Buckeyes (6-5, 3-4 Big Ten) vs. Wolverines (9-2, 5-2 Big Ten)
The game these two historical Big Ten powerhouses will circle on their calendars for eternity has been rather lopsided in recent history.
Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor MI
Saturday, Nov. 26, 12:05 pm EST
NCAA Odds from Sportsbook.com:
MoneyLine: Ohio St +250, Michigan -300
Spread: Ohio St +7.5, Michigan -7.5
Over/Under: 44.5
In a rivalry series where Michigan has the overall lead, 57-43 (six games were ties), the Wolverines haven’t won a game since 2003, and only have one victory in the last decade. That fact is surely a black mark on Michigan’s self-esteem over the past several years; it and the entire community of Ann Arbor desperately look to reverse those fortunes at home, in a game that looks – at least on paper – ripe for the picking.
Michigan really opened it up last week against a good ranked Nebraska team. The Maize and Blue ran all over the Huskers; RB Fitzgerald Toussaint is an incredibly dangerous cutback runner and tank back-up Stephen Hopkins is indeed a load. Oh, yeah: we’ve not yet discussed electric QB Denard Robinson. “Shoelace” was playing in a pedestrian fashion in the weeks before the Nebraska game; there were actually several lobbies for sophomore Devin Gardner to wrest the starter’s job. Yet, Robinson was his old self last week, with 263 total yards (83 on the ground) and four scores. What Robinson and the run game didn’t accomplish last week, Michigan special teams mopped up: those units forced Nebraska into a glut of penalties and miscues that cost them the chance to get back in the game.
The Buckeyes wish they had those characteristics this season. The young, green Luke Fickel was the man chosen to replace the iconic, sweater-vest wearing Jim Tressel as head coach; fickle OSU faithful are already pining for someone new and established to take over – say, Ohio native Urban Meyer. At the end of the day, Ohio State is sitting on the year with five losses, which isn’t received very well at all in a town like Columbus. The Buckeyes have built quite a reputation of excellence for themselves (at least in the Big Ten) in recent years and anything less just isn’t acceptable.
Ohio State has its usual strong defense – the Scarlet and Gray rank 14th in the country in points against – but the Buckeyes just haven’t been able to generate consistent offense, especially in the passing game. Early efforts to start senior Joe Bauserman were an abject failure. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Freshman Braxton Miller took over under center for good in the sixth game of the season and though he is a prodigious athletic talent, it seems like the OSU coaching staff won’t give him the opportunity to screw up throwing the ball – he hasn’t had more than 18 pass attempts in a game all season. Finally, the Buckeyes have had to deal with a spate of injuries and suspensions this year that would make any program’s head spin.
Especially seeing how well these Wolverine players have responded to new coach Brady Hoke, it is safe to say the Rich Rodriguez experiment was a failure in Ann Arbor. Maybe school brass just didn’t give him enough time to establish his system and recruit his players, but like in Columbus, Michigan fans expect greatness and they don’t have much patience for failure. Losing seven straight to the hated Buckeyes, in any scenario, is not acceptable.
It’s been quite a run for The Ohio State University, but this is a Tressel-less rebuilding team in 2011. How well is rookie QB Miller going to handle himself in front of 120,000 rabid, screaming fans in the Big House? I don’t see him responding well and I see Michigan with every reason to push all the chips in, with redemption on its mind.
This looks like the year Michigan finally changes its fortunes in the best overall rivalry in college football (apologies to Alabama and Auburn).
Score Prediction: Michigan 31, Ohio State 17
Over/Under Prediction: 48
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