team has won only once. Home-field advantage matters. Also, OSU would be the most hostile environment Michigan has faced all year.
I've had a feeling all year that we are going to come out and absolutely light those clowns up, a la Clemson in 2020. Every person associated with that program has been running their mouth for a year and they're about to realize that it's time to cash all those checks. Michigan is good, but they aren't "good enough to beat this team in Columbus good". Their only shot is for JSN, Trey and Miyan to all be out in the same game AND for the weather to be 2015 MSU-level bad. Absent those very specific circumstances, I don't see any way TTUN keeps it within 2 touchdowns.
I get that feeling too. It seems like a lot of these no-gainer plays that Day has insisted on running all season are a setup. We already know Knowles has possibly an entire alternate playbook in his pocket just for Michigan. The talent is there for the Buckeyes to just come out swinging and fucking smoke the nerds from Ann Arbor. The game is in Columbus and our boys are rolling in there with the best QB and WR in the nation (Marv is actually the best overall player in the country to be honest)
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
Feel the exact same way. Day and Wilson aren't blind and didn't forget how to coach offense. They see the same things everyone else sees. The QB read/run plays against NW were in the playbook already. The Gap schemes against Indy were there too. They're preparing for the same defense they saw last year, while that team is working against Knowles for the 1st time. Man I hope to see an ass kicking like they laid on William Sweeney.
Seriously, Michigan can't pass the ball. It's a big deal.
Guaranteed 220+ passing yards for JJ when we play him. Somehow they always pull out some BS amazing plays that they weren't capable of the rest of the season. It'll be some crap like a 70 yard TD to Ronnie Bell off some insane, once-in-a-lifetime broken tackle or trick that somehow works.
Still won't be enough to beat the Buckeyes.
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
A broken play or two passing wont kill us, it’s consistently converting 3&5+ that would do that which I just don’t see happening because they can’t pass.
It was like that Penn State receiver making at least 3 and probably 4 unbelievable catches to extend their chances, it was infuriating to watch as a fan, because you couldn't even get too pissed off about it, they were just great plays on his part.
I have some OSU Clemson 2016 vibes for the game. The twist being we are playing the role of Clemson here. We were one dimensional in that game and Clemson was good enough to exploit that. I am not saying we win 31 - 0 but i think the more talented more balanced team with a nasty D wins.
In all seriousness, Michigan is very good. The thing that worries me the most is Mccarthy keeping drives alive with his legs. If he hits 100 yards rushing or close to it, we could be in trouble. That's one area we've struggled this year on defense, with the other being the 2016 Penn State-level "YOLO bombs". I don't think Michigan is good enough to consistently pull those off, but anything goes in The Game. I think we win something like 38-24, with TTUN scoring late to make it appear a bit closer, but it will be very close for 2.5-3 quarters.
I remember watching it as a kid it was one of my favorites on PBS. That and Zoom. Though I have no idea why I liked Zoom, looking back it was a very odd show.
How sweet would it be if Stroud wins the Heisman and throws some shade at Howard on the big stage after curb stomping them? “I guess my O-line did a pretty good job of protecting me. Nothing feels better than beating TTUN in front of the best fans in college football.” He’s probably too classy for it but I would enjoy it!
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
I want the whole disease that is ttun silenced hard. From the starting on 3rd base statement from their whacked leader to the smug fucks from past teams acting like they've beaten us regularly. I just want a one sided ass whooping that an arrogant overrated team that hasn't played anyone deserves. Make them slither back north where they came from.
From my experience the narrative that the media mentions at nauseum frequently doesn't play out on the field. There will be changes and it will be a slug fest. Was close last year at half, had we converted TD instead of FG we may have lead. The difference is this year our defense which will adjust way before the half. Hoping Coach Day adjusts before halftime.
I know Nebraska's offense is bad but Purdy is the back up because Casey Thompson was out. Also the article is wrong Purdy did not play the whole game as he was injured in the 2nd quarter and Nebraska had to put their 3rd string in. Purdy was actually causing problems for Michigans defense until he got hurt. Also it was evident again that if you slow down their run game theyre really going to struggle to score. Their lack of big plays on offense is very concerning because against a good D their offense is going to have to continually have 10 play drives and im not sure thats sustainable against a good defense that actually has a competent offense on the other side. Id be every interested to see what they do when they get behind.
Michigan can only win by running the ball. Period. Ohio State can win a dozen different ways. Killing the clock with a run game is counter-productive when you're down by 24 at half.
To err is human. Really sucking requires having yellow stripes on your helmet.
I have stayed away for obvious reasons, but just happened to look the box score from The Game last year. There were many things that seem like outliers to me even against teams in the playoffs that will be impressive if happen again.
- OSU had no TFL or sacks in the game
- in the 3rd quarter ttun possessed the ball for 3:45, 8 plays 159 yards and 14 points
- they had zero 3rd down conversion attempts in the second half of the game.
- second half OSU 7 penalties for 51 yards vs 0 for ttun
- Buckeyes in second half had advantage time of possession 17:58 to 12:02. This doesn’t make sense given Buckeyes are throwing and they are running the ball.
- total yards in the second half was 37 yards
- no turnovers by either team in the half
- Buckeyes outscored by 14 points in that half. Just seemed like penalties and couple third down conversions as well as not stopping or them having any negative plays was the difference.
At this point I am just ready for the two teams to play each other and 1) stop with trying to comp out the Game by looking at common opponents and 2) keep hashing and re-hashing each team's strengths and vulnerabilities vis-a-vis each other. The cake is baked for both teams this season as far as their identity, I wish we could just fast-forward past this weekend and get right to the week's festivities before The Game.
Last week's game vs Nebraska may have been the most boring, desultory 34-3 win I've seen. We are 10-0 for the first time since 2006 but this whole season has felt like Eating our Vegetables. I would not describe it as being Fun, just as being Perfunctory before 11/26.
If I'm Hairball (and thank Christ I'm not), I'm not even entertaining the thought of putting the ball in the air .... Run ball, Eat clock - kept the OSU offense on the sideline and do what they've done in the 2nd half of each game - grind and wear down the other team's defense (OSU has been doing the same thing - see PSU and NWU) ..... If we can slow down (we won't stop it completely) both Corum and McCarthy (as a runner), then close the books on the Puke & Blue .... If the weather can hold up, then I just don't see TTUN hanging with us, provided our offensive line comes to play. I'm not concerned with our QB, receivers, or anyone they have back there to run the ball - but, our O-Line has been playing too tall in our run blocking fits and gaining a stalemate at the LOS ain't gonna get it done .....
The contributors to this forum have a wealth of knowledge of Buckeye and Big Ten football, but so does the coaching staff. It is fun to discuss The Game and strategy with fellow Buckeyes.
My thoughts: Harbaugh has to rely on Corum and JJ for offense. He will try to run the ball down our thoat with an occissional pass to catch us off guard. We should counter by assigning Eichenberg to JJ and Chambers to Corum to slow them down. Chambers may be able to keep Corum under 100 yds, while Eichenberg should be able to come away with 2 or 3 sacks and several forced throws. Hall & JTT will force a fumble and will have a big day. I expect that between Hickman, Ransom and McCalaster we should have 2 picks. If our O-line avoids penalties Stroud should be able to hit EE, MH jr. & Stover for TDs. I expect to see both Miyam and Tre have good games but expect to see X and Rossi get carries.
The first half may be close but I expect that we will pull away in the 2nd half for a convincing win.
Fair points made, and we're getting closer to the time where fixes won't be coming.
A question for Bucks fans: Can you provide me with some insight into the specific changes that Knowles has brought to OSU's defense this year? Most of the posts I've seen on the topic speak to overall improvement by pointing to improved metrics this year versus last. That is certainly relevant, but I think OSU suffers from the same problem (out of its control) that Michigan does--a lack of a true test so far. Yes, ND was a better OOC opponent than UConn, but was that early season game really a measure of the improvements made on the defensive side of the ball? I would say no. The other thing that has jumped out to me is the fact that, this year, OSU doesn't have that household name on defense. Yes, there are three of offense (Stroud, Harrison, JSN), but I haven't been reading about a Bosa or a Chase Young all year long. That's new. So, aside from a new DC, who is not the old, crappy DC, and aside from a generalized increase in ability across the board that hasn't been seen to date, why should UM not think that it won't be able to move the ball and score?
Michigan WILL move the ball and score. What's your average score, this year? 41. Is OSU's D average? No, it's above average, so let's knock off 7-10 points. Michigan scores 31 points, let's say.
OSU's average score has been 47. Michigan's defense is above average. So let's knock off 7-10 points. OSU scores 37 points.
Knowles' defense is far less predictable, is more aggressive, more fundamentally sound and better at making adjustments. We are FAR better at stopping the run this year. TTUN will present the biggest challenge the defense has faced in terms of stopping the run, but the defense will be much better prepared than last year. Eichenberg should be a household name. He is a dominant LB playing at a very high level. The D-line is loaded with talent and depth, one of the reasons why there are rotations and why it will be hard for TTUN to wear us down. Zach Harrison, JTT, Taron Vincent, Mike Hall, Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer... those guys are all studs and they've each had games where they've made an impact.
The defense as a whole is more cohesive and confident too. They know their assignments and execute at a high level.
I'm not suggesting that TTUN won't be able to move the ball some, but it will be a much bigger challenge than anything they've faced this season. If they think they're gonna waltz in and do what they did last year, they are in for a very rude awakening. Knowles will have the defense ready. TTUN won't be able to wear us down in the second half like they have inferior opponents.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
Thanks for the response, would upvote if I could. I got the sense that there was more than just a "we need to fix the linebacker play" adjustment going on, but without hearing about a system change, its been difficult for an outsider to see what's actually being done. Given depth for both UM's OL and OSU's DL will make for an interesting matchup. I don't think anyone is expecting an easy game this year.
Yeah, I expect this game to be a slugfest. The combo of Corum, McCarthy and Edwards and a really good O-line will certainly present a major challenge for the defense, but up to this point they've done a great job of making teams earn every yard on the ground. Knowles will certainly have some looks dialed up that TTUN has never seen before and his calls seem to be perfectly timed, especially blitzes. OSU can and will bring a lot of pressure and it will come all 4 quarters. It will be very interesting to see how it all plays out.
On the other side, OSU in general has struggled to run the ball against stout defenses. But, part of that is due to predictability and lack of execution and the staff has been aware of it all year. Could they be playing vanilla to throw TTUN off? I don't know but Day needs to call a near perfect game (a la Clemson 2020) and the offense will have to find a way to move the chains and score TD's in the red zone and not settle for FG's.
Huge tests on both sides of the ball for both teams. EPIC showdown.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
Tommy E and Ransom up for end of year awards. JT has made name for himself. Harrison has been playing well. And Mike Hall basically gets a sack/tfl every 10 snaps he plays. Scheme wise, I'm not an expert in the XOs but moved to 2 LB and keeping Tommy on the field basically entire time for meaningful snaps, which differs from last year. Sometimes don't need to know schematic differences to know a unit is different. Stats back that up. Playing with confidence, look like they actually know where they are supposed to be.
The biggest difference is coaching. Not saying that to be smart, but from a personnel standpoint, there aren't any significant upgrades from last year's team, save for the safeties since Coombs/Barnes insisted on playing Bryson Shaw (at USC now). Coombs had no DC experience, and every opponent knew exactly what they were getting before the snap and made the Buckeyes pay. Barnes took over play-calling but it wasn't really much different. All 3 levels of defense had no idea where they were supposed to be or what they were supposed to read, which led to playing reactive and getting blown off the ball, vs. attacking and getting contact at or behind the LOS. Knowles system is much more complex, but he's leaps and bounds ahead of Coombs when it comes to teaching it. There's a lot more zone mixed in with the 3 safeties, and I guess similar to that team's D, you don't know where the pressure is coming from before the snap and who's going to be in coverage. Knowles stated goal is to create indecision pre-snap for the OC, and post snap for the QB, in hopes that the slit second extra it takes for the ball to come out will results in a negative play for the offense (sack/hurry/batted pass). They've excelled against the run and covering TEs, which has been a weakness for years for this D.
I still have Cooper years PTSD. I recovered from CYPTSD enough last year to be confident after we were up 49-0 at half over the MSU team that beat ttun. Now I'm nervous as hell and planning to bring a full bag of throat lozenges to The Game. My eyes watching both teams all year tell me we have the better team. Their weakness is bigger than ours. We should win by 14, but on the other hand Brooklyn Dagger sure was fun so a repeat of that would be fine.
Tommy E and Ransom up for end of year awards. JT has made name for himself. Harrison has been playing well. And Mike Hall basically gets a sack/tfl every 10 snaps he plays. Scheme wise, I'm not an expert in the XOs but moved to 2 LB and keeping Tommy on the field basically entire time for meaningful snaps, which differs from last year. Sometimes don't need to know schematic differences to know a unit is different. Stats back that up. Playing with confidence, look like they actually know where they are supposed to be.
Biggest factor in the game will be *ichigan's ability to run the ball. We need to avoid the 2nd and 3 and 3rd and 1 and force lots of 2nd and 11 and 3rd and 8. If that happens OSU wins going away, if not then it's going to be a struggle.
scum can't pass just like OSU can't run the ball??? Booger eater just needs his QB to make a few plays to keep drives going while OSU is busy stopping Corum. Just like Day has been preparing for scum every week you can bet Booger eater has been doing the same. OSU will miraculously fix the running game and scum will just as miraculously develop a competent passing game. The team that is least surprised by the newfound competence will end up winning The Game. There are 2 factors that are in OSU's favor. 1} scum is notoriously slow starting and built to wear down an opponent over the course of the game. scum has to sustain drives and score TDs to avoid getting down early. OSU's D is very good this year and can cause the 3 and outs needed to get their O off the field. 2} OSU has the ability to hit the big play from anywhere on the field. Getting several chunk plays early and scoring from outside the red zone will keep OSU away from their weakness, which is the short run game. Getting up by 2+ scores in the 1st half will force scum to abandon the run game. When that happens scum is doomed.
Their pass defense is garbage we are going to shred them like we did in 2018. Our defense is WAY better than last year and if we take away corum the whole offense falls apart. With the home crowd bucks with this one handily.
Ohio State struggled to run the ball and then against Indiana changed the way they ran the ball. The adopted some different schemes, ran some different concepts, and they ran hog wild on Indiana.
Is Indiana to be confused with the 85 Bears, 2000 Ravens, or heck even the 2022 Wolverines? Nah. But it shows me that Ryan Day is not content.
And this brings me to my point about this game and why OSU is going to win it. Ohio State has systematically moved on from last season. They have adapted to their new players, they have adapted their scheme, they are now a different football team than the one that got beat up in Ann Arbor.
Michigan has not adapted. They've regressed. They've gone further into their Harbaugh shell. And that isn't getting fixed.
Michigan is in trouble guys.
Proudly dispensing unbridled arrogance since 1983.
Corum is a battering ram/bowling ball type of runner that finishes forward. When he does get hit early, he has the ability to stay upright long enough for his linemen to get behind him and push forward.
IMO it all comes down to stopping Corum and Edwards on first down.
Enough of the blowout talk. This game smells exactly like 2006 all over again.
I did say sarcasm alert. Look, they would have a better chance coming out with a wishbone offense. You can come up with wrinkles and trick plays, but you just can't turn on a proficient passing offense. You need to practice that.
There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you. - Woody Hayes
I'm sure they practice it, but after 11 games, it's not there. Could you imagine if 11 games in, Ohio State's running game looked like it did against Iowa/PSU/NW the entire season? That's essentially the equivalent of their passing game right now.
Needing balance is a myth. Last 3 teams that won the Natty threw the ball 75% more than they ran. LSU and Bama only averaged 170 on the ground while Georgia averaged 190.
I dont know whats with Mccarthy and the deep ball, when he threw them in mop up duty last year he was pretty much always on the money. He puts no air under the ball, and to me its an indictment on the QB coach and Harbaugh not getting this fixed this far into the season. Its not all on him, Michigan's recievers really aren't very good. They run simplistic patterns, drop passes, and don't get much seperation. I'm not sure they'll be able to recruit big time WRs with an offense that runs the ball like a Nebraska from the 90s. As far as the game, as average as Mcnamara was he hit some big plays in the passing game last year against you guys. JJ will have to do the same to have any sort of chance and I just don't see it happening. Michigan will probably have some success on the ground but to me it was some of the play action last year that also kept you guys off balance. Doesn't happen this year.
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Throw out the records and the tendencies in the big game. Both sides will be jacked up and I can't wait to see it.
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you." -- Woody Hayes
‘Jacked up’ lasts for about 5 plays, then it’s just football. ‘Jacked up’ doesn’t win games.
this. every week we see it out of our opponents. they are fired up and have success for one or maybe two series, then reality sets in.
All we have to decide is to cheer on the Buckeyes with the time that is given us
Home crowds can make a huge difference in a teams energy and motivation level throughout the game.
The Shoe will 100% help OSU.
The ‘19 team was our best ever.
TTUN does indeed appear to be a second half team, and to some extent I think the Buckeyes are too (NW, ND, PSU).
I think that if the Bucks get off to a fast start it could make a big difference in the game. TTUN, due to a weak pass game, is not adept at scoring in a hurry. They are used to controlling the clock and keeping offenses off the field. Score early and knock them off balance. Force McCarthy to make hard throws and they are in trouble.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
Yes, they use the first half to establish body blows that don’t take their full toll until the later rounds. It’s the second half that teams gets knocked down and out. OSU is very capable of landing knock out blows from the jump. I’m really hoping OSU executes like this out and does not get into a slug fest over the full ten rounds.
hopefully LJ rotates the DL to neutralize the body blows. That line was very young last year.
Which is exactly why McCarthy will have some called runs - QB draw or read option. He's also a threat to scramble.
Force McCarthy to make ANY throws and they are in trouble.
But it's THE GAME, so no doubt he will have a passing day like he's never had before and never will again.
Yes, StL, Coach Day also has a history of starting out slow, esp against good teams. You can fill in the numerous examples. And then there are a couple times when his teams come out with a vengeance and tear out and shake down the oponent like a dog with a rag doll.
Ua Mau ke Ea o ka 'Aina I ka Pono. The life of the land is preserved in righteousness. (Hawai'i state motto) Aloha nui kakou.
A performance like they put on against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl would warm my heart. Talk about getting rag-dolled...
I survived Cooper and I hate Tai Streets.
Xichigan wears down the other teams which shows up in them doing better in the 2nd half. The Buckeyes needs to jump out early and then wear their defense down with the run game
The difference between us and the rest of the B1G is our depth. We shouldn’t wear down at the end like everyone else.
It’s fascinating to me the desire to dismiss a team’s 2nd half performance as if it is immaterial to the overall performance of the team. If anything, being able to close out a game has been Michigan’s major weakness against good teams until last year.
If Michigan is within 3 points of OSU at the half, I’ll be feeling really good about their chances of winning.
I don't know about the second part of your post, but I'm with you on the first part. Games are 60 minutes long, and ttun uses every one of them.
"We gotta go win this next game and make the State of Ohio proud!"-UFM
Not sure what sport you're watching, but games these days go on for 3+ hours... Sigh
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It's still 60 minutes of football.
"There's always going to be an element of pressure when you walk on the stage." -Eddie George
they're also playing really, really bad offenses. the point isn't that they've outscored opponents 117-3 in the second half (which, yes, is impressive), it's that it's also been completely necessary for them to outscore opponents 117-3 in the second half. this is living on the edge against offenses with a pulse, because if they find themselves down a couple of scores, they're going to have to try and pass their way back into a game. which they don't appear capable of doing.
ISWYDT. Giving Desmond the business.
VA_Buck
That’s a fair point, and that’s the fascination with The Game this year, because both Michigan and OSU will each be (by far) the best offense each other has played this year.
I agree with you that Michigan’s passing attack as of late has been inconsistent at best and looks like they will struggle if their passing has to be called on to carry the team. But for all of its inconsistency lately when passing, Michigan does have talent at QB and WR and it’s not inconceivable that they put everything together.
Honestly is your boys were gonna "put it all together", they would have done it by now. JJ and the wide receivers don't seem capable. At best Harbaugh is relying on a few gadgets and tricks he's been saving up, which by the way is a sign of being an inferior team throwing the kitchen sink at us like Rutgers did. Your basically a national brand Rutgers and when the Bucks go on another 20 year streak, you won't even be national anymore, just another Midwest has-been like Nebraska nobody want to go to.
"Put ya' weight on it"
"It's not inconceivable" is not a plan. If Xichigan is within 3 at the half (previous post), they've throttled the run and pass game of tOSU. They still have to stop the "28 points in 6 minutes" capability in the second half. The biggest difference this year for the Buckeyes is the D is legit. Y'all gonna have to win the turnover battle +3 to have a shot. It's not inconceivable, but it sure as hell isn't likely either!
Steelybuck54
Michigans is rushing for roughly 40 more yards per game than OSU (yet OSU has the better average per carry). OSU is passing for nearly 100 more yards per game and nearly 6 more points per game than Michigan. The gap between PSU and Michigan is roughly the same gap between Michigan and Ohio State (offensively). The Buckeye offense is light years better than anything that UM has seen this season. "Let that sink in"
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
Tiger, I’ve been saying the same thing. It’s like the Georgia/Tennessee game, the stats pointed to a Georgia win by double digits and that’s what happened. Michigan has the #93 out of #131 pass offense. Their fans try and sell it as “not needed to pass”, that’s fools gold against playoff level defenses. Michigan’s success has been by physically wearing down subpar teams.
Shatinkycat1
Other teams don't have the depth OSU has or the fire power.
Which is funny because, and this true, most Michigan fans look at our game against Penn State and say "Ohio State was losing in the 4th quarter against a team we dominated".
So, which part of the game should we disregard? The part where Michigan is terrible or the part where Ohio State got bored of playing with its food and scored 28 points in like 5 minutes? It's really hard to keep track with you guys!
We can't stop here; this is bat country...
I honestly think you have to take into account the entire game and not disregard anything.
To your point about OSU vs. PSU, OSU’s ability to score quick bunches of points is what scares me most about them. I worry that even if Michigan holds them under wraps into the 4th quarter, that offense (and defense) can still absolutely explode for 28 points in 10 minutes and finish you.
Michigan will not win a shootout against OSU. I think their best chance is a grind-it-out ball control game that limits OSU’s possessions.
I agree and that's why it drives me nuts when people cherry pick stats like that, as it can easily manipulated to prove a point one way or the other. My hope is that we start fast and score a couple times early, rather than stumbling around for a few drives before pouring it on later.
I do believe both teams will play their best game, but I think the ceiling for our run game (assuming healthy RBs) is higher than the ceiling for your passing game. That and the home field advantage is what gives me something in the 38-24 range, in our favor. But The Game rarely goes how people predict it will, so who knows?
We can't stop here; this is bat country...
Michigan feels like a team that if it gets one key player that has a high ankle sprain, they are done. They have been EXTREMELY lucky on the injury front.
If Michigan goes down 2 scores in the first half - it's a wrap. OSU will run away with it.
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
If Michigan goes down 2 scores in the first 5 minutes, I'd call that a good start!
Day and the Buckeyes want this badly. They will not (and should not) play conservatively.
#releasethekraken
Alcohol will not solve any of your problems, but then again, neither will milk or water.
Scoring 3 fourth quarter touchdowns against nobodies doesn’t exactly mean your team is great….
Just win baby
It's not. But if you're already down 30 at the half, you aren't catching back up in the second half by getting 4 ypc out of Corum. You're not up against Rutgers.
I grow more nervous by the day. They CAN run the ball, whether they have to rely on the second half or not. And their D is more than serviceable. Next week is going to be a long week. Let's just make sure we trash the Terps first.
"We gotta go win this next game and make the State of Ohio proud!"-UFM
I may worry about their little run game if OSU wasn't bringing the best WR and QB in the country to the fight.
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
They aren't going to wear our defense down by the second half like they do with teams like Rutgers. That strategy just isn't going to work the same way. Especially if they're already down big at the half, they can run all day long. It's not getting them back in the game. They can't afford to hold the ball and run the clock out at that point.
fify.
I think this year will be different. If we play anywhere close to our best, we'll win The Game. But it's worth remembering that they got us last year with this exact plan.
Go Bucks!
Excellent thumbnail. I have to agree with High. Simply (enough) put, I think there are more outstanding questions with TTUN than there are with us. Thanks to TTUN's schedule being putrid, we haven't seen what it looks like when they have to play without a more than one score lead, they still have red zone efficiency issues, they're the least balanced offense of the top 5 teams statistically, their OL hasn't played a good front 4, and their defense hasn't played an offense with a pulse.
We certainly have our questions too, but I think ours can be fixed in two weeks. Can't say the same for TTUN.
LOVE that Johnny moved it to “High”! Ballsy move there.
So maybe the anal-yst was really talking about his own team...poor Desmond.
Bbc11
I think the nitty kitties offense has a decent pulse, I’m not sure that’s a fair characterization. They’re gonna be roughly #12 in tonight’s rankings.
Continue to develop our running game
Get healthy
Attack their linebackers
GO TEMPO
Load the box and stop the run
We do this consistently we win
Go Bucks
Still Severe for me. It’s really hard to know how good they are, but they’ve smashed everyone they’ve played in the past 6 weeks. Also not sure how they’ll respond if they’re forced out of their comfort zone, so I’ll err on the side of caution.
They were better in 2018 when they also smashed everyone they played until they go to Columbus...
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/8a/10/A1471A13-8595-4357-B76E-AA433F8DD713/IMG_8793.heic
Sorry that did not come through but it had to with uck ichigan.
"Michigan can't throw the ball" doesn't get nearly as much traction as "Ohio State has issues running the ball." Big whoop - when you're on top, everyone looks for a weakness. Throw it all aside - The Game is gonna be a throw-down, however good or bad either team is. Knuckle up and get at it.
That all being said, the optimist in me his hoping Ryan Day uncorks a bunch of big "oh, we had those plays all along!" on them. Why show your hand against subpar teams?
Buckeye fan living in Wisconsin
My concern is that Harbaugh will do the same to us.
If it's going to be funny later, it might as well be funny now.
While I’m not ruling out the possibility, has anything in Harbaugh’s past caused you to feel that way? Last season was his only win over OSU and it wasn’t the result of exotic play-calling or the revealing of hidden secrets. They played smash mouth football and we had no answers.
Day, on the other hand, at least at times, has thrown teams off balance-see also Clemson 2020. It was an offensive masterpiece.
Now, don’t get me wrong-I think this will be a very difficult game to win and I expect a dog fight. But if the game comes down to who has more surprises on offense then you should definitely bet on Day. He has the weapons and the know-how.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
Harbaugh had a few really good plays that they used last year. One was the AJ Henning sweep for a TD that fanned a pass to Donovan Edwards on a wheel route that froze the entire OSU LBs and secondary. Flea Flicker to Sainristil. And if he had a functional QB to execute the 2017 game plan, I think Michigan wins. So yes, Harbaugh may be a weird dude, but he’s a weird dude that lives and breathes football and he’s pretty good at it. If I had to bet, I would speculate that they have an entire package of stuff built for Donovan Edwards that is meant to absolutely screw with the defense and the mismatches he creates when he splits out to receiver.
I would expect the same from Day, as he’s creative and an offensive genius. I think the Game will all come down to who has the better adjustments on defense. Michigan lost these games when Brown was the DC because he couldn’t adjust and Day just absolutely shredded his scheme over and over again. I don’t think that will happen with Minter, but we’ll see.
Big difference Delhi is OSU has a legit DC now who can and will handle your one dimensional offense, even with your gadgets. Last year you took advantage of a subpar defense with a subpar DC, that got changed quick.
"Put ya' weight on it"
Those are good examples. I haven’t rewatched the game (for obvious reasons), but what I mostly recall was TTUN’s O-line bullying us and Haskins running us into the ground. I’m sure the few creative plays you mentioned helped but we lost because we couldn’t stop even simple run plays AND couldn’t run the ball.
I’ll give you that Harbaugh is a good coach, not denying that. But I think Day is a better offensive mind and QB developer. OSU also has more weapons on offense and an overall higher ceiling on that side of the ball.
I agree that defensive execution and adjustments will be key in determining who wins. Knowles has certainly proven to be more capable than our previous DC and while he admits that the defense is set up to give up a few big plays a game, the results so far speak for themselves. If we are able to stop Corum or at least slow him down AND account for McCarthy running (no easy task), it will be a long day for you guys, even if the defense gives up a few “trick” plays or whatever.
Should be a classic showdown. Two very different teams but both very good and capable. This game could go many different ways and I can’t wait to see how it shakes out.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
I’m gonna be really pissed if we let you guys score on that stupid mini reverse play from the 20. Pretty sure that same gadget play has scored on the first drive against us in 2019 and 2021.
Outside of Phil Steele and Joel Klatt, most in the media don't acknowledge the change on defense. Point 1(handicapper Phil Steele) is Ohio State was about 125th in defensive experience. Starts, snaps, those important things. This year they were 40th at the start. That alone is huge. The other part was the lack of leadership. Forget scheme, they didn't have a leader. Even Tulsa had 500 yards of offense. The narrative about Oregon and Michigan is just plain stupid. They could not stop anybody not named Akron.
This is not the case this year. In fact, they are good again, not just average (up from terrible). Michigan will have a hard time on offense.
#walkaway
You are right. The Wolverines have pretty much been "run the ball down your throats all day long. We know you know we are going to do it, but we don't care." I'm only concerned that Harbaugh has some special plays he's been saving, particularly passing plays. It just seems strange that as the season has gone on, they've gotten away from throwing the ball.
I hope Day comes out with guns blazing and a surprise or two up his sleeve. Take 'em out of their gameplan early. Would not mind another Clemson 2020 at all.
If it's going to be funny later, it might as well be funny now.
Yeah, I don’t doubt TTUN will execute some plays we’ve never seen but they can’t do that all game. Knowles has even admitted that his defense is designed in a way that might allow for a few big plays to be given up. But teams lean on what has worked for them and they can’t magically materialize a new offensive philosophy or skill set. That doesn’t mean it will be easy to stop them, but I still feel that TTUN will be fairly predictable for most of the game.
Day has never lost to the same team twice in a row. He remembers what Harbaugh said about him. The bulletin board material has stacked up. He’s been thinking about this game for almost a year. I think he’s going to paint another masterpiece. Fingers crossed.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
That’s the overlooked factor. This is the first rematch this season with any team that beat us recently. It’s our most recent failure, and hated foe, staring us right in the face. Day pays back his losses. And it’s in our house. It’s going to be an old fashioned slugfest when their offense is on the field against our defense. But it’s the other matchup that will decide the game.
Hmm
All good points, but I really hope you're right about this in particular. Because Bama made a mockery of us immediately following the Clemson masterpiece.
There is no harmony in this rivalry's refrain
Good thing Harbaugh doesn't have a CJ Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr or actually any receiver that would even play at OSU. I'll take the Buckeyes by 2 scores at least
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
I have always thought that Harbough schemed the Game well. Player execution was an issue for them in the past, but last year was an exception. However, Ohio State last year was so YOUNG and inexperienced compared to many of the 5th and 6th year seniors UM had and it showed. Before the 2021 season started I had a feeling that TTUN may pick up The Game because of that and playing at home.
We will see what happens this year and it will be a great test for Ohio State. The team has more experience, a MUCH better defense, and are playing at home. Will they be able to slow down the run and get TTUN off the field? Will TTUN be much more pass heavy and test the weak point on our defense? Will we be able to run on them to open up the passing game? Is Stroud ready to get out of his head, rise to the moment, and put the team on his back? These are the questions I have going into Nov 26th.
Of course, first things first. Maryland should not be overlooked and may provide a good tune up for our secondary as well as our defensive line. Just keep winning!
Need to get our RB’s healthy. That will be the key.
I whispered that frigging header image. Well done
"Step on the gas, go as fast as you can, and don't let up until we sing, CARMEN OHIO!!"-Coach Mick
Tim Biakabatuka or however you spell it. Mccarthy could have an all world day of 250 yards and Corum runs for 175 and we would be in big trouble. I am more worried about Mccarthy running for 100 yards than him passing for a career high. I think we will be ok on defense with the key being qb legs for Michigan.
JBuckI
Spying McCarthy and using some blitzes and pressures to keep him in the pocket must be key parts of the defensive gameplan.
OSU and Michigan have met 12 times as top-five teams, and the away team has won only once. Home-field advantage matters. Also, OSU would be the most hostile environment Michigan has faced all year.
At Rutgers, at Indiana, at Iowa. Am I missing anyone? None of those have the impact of the Horseshoe.
I'm at the age where food has taken the place of sex in my life. In fact, I've just had a mirror put over my kitchen table. - Rodney Dangerfield
Great piece, Johnny. I really enjoyed it. Hoping that the weird article focused on the UM/MSU debacle was your floor
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
I've had a feeling all year that we are going to come out and absolutely light those clowns up, a la Clemson in 2020. Every person associated with that program has been running their mouth for a year and they're about to realize that it's time to cash all those checks. Michigan is good, but they aren't "good enough to beat this team in Columbus good". Their only shot is for JSN, Trey and Miyan to all be out in the same game AND for the weather to be 2015 MSU-level bad. Absent those very specific circumstances, I don't see any way TTUN keeps it within 2 touchdowns.
We can't stop here; this is bat country...
I get that feeling too. It seems like a lot of these no-gainer plays that Day has insisted on running all season are a setup. We already know Knowles has possibly an entire alternate playbook in his pocket just for Michigan. The talent is there for the Buckeyes to just come out swinging and fucking smoke the nerds from Ann Arbor. The game is in Columbus and our boys are rolling in there with the best QB and WR in the nation (Marv is actually the best overall player in the country to be honest)
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
Feel the exact same way. Day and Wilson aren't blind and didn't forget how to coach offense. They see the same things everyone else sees. The QB read/run plays against NW were in the playbook already. The Gap schemes against Indy were there too. They're preparing for the same defense they saw last year, while that team is working against Knowles for the 1st time. Man I hope to see an ass kicking like they laid on William Sweeney.
You're too stupid to have a good time. -Dalton
Guaranteed 220+ passing yards for JJ when we play him. Somehow they always pull out some BS amazing plays that they weren't capable of the rest of the season. It'll be some crap like a 70 yard TD to Ronnie Bell off some insane, once-in-a-lifetime broken tackle or trick that somehow works.
Still won't be enough to beat the Buckeyes.
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
Yeah but the fact remains that they can't pass. They struggle to do anything outside of hitting a TE in the flat for less than 10 yards
Urban Meyer >Jim Harbaugh for ever and ever, Amen. 0
A broken play or two passing wont kill us, it’s consistently converting 3&5+ that would do that which I just don’t see happening because they can’t pass.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
It was like that Penn State receiver making at least 3 and probably 4 unbelievable catches to extend their chances, it was infuriating to watch as a fan, because you couldn't even get too pissed off about it, they were just great plays on his part.
Washington from Penn State.
Reed (I think?) from MSU.
Dotson from PSU last year.
Little #7 from one of our non-conference games this year.
There always seems to be a player that just goes lights out against us.
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
I have some OSU Clemson 2016 vibes for the game. The twist being we are playing the role of Clemson here. We were one dimensional in that game and Clemson was good enough to exploit that. I am not saying we win 31 - 0 but i think the more talented more balanced team with a nasty D wins.
Let's just hope we keep our hands to ourselves in this game.
We can't stop here; this is bat country...
Never ever mention Timmy B anymore
Those who stir the shit pot should have to lick the spoon.
I mean, that was a generation ago. Someone born on that horrible day is going to celebrate their 27th birthday this week.
In all seriousness, Michigan is very good. The thing that worries me the most is Mccarthy keeping drives alive with his legs. If he hits 100 yards rushing or close to it, we could be in trouble. That's one area we've struggled this year on defense, with the other being the 2016 Penn State-level "YOLO bombs". I don't think Michigan is good enough to consistently pull those off, but anything goes in The Game. I think we win something like 38-24, with TTUN scoring late to make it appear a bit closer, but it will be very close for 2.5-3 quarters.
We can't stop here; this is bat country...
Decent weather and the Buckeyes win by at least 10 points.
A bad day on the water beats a good day at work.
Wow, the Electric Company - I'll admit I Lol'd. We're going obscure TV with these and I love it.
I remember watching it as a kid it was one of my favorites on PBS. That and Zoom. Though I have no idea why I liked Zoom, looking back it was a very odd show.
I just want to silence Desmond Howard, hard.
How sweet would it be if Stroud wins the Heisman and throws some shade at Howard on the big stage after curb stomping them? “I guess my O-line did a pretty good job of protecting me. Nothing feels better than beating TTUN in front of the best fans in college football.” He’s probably too classy for it but I would enjoy it!
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
Yeah that’s not going to happen.
That piece of shit isn’t going to stop running his mouth.
People like that just find some excuse or something to bitch about.
We really need to just stop talking about that guy after we destroy them and after Stroud wins the Heisman.
The ‘19 team was our best ever.
I want the whole disease that is ttun silenced hard. From the starting on 3rd base statement from their whacked leader to the smug fucks from past teams acting like they've beaten us regularly. I just want a one sided ass whooping that an arrogant overrated team that hasn't played anyone deserves. Make them slither back north where they came from.
Username confirmed.
AGAIN.
Enjoying daily the back to back ttun beat downs.
From my experience the narrative that the media mentions at nauseum frequently doesn't play out on the field. There will be changes and it will be a slug fest. Was close last year at half, had we converted TD instead of FG we may have lead. The difference is this year our defense which will adjust way before the half. Hoping Coach Day adjusts before halftime.
I know Nebraska's offense is bad but Purdy is the back up because Casey Thompson was out. Also the article is wrong Purdy did not play the whole game as he was injured in the 2nd quarter and Nebraska had to put their 3rd string in. Purdy was actually causing problems for Michigans defense until he got hurt. Also it was evident again that if you slow down their run game theyre really going to struggle to score. Their lack of big plays on offense is very concerning because against a good D their offense is going to have to continually have 10 play drives and im not sure thats sustainable against a good defense that actually has a competent offense on the other side. Id be every interested to see what they do when they get behind.
Looks like pornhub jesus christ
Michigan can only win by running the ball. Period. Ohio State can win a dozen different ways. Killing the clock with a run game is counter-productive when you're down by 24 at half.
To err is human. Really sucking requires having yellow stripes on your helmet.
I have stayed away for obvious reasons, but just happened to look the box score from The Game last year. There were many things that seem like outliers to me even against teams in the playoffs that will be impressive if happen again.
- OSU had no TFL or sacks in the game
- in the 3rd quarter ttun possessed the ball for 3:45, 8 plays 159 yards and 14 points
- they had zero 3rd down conversion attempts in the second half of the game.
- second half OSU 7 penalties for 51 yards vs 0 for ttun
- Buckeyes in second half had advantage time of possession 17:58 to 12:02. This doesn’t make sense given Buckeyes are throwing and they are running the ball.
- total yards in the second half was 37 yards
- no turnovers by either team in the half
- Buckeyes outscored by 14 points in that half. Just seemed like penalties and couple third down conversions as well as not stopping or them having any negative plays was the difference.
This has to be incorrect. I looked up the box score Ohio State had 108 yards in the 3rd quarter and 120 yards in the 4th quarter. Total yards 228.
Sorry meant to say the difference in yardage was 37 yards. My bad!
For over 50 years, my ttun threat level has always been HIGH!
There is just too much at stake and it's been that way (for the most part), for a long, long time!
At this point I am just ready for the two teams to play each other and 1) stop with trying to comp out the Game by looking at common opponents and 2) keep hashing and re-hashing each team's strengths and vulnerabilities vis-a-vis each other. The cake is baked for both teams this season as far as their identity, I wish we could just fast-forward past this weekend and get right to the week's festivities before The Game.
Last week's game vs Nebraska may have been the most boring, desultory 34-3 win I've seen. We are 10-0 for the first time since 2006 but this whole season has felt like Eating our Vegetables. I would not describe it as being Fun, just as being Perfunctory before 11/26.
Keep your friends close, but your rivals, closer.
I hope you saved some room for the main course. I’m imagining a steak. It’s going to be tasty. Not even worried about dessert.
Hmm
If I'm Hairball (and thank Christ I'm not), I'm not even entertaining the thought of putting the ball in the air .... Run ball, Eat clock - kept the OSU offense on the sideline and do what they've done in the 2nd half of each game - grind and wear down the other team's defense (OSU has been doing the same thing - see PSU and NWU) ..... If we can slow down (we won't stop it completely) both Corum and McCarthy (as a runner), then close the books on the Puke & Blue .... If the weather can hold up, then I just don't see TTUN hanging with us, provided our offensive line comes to play. I'm not concerned with our QB, receivers, or anyone they have back there to run the ball - but, our O-Line has been playing too tall in our run blocking fits and gaining a stalemate at the LOS ain't gonna get it done .....
I'm calling it right now - OSU 38 TTUN 24
The game isn't going to be close. Johnny drank the Kool aid.
Alante Brown just before he lost the family jewels. Ouch!
Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game. -- Michael Jordan
I don't think it got him in the balls. You ain't just popping back up afterwards if that's the case.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
That Nebraska coach, though...
He really layed the wood.
Hmm
The contributors to this forum have a wealth of knowledge of Buckeye and Big Ten football, but so does the coaching staff. It is fun to discuss The Game and strategy with fellow Buckeyes.
My thoughts: Harbaugh has to rely on Corum and JJ for offense. He will try to run the ball down our thoat with an occissional pass to catch us off guard. We should counter by assigning Eichenberg to JJ and Chambers to Corum to slow them down. Chambers may be able to keep Corum under 100 yds, while Eichenberg should be able to come away with 2 or 3 sacks and several forced throws. Hall & JTT will force a fumble and will have a big day. I expect that between Hickman, Ransom and McCalaster we should have 2 picks. If our O-line avoids penalties Stroud should be able to hit EE, MH jr. & Stover for TDs. I expect to see both Miyam and Tre have good games but expect to see X and Rossi get carries.
The first half may be close but I expect that we will pull away in the 2nd half for a convincing win.
BTW: the Stadium will be loud and electric.
GO BUCKEYES!!!
Ozdragon
Bring the bastards on! We are ready!
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
So ttun is playing Stanford football.
No mercy on those people
This is a forum post from a site member. It does not represent the views of Lamplighter LLC unless otherwise noted.
peidiwch â ffycin gyda'r Cymry
"The Game" is going to be anticlimactic. We will be the first "real test" scUM has gotten all season. Bucks by 28.
Round on the ends and "HI" in the middle. O-HI-O.
Hope you're right.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
45-17 ish..
Go Bucks!!!
David Peck
Fair points made, and we're getting closer to the time where fixes won't be coming.
A question for Bucks fans: Can you provide me with some insight into the specific changes that Knowles has brought to OSU's defense this year? Most of the posts I've seen on the topic speak to overall improvement by pointing to improved metrics this year versus last. That is certainly relevant, but I think OSU suffers from the same problem (out of its control) that Michigan does--a lack of a true test so far. Yes, ND was a better OOC opponent than UConn, but was that early season game really a measure of the improvements made on the defensive side of the ball? I would say no. The other thing that has jumped out to me is the fact that, this year, OSU doesn't have that household name on defense. Yes, there are three of offense (Stroud, Harrison, JSN), but I haven't been reading about a Bosa or a Chase Young all year long. That's new. So, aside from a new DC, who is not the old, crappy DC, and aside from a generalized increase in ability across the board that hasn't been seen to date, why should UM not think that it won't be able to move the ball and score?
Michigan WILL move the ball and score. What's your average score, this year? 41. Is OSU's D average? No, it's above average, so let's knock off 7-10 points. Michigan scores 31 points, let's say.
OSU's average score has been 47. Michigan's defense is above average. So let's knock off 7-10 points. OSU scores 37 points.
Final score: OSU 37, UM 31.
no way our defense gives up 31. the closer the game gets, the more confident I become. Im not kidding when I say I think it's a route
All we have to decide is to cheer on the Buckeyes with the time that is given us
Knowles' defense is far less predictable, is more aggressive, more fundamentally sound and better at making adjustments. We are FAR better at stopping the run this year. TTUN will present the biggest challenge the defense has faced in terms of stopping the run, but the defense will be much better prepared than last year. Eichenberg should be a household name. He is a dominant LB playing at a very high level. The D-line is loaded with talent and depth, one of the reasons why there are rotations and why it will be hard for TTUN to wear us down. Zach Harrison, JTT, Taron Vincent, Mike Hall, Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer... those guys are all studs and they've each had games where they've made an impact.
The defense as a whole is more cohesive and confident too. They know their assignments and execute at a high level.
I'm not suggesting that TTUN won't be able to move the ball some, but it will be a much bigger challenge than anything they've faced this season. If they think they're gonna waltz in and do what they did last year, they are in for a very rude awakening. Knowles will have the defense ready. TTUN won't be able to wear us down in the second half like they have inferior opponents.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
Thanks for the response, would upvote if I could. I got the sense that there was more than just a "we need to fix the linebacker play" adjustment going on, but without hearing about a system change, its been difficult for an outsider to see what's actually being done. Given depth for both UM's OL and OSU's DL will make for an interesting matchup. I don't think anyone is expecting an easy game this year.
You're welcome.
Yeah, I expect this game to be a slugfest. The combo of Corum, McCarthy and Edwards and a really good O-line will certainly present a major challenge for the defense, but up to this point they've done a great job of making teams earn every yard on the ground. Knowles will certainly have some looks dialed up that TTUN has never seen before and his calls seem to be perfectly timed, especially blitzes. OSU can and will bring a lot of pressure and it will come all 4 quarters. It will be very interesting to see how it all plays out.
On the other side, OSU in general has struggled to run the ball against stout defenses. But, part of that is due to predictability and lack of execution and the staff has been aware of it all year. Could they be playing vanilla to throw TTUN off? I don't know but Day needs to call a near perfect game (a la Clemson 2020) and the offense will have to find a way to move the chains and score TD's in the red zone and not settle for FG's.
Huge tests on both sides of the ball for both teams. EPIC showdown.
“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”
-Jack Handey
Tommy E and Ransom up for end of year awards. JT has made name for himself. Harrison has been playing well. And Mike Hall basically gets a sack/tfl every 10 snaps he plays. Scheme wise, I'm not an expert in the XOs but moved to 2 LB and keeping Tommy on the field basically entire time for meaningful snaps, which differs from last year. Sometimes don't need to know schematic differences to know a unit is different. Stats back that up. Playing with confidence, look like they actually know where they are supposed to be.
The biggest difference is coaching. Not saying that to be smart, but from a personnel standpoint, there aren't any significant upgrades from last year's team, save for the safeties since Coombs/Barnes insisted on playing Bryson Shaw (at USC now). Coombs had no DC experience, and every opponent knew exactly what they were getting before the snap and made the Buckeyes pay. Barnes took over play-calling but it wasn't really much different. All 3 levels of defense had no idea where they were supposed to be or what they were supposed to read, which led to playing reactive and getting blown off the ball, vs. attacking and getting contact at or behind the LOS. Knowles system is much more complex, but he's leaps and bounds ahead of Coombs when it comes to teaching it. There's a lot more zone mixed in with the 3 safeties, and I guess similar to that team's D, you don't know where the pressure is coming from before the snap and who's going to be in coverage. Knowles stated goal is to create indecision pre-snap for the OC, and post snap for the QB, in hopes that the slit second extra it takes for the ball to come out will results in a negative play for the offense (sack/hurry/batted pass). They've excelled against the run and covering TEs, which has been a weakness for years for this D.
You're too stupid to have a good time. -Dalton
I still have Cooper years PTSD. I recovered from CYPTSD enough last year to be confident after we were up 49-0 at half over the MSU team that beat ttun. Now I'm nervous as hell and planning to bring a full bag of throat lozenges to The Game. My eyes watching both teams all year tell me we have the better team. Their weakness is bigger than ours. We should win by 14, but on the other hand Brooklyn Dagger sure was fun so a repeat of that would be fine.
Please hang a 100
Tommy E and Ransom up for end of year awards. JT has made name for himself. Harrison has been playing well. And Mike Hall basically gets a sack/tfl every 10 snaps he plays. Scheme wise, I'm not an expert in the XOs but moved to 2 LB and keeping Tommy on the field basically entire time for meaningful snaps, which differs from last year. Sometimes don't need to know schematic differences to know a unit is different. Stats back that up. Playing with confidence, look like they actually know where they are supposed to be.
Biggest factor in the game will be *ichigan's ability to run the ball. We need to avoid the 2nd and 3 and 3rd and 1 and force lots of 2nd and 11 and 3rd and 8. If that happens OSU wins going away, if not then it's going to be a struggle.
scum can't pass just like OSU can't run the ball??? Booger eater just needs his QB to make a few plays to keep drives going while OSU is busy stopping Corum. Just like Day has been preparing for scum every week you can bet Booger eater has been doing the same. OSU will miraculously fix the running game and scum will just as miraculously develop a competent passing game. The team that is least surprised by the newfound competence will end up winning The Game. There are 2 factors that are in OSU's favor. 1} scum is notoriously slow starting and built to wear down an opponent over the course of the game. scum has to sustain drives and score TDs to avoid getting down early. OSU's D is very good this year and can cause the 3 and outs needed to get their O off the field. 2} OSU has the ability to hit the big play from anywhere on the field. Getting several chunk plays early and scoring from outside the red zone will keep OSU away from their weakness, which is the short run game. Getting up by 2+ scores in the 1st half will force scum to abandon the run game. When that happens scum is doomed.
BUCKSRUS
So Meatchicken has become Wisconsin? Solid running team, so so passing team, good defense. We can beat that.......and have!
Go Buckeyes!
Because we will stop corum, jj will throw at least 2 picks
David Peck
Their pass defense is garbage we are going to shred them like we did in 2018. Our defense is WAY better than last year and if we take away corum the whole offense falls apart. With the home crowd bucks with this one handily.
"The Best Damn Band In The Land!" - Woody Hayes
Ohio State struggled to run the ball and then against Indiana changed the way they ran the ball. The adopted some different schemes, ran some different concepts, and they ran hog wild on Indiana.
Is Indiana to be confused with the 85 Bears, 2000 Ravens, or heck even the 2022 Wolverines? Nah. But it shows me that Ryan Day is not content.
And this brings me to my point about this game and why OSU is going to win it. Ohio State has systematically moved on from last season. They have adapted to their new players, they have adapted their scheme, they are now a different football team than the one that got beat up in Ann Arbor.
Michigan has not adapted. They've regressed. They've gone further into their Harbaugh shell. And that isn't getting fixed.
Michigan is in trouble guys.
Proudly dispensing unbridled arrogance since 1983.
Corum is a battering ram/bowling ball type of runner that finishes forward. When he does get hit early, he has the ability to stay upright long enough for his linemen to get behind him and push forward.
IMO it all comes down to stopping Corum and Edwards on first down.
Enough of the blowout talk. This game smells exactly like 2006 all over again.
Go Bucks!
TTUN is probably "saving" their incredible passing offense for us. Sarcasm alert.
There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you. - Woody Hayes
What if they are? What if they are working on 4 wide in practice and just don’t show it? Yes, that might hurt them being out of sync.
#walkaway
I did say sarcasm alert. Look, they would have a better chance coming out with a wishbone offense. You can come up with wrinkles and trick plays, but you just can't turn on a proficient passing offense. You need to practice that.
There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you. - Woody Hayes
I'm sure they practice it, but after 11 games, it's not there. Could you imagine if 11 games in, Ohio State's running game looked like it did against Iowa/PSU/NW the entire season? That's essentially the equivalent of their passing game right now.
You're too stupid to have a good time. -Dalton
Run heavy offense might win Big Ten but will not win a Natty. You need an offense that can stretch the field.
Lsmizzle
You need balance on offense and a great defense.
OSUAlumInAZ
Needing balance is a myth. Last 3 teams that won the Natty threw the ball 75% more than they ran. LSU and Bama only averaged 170 on the ground while Georgia averaged 190.
Lsmizzle
I hate khaki.
OSUAlumInAZ
He has one of the most punchable faces I have ever seen.
Lsmizzle
I dont know whats with Mccarthy and the deep ball, when he threw them in mop up duty last year he was pretty much always on the money. He puts no air under the ball, and to me its an indictment on the QB coach and Harbaugh not getting this fixed this far into the season. Its not all on him, Michigan's recievers really aren't very good. They run simplistic patterns, drop passes, and don't get much seperation. I'm not sure they'll be able to recruit big time WRs with an offense that runs the ball like a Nebraska from the 90s. As far as the game, as average as Mcnamara was he hit some big plays in the passing game last year against you guys. JJ will have to do the same to have any sort of chance and I just don't see it happening. Michigan will probably have some success on the ground but to me it was some of the play action last year that also kept you guys off balance. Doesn't happen this year.