Ohio State / Michigan Preview - One for the Ages
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by user The shark
A Rivalry for the Ages
Welcome to The Shark's Comprehensive Ohio State / Michigan Preview - 2006 Edition.
- Ohio State's Offense vs. Michigan's Defense
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| QB - 10 Troy Smith (Sr) |
| HB - 25 Antonio Pittman (Jr) |
| FB - 89 Stan White, Jr. (Sr) |
| FL - 7 Ted Ginn, Jr. (Jr) |
| SE - 11 Anthony Gonzalez (Jr) |
| TE - 88 Rory Nicol (So) |
| C - 50 Doug Datish (Sr) |
| LT - 75 Alex Boone (So) |
| RT - 74 Kirk Barton (Jr) |
| LG - 68 Tim Schafer (Sr) |
| RG - 72 T.J. Downing (Sr) |
| PK - 20 Aaron Pettrey (Fr) |
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| DE - 56 LaMarr Woodley (Sr) |
| DT - 80 Alan Branch (Jr) |
| DT - 67 Terrance Taylor (So) |
| DE - 91 Rondell Biggs (Sr) |
| LB - 2 Shawn Crable (Sr) |
| LB - 45 David Harris (Sr) |
| LB - 6 Prescott Burgess (Sr) |
| CB - 29 Leon Hall (Sr) |
| CB - 14 Morgan Trent (Jr) |
| FS - 21 Ryan Mundy (Sr) |
| SS - 22 Jamar Adams (Jr) |
| P - 3 Ross Ryan (Sr) |
When Ohio State has the ball, they are among the most efficient offensive units in the country. Efficient with a pinch of explosiveness. In the past, coach Jim Tressel has preached (and implemented) the theory of "Offensive Conservatism" - a theory with deep roots in this part of the country (see the Woody Hayes "Three-Yards-and-a-Cloud-of-Dust" theory). Even during Ohio State's National Championship run through the 2002 season (culminating with a double overtime victory over the University of Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl), Tressel's offense lacked an identity. Piloted in those days by Craig Krenzel, a quarterback whose greatest attribute was his mind (ie: the ability to read defensive formations, audible if necessary, and the talent to avoid making mistakes), the offense was simply asked not to lose the game. The defense was that team's real strength. This year's offense is vastly superior to that 2002 unit.
Key to the OSU offense
The running game. Everyone knows how dangerous Troy Smith is. And the wideouts (Ginn, Gonzalez, and crew) are explosive. But in order to win this contest, OSU will need to run a two-dimensional attack. The Buckeyes have one of the most experienced and immovable offensive lines in the nation, anchored by senior center Doug Datish. They also have one of the most overlooked, under-rated skill position players in the Big Ten in junior tailback Antonio Pittman who is 4th in the Big Ten and 14th in the NCAA in rushing yardage. An added benefit in the Buckeyes' running game is their depth, as junior Maurice Wells and freshman Chris "Beanie" Wells (no relation) have both been effective in spelling Pittman throughout the season. Overall, the Buckeyes rank 15th in the nation in rushing offense. And against this defense, they'd better be hitting on all cylinders on November 18.
Key to the Michigan defense
The secondary. UM's front 7 is widely considered one of the best (if not the best) in the nation. They have been tough to run on all year and probably will be on Saturday. They are a little quicker and much more physical than the 2005 edition. The unquestioned leader of the D-Line is team sack leader LaMarr Woodley and he's a beast. Look for Woodley, Branch, and crew to bring pressure all day long. The main question for the Wolverines is once Troy Smith breaks containment to either run or throw, will the secondary be up to the task? If they aren't, expect a long day for Lloyd Carr in Columbus.
- Michigan's Offense vs. Ohio State's Defense
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| QB - 7 Chad Henne (Jr) |
| HB - 20 Mike Hart (Jr) |
| FB - 40 Obi Oluigbo (Sr) |
| FL - 15 Steve Breaston (Sr) |
| SE - 86 Mario Manningham (So) |
| TE - 83 Mike Massey (Jr) |
| C - 50 Mark Bihl (Sr) |
| LT - 77 Jake Long (Sr) |
| RT - 72 Rueben Riley (Sr) |
| LG - 57 Adam Kraus (Sr) |
| RG - 73 Alex Mitchell (Jr) |
| PK - 38 Garrett Rivas (Sr) |
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| LE - 99 Jay Richardson (Sr) |
| LT - 97 David Patterson (Sr) |
| RT - 90 Quinn Pitcock (Sr) |
| RE - 50 Vernon Gholston (So) |
| OLB - 1 Marcus Freeman (So) |
| MLB - 33 James Laurinaitis (So) |
| OLB - 52 John Kerr (Sr) |
| CB - 2 Malcolm Jenkins (So) |
| CB - 14 Antonio Smith (Sr) |
| FS - 3 Jamario O'Neal (So) |
| SS - 32 Brandon Mitchell (Sr) |
| P - 15 A.J. Trapasso (So) |
When Michigan has the ball, they seem to have a Jeckyll and Hyde complex. Although, that may be due, in large part, to having not had play-maker Mario Manningham for a four-game stretch. He's explosive, fast, and has great hands. Working in concert with All-Big-Ten receiver Steve Breaston, this is a wide-out duo very similar to Ohio State's. The difference has been that quarterback Chad Henne has not been as consistent as Troy Smith this year. Michael Hart can take some of the pressure off of Henne by establishing himself as a legitimate weapon early in the game.
Key to the Michigan Offense
Gotta be Chad Henne. Michigan ranks first in the Big Ten in rushing offense (194/ypg) but 9th in passing offense (178/ypg). And Henne hasn't enjoyed much success in his two previous starts against the Buckeyes. In order for Michigan to win this game on the road, Henne must step up and lay claim to it, as there's no way it's just going to be given to him. If he's able to come up with a performance similar to the one he put up against Notre Dame, the Maize and Blue have an excellent chance of knocking off the Bucks and laying claim to one of the two BCS Title Game berths. Establishing the ground game early, and running a lot of play action will open up the defensive backfield, giving Manningham and Breaston opportunities to make big plays. And big plays are what Michigan is going to need to win.
Key to the Ohio State Defense
Big Plays. Ohio State leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 7.8 points a game. They rank second in the conference in both rushing defense (90.2/ypg) and passing defense (96.5/ypg). Not too bad for this team's pre-season "weakness". And the main reason for their success has been the "big plays" - interceptions, forced fumbles, and tackles for loss. And no one has made more big plays for OSU this year than sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis. Look for Laurinaitis to be all over the field. He'll rush the passer, drop back in coverage, and swarm to the ball. And OSU's secondary, which has been a strength all year will need to come up with some big plays also, particularly Malcolm Jenkins and Antonio Smith. If OSU wins the turnover battle, they win the game.
Head to Head
Rushing game: Hart and Pittman are both solid, down-hill rushers. Ohio State has more depth, but Michigan has more commitment to the run. And with four seniors and one junior on the O-Line, Michigan gets the nod, though not by much. Slight edge: Michigan
Passing game: Troy Smith has all but claimed the Heisman Trophy - and it's not a fluke. He has a cannon for an arm, is extremely accurate, doesn't lose his cool under pressure, doesn't turn the ball over. Oh yeah, and he's 2-0 as a starting quarterback against Michigan. Edge: Ohio State
Rushing Defense: Michigan has allowed an NCAA-best 29 yards a game on the ground. 29! Enough said. Edge: Michigan
Passing Defense: OSU's secondary has been a strength all year long. They have a very high ball-awareness, have made big plays all year, and seemed to improve as a unit each week. Michigan's squad has been good, too. Just not as good. And home field advantage will be huge here. Edge: Ohio State
Special Teams: I'm calling the place kickers and punters a wash here, so it comes down to the return game. And when you have Teddy Ginn returning kicks, you get the edge. Edge: Ohio State
Coaching: Jim Tressel: 4-1 against Michigan. Lloyd Carr: 1-4 against Jim Tressel. Hmmm... Edge: Ohio State
Home Field Advantage: Obviously, the game is in Columbus, so Edge: Ohio State
Bold Prediction
Ohio State starts fast, getting up two touchdowns in the first quarter, mainly on the arm of Smith. Up 14, in the second quarter, Tressel tries to establish the ground game, to no avail. Michigan scores 10 unanswered. Ohio State grabs a turnover just before halftime and turns it into 3. Halftime score: OSU 17, UM 10.
Michigan comes out early in the third with a long, balanced drive to put up 7 and pull even. Tressel wisely gives the keys to the offense back to Smith and The Buckeyes respond with a touchdown. OSU snags 2 turnovers in the final quarter and add 2 field goals, to cushion the score. Michigan's late touchdown is too little to late. Buckeyes win 30-24 in a game for the ages.
