Previewing "The Game"
11/20/2009
The last time Ohio State clinched a trip to the Rose Bowl before playing Michigan was in 1996, which was also the last time they went, period. That year, they clinched by beating Illinois in week 11 but to secure their bid one week early in 2009, they had to beat two top-15 teams in a row.
A big reason OSU was able to do so was that they gave up zero turnovers in wins at Penn State and against Iowa last week. Keeping the ball on the ground is a safe route to good ball control and in the last two games, Terrelle Pryor was the primary ball carrier less than he has been all year. After carrying the ball 110 times in the first nine games, he has just 13 carries in the last two. Pryor was the primary ball carrier on just 50 percent of OSU's plays against Penn State and last week, that figure dropped to 37 percent.
As a result, the Buckeyes ran the ball down Penn State and Iowa's collective throat and controlled the clock and time of possession en route to very Jim Tressel-like victories. Ohio State has rushed for more than 200 yards in each of their last four games and they've averaged nearly 260 rushing yards per game since losing to Purdue. The seven games of 200 or more rushing yards this year is tied with Tressel's 2007 team as a single-season high.
Through the air last week, Pryor was 14-17 and Jake Ballard, with three catches for 24 yards, was the first tight end to lead Ohio State in receiving in years. The best teams hit their stride towards the end of the season and Ohio State is operating on all cylinders. After a season of nagging injuries, Coach Tressel said his whole team is healthier than ever.
They'll need all the strength they can get to stop Michigan's offense, which leads the Big Ten in scoring with 31.3 points per game. Michigan is second in the conference with 195.8 rushing yards per game, just ahead of OSU's 194.2. Despite missing several games due to injury, running back Brandon Minor is seventh in the conference with 502 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He ran for 154 yards and three scores against Purdue but he's listed as doubtful for Saturday. Fellow senior Carlos Brown will most likely handle most of the carries. He has three games this year with more than 80 yards rushing, including a 187-yard performance against Eastern Michigan.
This Wolverine squad is very young as 17 freshmen have played significant time this year. This youth is especially prevalent on offense, where 19 different receivers have caught passes. After throwing 20-26 for 188 yards and two touchdowns last week, true freshman quarterback Tate Forcier is fourth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency.
Defensively, the Wolverines are led by preseason All-American senior end Brandon Graham. In 2008, he was second in the country with 20 tackles for loss and this year he's even better, with a nation-leading 21 tackles for loss so far. Graham averages 1.9 tackles for loss per game and with two blocked punts, 8.5 sacks, and a defensive touchdown in 2009, he is a candidate for the Bednarik, Lombardi, Outland, Nagurski, and Lott Awards. Graham is second in Michigan history for career sacks with 27.5 and he's the Wolverines' third all-time leader in career tackles for loss, with 51. Elsewhere in the defense, senior linebacker Stevie Brown leads the team with 73 tackles, eight of which were for losses, and junior cornerback Donovan Warren is second in the conference with 11 passes defended.
Ohio State's defense is in the NCAA top 10 in five statistical categories. By allowing just 2.7 yards per rush, they rank fourth nationally in rushing defense and they are one of just eight teams in the country to not allow a single 100-yard rusher in 2009. The Buckeye defense leads the Big Ten in rushing defense, turnover margin, and total defense, having allowed just 10 touchdowns in the last 39 quarters. Since 2005, OSU's defense has given up 21 or more points fewer times than any other team in the country, and their record is 45-3 in those games.
Also since 2005, and for decades before then, Ohio State met Michigan the week before Thanksgiving. Saturday, however, will be the final time that happens in the 106 year history of the rivalry. To make room for a bye-week in the relatively new 12-game Big Ten schedule, the season will be extended an extra week beginning in 2010. So, until next year and in subsequent years when "The Game" might be slowed by too much tryptophan, there is one more pre-holiday showdown. Kickoff is at noon and will be televised by ESPN on ABC.
Go Bucks!
By Ben Brown, an OSU senior majoring in journalism