ROSTER NOTES
- Ohio State players recruited by Michigan are too numerous to list. A huge chunk of the Buckeyes' roster was targeted by Michigan.
- Ohio State players from the State of Michigan include: S Cameron Martinez (Muskegon), RB Cayden Saunders (Northville), WR Kai Saunders (Northville), OT Grant Toutant (Warren De La Salle)
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED...
- On November 26, 2022, Michigan beat Ohio State 45-23 at Ohio Stadium
- Michigan established a 60-51-6 lead in the rivalry
- Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud completed 31/48 passes for 349 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions
- RB Donovan Edwards ran 22 times for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns, including 85- and 75-yarders
- WR Cornelius Johnson caught 4 passes for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns, including 75- and 69-yarders
- Converted LB Kalel Mullings completed a jump pass from the RB position for a 15-yard gain to Luke Schoonmaker
PREDICTION
- Ohio State 23, Michigan 17
INSTANT REACTION:
ReplyDelete- holy crap, I was wrong about Sherone Moore! I thought the roles as OL, OC & HC were too much, but this guy was the difference maker - HUGE set of balls as he called plays today
- no Will Johnson, no problem? Most of us were concerned with our Secondary, but we lost our best CB and held on
- Jesse Minter & the DL created just enough pressure at just the right times today
- Josiah Stewart: brought in as a pass rusher, but dude held his edge in run support ALL DAY
- CoJo: not flashy in stats, but EVERY catch was clutch
- love that we leaned on Loveland, and when he went down, AJ stepped up
- JJ took risks, but made some crazy impressive throws
- Corum might be my favorite RB at MICHIGAN ever, and that's despite my bias after hanging out with Ty Wheatley in HS
- I didn't like the Orji play (too predictable), but Sherone knows more than I do!
- didn't like the FG at the end, but Sherone knows more than I do!
If we go to the Rose Bowl, there ... GO BLUE 〽️
Would have like to see JJ on a few more designed runs / options. But can't complain. Conservative play calling should get us by Iowa and into the Final 4 for the 3rd straight year.
ReplyDeleteThe "Drive".
ReplyDeleteWell, it was not capped off with a TD on a chewed up field in january like what Elway did 40 years ago in Cleveland, but it was our drive.
Chewed up 6-7 minutes. Drove the field to get a field goal, left OSU with no timeouts and 1 minute. I guess UM wanted to share the glory with D because another first down/TD would have been anticlimactic. The Defense got to EAT!
Offense-
OSU's defense is better, but we still got 30 on them with a VERY conservative game plan. JJ played very good to great when called on, extending plays, running for the first down, and that throw to RW was unbelievable.
I thought UM would have to throw it to move it, 30 times at least. Only took 20. Their CB did well, not much room out there.
Running game was "ok', the LB's were crashing the line leaving the back zone open to which UM took advantage only a couple of times.
With Zinter out, Barnhart move to his natural position where is better and Jones took his spot, where I think he is much better than barnhart. So, net on net not as big of a down grade overall IMO. We got Barnhart out of his Bad position and put him in a good position.
Really 30 points out of this yardage production was exceptional.
Man that drive was satisfying to watch , as the clock went tick tick tick. Python drive... But I really wanted them to close the deal. The 3rd down Corum run with 8 in the box was a reasonable call but I desperately wanted to get that next first down. And then on 4th I was kind of hoping the offense was going to run a play and not just try to get the offsides. Almost rather have a 3 point lead (giving OSU's kicker a chance to miss or send to OT where it's 50/50) rather than a 6 point lead (which forces Day into winning decisions he doesn't have the guts to make otherwise). Of course we won so it all worked out but if you saw the chaos of Auburn/Alabama you know this could have ended up very different with one defensive flub or one great play by McCord/Harrison.
DeleteThe drive could have been LEGENDARY but instead it was just EPIC. Doesn't matter - because the Defense had something to say about OSU's last chance. No better way for it to end than an INT landing in the underrated Ohio kid's arms.
Defense:
ReplyDeleteBend, bend, Bend some more..and break only a few times.
Couple of head scratchers-
Rollan out there on a key third down locked up on an all big ten TE one on one. Uh, WTF? We don't play him all season and then "hey, kid, you on in"
It went about as expected. Perfect ball by McCord.
Number 25 on Marvine one on one.- No further comment.
McCord got the ball out at the 2-3 second moment. He was on time and unless you get a free rusher, the pass rush will not get home. I think he did really well overall. He was really shaky at first, didn't quit, fought, and was excellent for stretches.
The OSU mouth breathers all want him hung of course.
OSU got the run game going, but the Offense took the air out of the ball, shortened the game, and when they got the ball back there run game was off the table.
That, my friends, it complimentary football.
Will was one on one and did great IMO. There is NO ONE, NFL/College that take MHJ one on one the whole game and not get got. Will got toasted on that throw out of the endzone and did what he had to do-tackle the guy to prevent a 90Yd TD. He did and MH caught it anyways.
He is a top 5 WR right now..in the NFL.
In the end, the pressure got home when McCord had to hold it for the half second longer and Moore ended it.
Note: The Int was reviewed, it was clear to me he picked it, BUT, I have the MSU Hutchinson strip sack TD overturn and the TCU TD overturn in my memory.
They can overturn anything, facts be dammed.
IF they overturned it, we had a 15 yard penalty, OSU would have had it at the 35 with all their downs. Don't think with a different crew that would not have happened.
In the end, we win, they lose, let the OSU now turn their ire toward their own players and coaches demanding this guy get fired, this player sucks, this player needs to go.
Love it
Rolder made an unfortunate error there. Not sure if he was in because Hausmann was hurt or because the staff like him better in coverage. Rolder was held out early in the year so he could red-shirt, but he was playing meaningful snaps already last year. Only reason he hasn't been playing much is we have the luxury of not playing him. Expect to see more of him against Iowa and beyond.
DeleteMinter waving goodbye to OSU players . Love it.
Deletehttps://twitter.com/ChaseBachman/status/1728612520884347109
Hail to the Victors! Great TEAM win. Every position group had a moment to shine including a few surprises from QJo to Justin Turner. JJ with an insane throw (in every sense) to Roman Wilson. Orji subtly entering and ripping off a 20 yarder. Cornelius Johnson with a couple huge grabs functioning like a possession receiver. Loveland spitting up blood and cranking out big plays. Barnhart the swiss army knife and Trente stepping in yet again. Donovan pushing the pile and Corum jumping over it. The DL held down the OSU run game (except that one drive that they got fatigued and didnt sub well). Stewart holding up on the edge and Harrell applying critical pressure - so much for one dimensional players. LBs were very active in both phases. Secondary got the two picks and otherwise got by...just barely. Turner nails and Doman drops it on the 1 (after flubbing his first).
ReplyDeleteA coin flip game. ALL the narratives change based on one play. That's why it's a game of inches. Fortunately for us that one inch, that one play, that one THING went our way thanks to THE TEAM. Could have folded when Zinter went down but went right back in and ran off the replacement RG for a TD. The team x3.
Now we get to read Franklin and Day's record against top 5 opponents instead of Harbaugh's (whose record against top 5 still stinks - like everybodies does because that's what playing a top 5 team means).
Big ten east champs. Conference on the way. Playoff coming.
Losing Zinter is a massive hit. Reminder of how dangerous and random football is. Fortunately he'll recover but that's for whichever NFL team drafts him to work through. Harbaugh there at the hospital in support - of course, he can walk there from home, but how many other coaches would have been?
For our team their playoff hopes are in tact because OL depth is EPIC and Harball with JJ means we can win pounding inside or throwing outside. The defense is more grit than talent but Minter seems to be building around what he has.