MAIZE AND SCREWED

Posted by bigD | November 21, 2008 .

After ex-Michigan Head Coach, Lloyd Carr stepped down he did so realizing what ex-OSU Head Coach, John Cooper felt like. We all know that Cooper had some of the most exceptional college football teams that the NCAA had ever seen. The problem is, he just couldn’t beat Michigan. How many years did he enter that game with the better team but walk away the loser in the rivalry and Michigan spoiled his season yet again? Well, Jim Tressel owned Lloyd Carr in the more recent years of this series and it was frustrating to say the least. Carr beat Tressel all but once. As bad as the late Carr years were, those were nothing like what we face in Saturday’s game. It will be…the 105th meeting between the schools. Michigan owns the series lead with 57 wins, 41 losses and 6 ties. If things keep going the way they’re going that record will be a lot closer as years go on. Most of the time these two schools have superb talent and many people figure anything goes and simply, the team who wants it more will win. This season the 10th ranked Buckeyes are so far superior to the unranked Wolverines in every way that it’s almost not even worth watching. I never thought I would EVER say that?

To start with Michigan will probably be missing QB – Steven Threet (shoulder problems) and RB – Sam McGuffie (a death in the family). RB – Brandon Minor will play in the game despite recently being out with rib, shoulder and everything else injuries. Does it really matter though? Threet is an average QB at best who clearly doesn’t fit into Michigan Head Coach – Rich Rodriguez’ spread offense scheme and although likely Michigan starter – Nick Sheridan fits into it better due to his better mobility he doesn’t have much passing ability or success capability so from the most important position on the field Michigan could very well be at it’s weakest against a strong defense. Backup, Michael Shaw might play but let’s get real…if he plays, Michigan has no chance in hell (as if they do already).

Ohio State comes into the game being a 19 point favorite. Say it isn’t so. That is such a statement and putdown to just how terrible Michigan has been this year and believe me, it won’t change tomorrow. The 19 point spread matches the largest in the history of the rivalry which really doesn’t shock me. This is clearly the worst Michigan team in terms of talent to ever play in this game (at least in my lifetime) so why wouldn’t the spread be the biggest? OSU could walk away from this game with a 4th straight Big Ten title. Michigan on the other hand has lost a school record 8 of 11 games this season. That’s a school record and not an impressive one. What’s worse though? The fact that U of M lost 8 games or the fact that they lost their 34 year bowl streak? Does it matter? Either way, the only bowl this Michigan team should be playing in is the Toilet Bowl. I’m not sure this team wouldn’t even make that. There are some good things for Michigan going into this game though. Due to the fact that they have lost more games then they ever have and also that they will be denied a bowl game for the first time in forever, it means that they have absolutely nothing to lose. They’ve already lost everything. Fortunately, OSU has EVERYTHING to waste. If they lose they blow their chance at the aforementioned Big Ten title and 4th in a row, but they would also blow their chances at a BCS bowl.

Michigan’s best stat is clearly the fact they allow just 122 yards rushing per game. For this reason, OSU RB – Chris Wells could be the key to this entire game, especially if Michigan by some fluke shuts down Terrelle Pryor. The fact that Wells averaged 120 yards per game on the ground this season and that he had 222 yards and both TD’s carrying the rock in last season’s contest, he is the single biggest key in this game. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure that out but it might take a miracle for the Wolverines to do it. On top of Wells, OSU has a lot of talent as you’d expect. As said earlier, Terrelle Pryor was the #1 recruit for Rich Rod before he left West Virginia for Michigan. When Pryor told the nation that he was signing with OSU, many Michigan people felt absolutely crushed. I am one of them. Pryor will want to prove that he really is THAT GOOD and make Michigan forever hurtful that he chose Colombus over Ann Arbor. I personally hope the Wolverines make him eat the turf he deserves to eat. On top of that, OSU has an excellent offensive line blocking for Pryor and one hell of a strong WR in Brian Robiskie to gun the ball to. That being said, it’s not always a consistent offense as you’d expect with a true freshman leading the way. If Michigan steps up offensively it is possible, however unlikely that Pryor could get nervous in this game (especially if he struggles early) and Michigan could take advantage of that fact.

What has killed Michigan in this series as of late is the big play. In the 2000’s OSU has won a lot of games in this series because of their ability to break big plays open on a Michigan defense that has looked stunned half the time. The front 7 is the key for Michigan and considering they are weak at LB coming into this one, a lot will depend on the play of LB – Obi Ezeh. I am so sick and tired of watching Morgan Trent, Donovan Warren (although he has a chance at being a star in years to come) and mainly Brandon Harrison get beat way too often. Harrison in particular has been a major disappointment. He has one game as far as I am concerned to make up for his brutal play throughout his Michigan tenure and its tomorrow. The bottom line here is that Michigan must give up yards in small chunks instead of the big blow. That is the only chance at keeping OSU from scoring big and scoring often. It will be easier said then done.

Offensively, Michigan is brutal. As we’ve said before though, they just don’t have the right personnel for a spread offense. Rich Rod will take care of that eventually (WE HOPE). For now though, things look ugly. WR – Greg Mathews is not the kind of player that I thought he was and has dropped too many balls this season. WR – Greg Odoms has a solid future. RB – Seniors – Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor have been solid players in their Michigan careers when they’ve actually seen the time too and not been hurt. One big matchup will be Minor vs. LB – James Laurinaitis. He, and Marcus Freeman are 2 solid LB’s that must stop Michigan’s ground attack because that’s really the only area that they can do damage in. If OSU is smart they will make Nick Sheridan beat them all day long. There is no way that he can.

Jim Tressel is 6-1 vs. Michigan and he’s won the last 4 games in a row. If the Buckeyes win this game (which they should), it would be the first time in the history of this series that OSU has beaten Michigan 5 straight times. That being said, the one thing coach Rich Rod has on his side is that first time coaches are 10-1-1 in this series, although due to talent being one sided, this time that would be stretch. What if the Wolverines come out fired up though? What if Michigan in truth prepared mainly for OSU every single practice and dedicated themselves 60% to this game and 40% to the others? What if it’s a different Rich Rod gameplan? What if he has Pryor figured out (that wouldn’t be a far cry when you consider that he recruited him very heavily and knows a great deal about him)? The late Coach – Bo Schembechler used to prepare every single practice for Ohio State in some way. It’s one of the reasons he had some huge wins in the series. It’s possible that Rodriguez knew at the beginning that Michigan wouldn’t be a very strong team this season so perhaps he has done just that. Perhaps he has prepared for OSU more then anything else just to try to make a statement in knowing what beating OSU means to the Wolverines.

All that being said, it’s going to take a miracle for U of M to take down OSU tomorrow. With the home crowd in OSU’s favor, a top recruit QB who denied Michigan and went to OSU, a better offense, defense and everything else on the side of OSU including all intangibles, etc, this game should be completely one sided. As I said, the fact that Michigan has nothing to lose plays a part. Nerves play a bit of a part with Pryor and even though the talent isn’t there something tells me that Michigan and Rodriguez will have something up their sleeve. The thing is, with a severe lack of overall talent, it doesn’t matter what sort of magic Michigan tries to pull. They just don’t have the ability of the Ohio State Buckeyes and although it absolutely kills me to say it, tomorrow’s game will be ugly. How ugly? As ugly as Tressel’s red sweater vests. NOW THAT’S UGLY!

BIG D’S PREDICTION – OSU – 28 / MICHIGAN - 13

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MAIZE AND SCREWED

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