Columbus Calling

The wobbling Wolverines play their archrivals, Ohio State, on Saturday in Columbus. Kickoff is slated for noon, by which time the Buckeyes could be favored by as many points as there are calendar days on game day (22). Ohio State needs to manhandle Michigan if they expect to snare or share the Big Ten title. A Penn State loss to Michigan State combined with a Buckeye win would entitle at least a share of the conference.
The Rich Rodriguez-led Wolverines have a school record 8 dismal losses and yield an average of 28 points per game. Michigan will be seeing that same number 28 in their nightmares if OSU tailback, Chris Wells, has his way Saturday. “Beanie” ran wild against Michigan in 2007 and tends to standout in the rivalry game each year. He scored two touchdowns and ran for 222 yards in the 2007 victory. The 14-3 win meant Wells scored all of Ohio State’s points. The energetic back made a statement his freshmen season when he led the Buckeyes at home with a 52 yard touchdown run in 2006. The Buckeyes certainly know they need to have Beanie on their side tomorrow afternoon.
Ohio State will exercise their 13th nationally ranked defense to stop the maize and blue backup quarterback, Nick Sheridan. Starter, Steve Threet, may or may not play according to Coach Rodriguez. He has an ongoing shoulder injury that has kept him on the sidelines in Michigan’s most disappointing season in a long time. Sheridan is not a pass-happy hauler. His completion percentage is paltry and total yardage through the air almost absent. In fact, Michigan is missing many manufacturers on offense. Ranked 105th in the nation in total offense, the effort from this year’s Wolverines amounts to less than 300 yards per game. The Buckeyes had 305 rushing yards only last week against Illinois and over 440 total three footers when they knocked over and tumbled Northwestern 45-10 in early November. Even when quarterback, Terrelle Pryor isn’t throwing for many gains, the OSU offense finds ways to counter stiff defenses. The line is solid and Pryor has adapted so well to the schemes.
This yearly game tops my list of college football rivalries. It is never dull when Michigan travels to the Horseshoe or the Buckeyes march into the Big House during the last Big 10 game of the year. The Buckeyes are going for their fifth straight win over Michigan this weekend. There are several reasons the Buckeyes will get number five.
Michigan is poor defensively at the tackle position. Wells can break tackles and jump over defensive lineman with the finesse of an Olympic hurdler. That spells disaster for the Wolves’ defense. OSU forces turnovers and that has been a Michigan weakness all year. They have turned the ball over 28 times. There’s that number again.
History shows OSU struggling with spread offenses and Rodriguez practically reinvented the spread. But, I do think the Buckeyes will be able to pressure Sheridan, forcing him to the ground or to fumble the football. The running game for Michigan is not stellar and with the veteran OSU unit at linebacker, the Wolves will struggle to penetrate. Ohio State can disrupt the rhythm of the Michigan offense. Special teams for Michigan are another problem and I think the Buckeyes kicking game will be important. They need to keep the Wolves deep into their own territory and not allow long yardage.
There are bigger games on this weekend’s schedule. Texas Tech and Oklahoma will be storming in Norman and the Spartans look to spearhead Penn State’s Rose Bowl hopes tomorrow. But Michigan-Ohio State is the king of all rivalries despite the team records and stakes. It’s the 105th game of the heated rivalry. Candor Coach Tressel never loses to Michigan but this is Rodriguez’s initiation to the rivalry. Anything can happen.

Parting Points: “I do not believe in ogres, nor soothsayers, nor in supernatural things.”-Robert Jordan, For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway