Prior to the Michigan football game against East Carolina at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbour on Saturday, September 2, 2023, quarterback J.J. McCarthy of Michigan wears a shirt that he modified to read “Free Harbaugh.” Harbaugh’s suspension is set to last three games. Blake, Neil | MLive.comBlake Neil | MLive.com
Ohio’s COLUMBUS — With everything on the line as Ohio State and Michigan play to finish the regular season undefeated, the game that everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived.
The victor advances to the Big Ten Championship game, where they will likely secure a spot in the College Football Playoffs as strong favourites. While the other side seeks retribution, one side hopes to maintain its two-year dominance in the rivalry.
There are plenty of Buckeyes players who are anticipated to contribute significantly to ending that two-game losing streak. This involves bringing back a few players to get the team as close to maximum strength as possible.
However, the Wolverines are not without their weapons, and it is up to them to ensure that OSU doesn’t win this rivalry in the same stadium where they won it two years prior. Ohio State’s roster is extensive. Michigan feels the same way, and on Saturday it plans to use every one of those resources.
The players in The Game who pose the greatest risks to Ohio State are as follows:
McCarthy is still undefeated against the Buckeyes. When he defeated them in 2021, he was a backup playing a supporting role; the previous season, he did the same in Columbus as a starter. He is now aiming for a three-peat.
His role as a playmaker for Michigan hasn’t changed much, but he’s using it more effectively now that he’s completing 73.8% of his passes for 2,335 yards, 18 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. His passer rating of 178.28 is first in the Big Ten and fifth nationally, with a nearly 15-point margin of victory over Kyle McCord at No. 2.
Despite his effective play, the former five-star recruit isn’t feeling particularly good heading into Saturday since he hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since October, even though he did manage a victory over Penn State with just eight passes completed. OSU’s obvious defensive strategy will be to challenge McCarthy to beat it out of the pocket. He demonstrated his ability to
Blake Corum most likely could have sealed his Heisman Trophy finalist ticket to New York with the 2022 matchup. Rather, he was sidelined for The Game due to an injury, which allowed Ohio State to be completely overrun by Donovan Edwards. The previous two games have revolved around that idea. With Michigan able to run the ball at will, the Buckeyes are unable to counter.
In 2021, Hasan Haskins, who gained 169 yards and five touchdowns, was the embodiment of that idea. Edwards (20 total yards) and Corum (87 yards on six carries) both contributed to that game. After Corum was sidelined and Haskins left for the NFL in 2022, Edwards ran for 216 yards, including consecutive touchdown runs of 75 and 85 yards, to secure the victory.
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