#9 Michigan (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) at #2 Ohio State
(12-0, 7-0 Big Ten)
at Ohio Stadium (Sold Out)
12:15 pm EST ABC (National Coverage - Brent
Musburger, Gary Danielson, Jack Arute)
As it has seemingly so many times before, the Ohio State season comes down to
this game. It has been a wild and unpredictable season for the Buckeyes,
and talk of a Fiesta Bowl berth is everywhere. All the Buckeyes have to do
is beat the one team that has stood in their way of similar goals so many times
before.
Everyone knows the recent history of this rivalry. Anyone associated
with Ohio State had to hear every year about how the Buckeyes can't beat
Michigan. Everyone knows the difficulties that John Cooper faced with this
rivalry during his time as OSU head coach. Last year, however, the
Buckeyes did a little something to stop that talk. They went up to Ann
Arbor, Michigan as a solid underdog without their starting quarterback and
pulled off one of the more improbable victories over the Wolverines in the
series. The Jim Tressel era had arrived in a big way with a win in his
first game ever against the Wolverines.
The circumstances are a bit different this year for Coach Tressel's
Buckeyes. Everything -- literally -- rides on this game. If the
Buckeyes win, they finish undefeated and are playing for the national
championship. If they lose, well... let's not think about that.
Michigan has not been a dominant team this season, but they have very quietly
gone 9-2 and are back up in the top ten in the Coaches Poll. Let's take a
look at some statistics as well as the starting lineups:
| Tale of the Tape |
| Category |
Michigan |
Ohio State |
| Points Per Game |
28.5 |
30.4 |
| Points Allowed |
20.1 |
12.5 |
| Rushing YPG |
154.9 |
199.4 |
| Rush Yards Allowed |
116.2 |
75.2 |
| Passing YPG |
223.6 |
181.6 |
| Pass Yards Allowed |
224.7 |
237.8 |
| Total Offense |
378.5 |
381.0 |
| Total Offense Allowed |
340.9 |
312.9 |
| Takeaways |
23 |
23 |
| Giveaways |
15 |
15 |
| Sacks |
36 |
34 |
| Sacks Allowed |
19 |
29 |
| Field Goals |
8-20 |
24-26 |
| Average Per Punt |
42.0 |
44.1 |
| Penalties |
55 for 422 yds |
61 for 464 yds |
| Kick Ret. Avg. |
20.8 |
20.6 |
| Punt Ret. Avg. |
9.0 |
8.8 |
| KRA Allowed |
18.5 |
21.2 |
| PRA Allowed |
9.6 |
11.9 |
|
Michigan Offensive First-Team |
| WR |
19 Ronald Bellamy (6-0, 202, Sr) (36 catches, 418 yds, 4
TD) |
| LT |
62 Courtney Morgan (6-3, 298, Jr) (Has started at LT and
RT) |
| LG |
75 David Baas (6-5, 320, So) (Started LG in all 11 games) |
| C |
57 Dave Pearson (6-3, 291, Jr) (Converted from DL, started
11 games) |
| RG |
76 Dave Petruziello (6-4, 297, Sr) (Ohio native, started
11 games) |
| RT |
77 Tony Pape (6-6, 305, Jr) (Has started at LT and RT,
likely top lineman) |
| TE |
83 Bennie Joppru (6-5, 249, Sr) (45 catches, 470 yards, 5
TD, team captain) |
| WR |
80 Braylon Edwards (6-3, 206, So) (53 catches, 818 yards,
10 TDs) |
| QB |
16 John Navarre (6-6, 228, Jr) (204-366, 2339 yds, 20 TDs,
6 INT) |
| FB |
35 B.J. Askew (6-3, 223, Sr) (98 carries, 514 yards, 5.2
avg, 6 TD, 31 catches, 264 yards, 1 TD) |
| TB |
23 Chris Perry (6-1, 220, Jr) (211 carries, 949 yards, 4.5
avg, 10 TDs) |
| Key Reserves: WR Tyrece Butler
(6-3, 213), WR Jermaine Gonzales (6-2, 210), RT Demetrius Solomon (6-6,
297), LT Adam Stenavich (6-5, 302), WR Calvin Bell (6-1, 197), QB
Spencer Brinton (6-5, 224), TB David Underwood (6-0, 220), FB Sean
Sanderson (6-3, 289) |
Comments: Michigan runs multiple formations and likes to throw the ball to
several different targets, as evidenced by the amount of catches by tight end
Bennie Joppru and fullback B.J. Askew, who is possibly one of the better players
at his position in the nation. John Navarre lacks mobility but has a
strong arm and improved passing numbers. WR Braylon Edwards is one of the
team's most talented offensive players; he has emerged as the next big thing at
WR for the Wolverines. Chris Perry has been steady and posted a
career-high 175 yards on 27 carries against Wisconsin last week.
Michigan's offense is not a high-powered offense, but it is capable of moving
the ball and putting points on the board... and rest assured they are going to
try at least one of their silly reverses.
| Michigan Defensive
First-Team |
| DE |
92 Dan Rumishek (6-4, 273, Sr) (2001 All-Big Ten first
teamer, 5 TFL, 4 Sacks) |
| DT |
60 Grant Bowman (6-1, 290, Jr) (20 tackles, 6 TFL, 3
sacks) |
| DT |
97 Shawn Lazarus (6-4, 288, Sr) (24 tackles, 6 TFL, 1
sack) |
| DE |
13 Larry Stevens (6-3, 261, Jr) (34 tackles, 8 TFL, 3
sacks) |
| OLB |
6 Victor Hobson (6-1, 243, Sr) (Team captain, 80 tackles,
12 TFL, 4 sacks) |
| ILB |
59 Joey Sarantos (6-3, 217, Fr) (First career start last
week; 14 tackles on the year) |
| ILB |
43 Carl Diggs (6-1, 247, Jr) (61 tackles, 6 TFL, 1 sack) |
| CB |
3 Marlin Jackson (6-1, 189, So) (School-record 17 PBU's,
47 tackles, 3 INT) |
| SS |
24 Charles Drake (6-2, 201, Sr) (61 tackles, 1 INT, 4 PBUs,
3 sacks) |
| FS |
2 Cato June (6-1, 217, Sr) (38 tackles, 3 TFL) |
| CB |
21 Jeremy LeSueur (6-1, 199, Jr) (41 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT) |
| Key Reserves: DE Shantee Orr
(6-1, 255), DT Norman Heuer (6-5, 288), OLB John Spytek (6-4, 240), ILB
Scott McClintock (6-2, 243), CB Markus Curry (5-11, 181) |
Comments: Coming into the season, the Michigan defense was being compared to
the great UM defense of 1997. Such comparisons have proven to be
inaccurate, but this is still a defense with some talented players and cannot be
taken lightly. The line is strong and quick and will be able to put
pressure on the QB. Victor Hobson is one of the Big Ten's best linebackers
and leads the team in tackles and TFL. The secondary is solid and is led
by one of the more highly-touted young defensive players in the Big Ten in CB
Marlin Jackson.
| Specialists |
| PK |
39 Adam Finley (6-4, 206, So) (3-6 FG) |
| KO |
34 Phillip Brabbs (6-2, 200, Jr) (Back-up PK, 3-9 FG) |
| P |
Adam Finley (42.4 Avg, 58 punts) |
| KR |
21 Jeremy LeSueur (6-1, 199, Jr) (23-524-22.8-49 long) |
| PR |
Markus Curry (5-11, 181, So.) (6.4 avg) |
Michigan's field goal kicking has been erratic this year as they have totaled
just 8-20 in that category, and in a game like this, that could be a big
factor. Adam Finley has been solid as a punter though, averaging 42.4.
Rivalry Stats:
- Michigan leads with a record of 56-36-6, with a 37-31-4 record from 1930
on.
- Records by decade: 2000-01: 1-1, 1990-1999: 7-2-1 UM, 1980-1989: 6-4 UM,
1970-1979: 5-4-1 OSU, 1960-1969: 7-3 OSU, 1950-1959: 5-5
- At Ohio Stadium, Michigan is 21-18-1
- In games decided by 3 points or less, the series record is a tie: 5-5-6
- In games decided by 7 points or less, Michigan leads 16-14-6
- In games where Ohio State is ranked #2, the Buckeyes have a 3-2
record.
And so here we are... game #98 in this historic,
"throw-the-records-out-the-window" type rivalry, and the stakes for
Ohio State are as high as ever. Here are some things to keep an eye on in
this game:
- Rushing Yards: In the "Tale of the Tape" above, you
can see that each team is good at keeping their opponents' rushing yards
low. If OSU can get the running game going, it could be tough for UM
to win. Michigan's running game faces a big challenge against the OSU
defense.
- Kicking: You can see the big advantage in this area for Ohio
State. Kicking is crucial in a game like this, and right now, the
Buckeyes have to feel more comfortable with their placekicking than
Michigan.
- OSU offensive line play: The OSU offensive line has had some
criticism in recent weeks, and it will be important for them to play well
this week. Michigan brings some defensive talent that will be able to
bring the pressure.
- Michigan Passing Game: The way OSU has controlled opposing teams'
rushing games, Michigan may have to try to win through the air. Do
they have enough to do it?
- #13: OSU may not need a healthy #13 to win #13; after all, they've
proven they can win tough games without him. But if Maurice Clarett is
healthy and running hard, it will give OSU a big boost offensively.
The stage is set, and what a show it should be. You can't get much
bigger than this! The nation is doubting OSU after some lackluster
offensive performances, but the guess here is that the Buckeyes will come out
with a great effort and play their best all-around game in weeks. The
Buckeyes seem to be a different team at home, and if they play up to par on
defense and limit mistakes on offense, they should win. However, you can
expect Michigan will come determined to put their best game together and knock
off the Buckeyes. This could be another close one, but whatever the score
is, it will go down in history as a big chapter in this rivalry. Go Bucks!
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