#2 Ohio State (9-0, 12-0) at #13 Michigan (6-3, 9-3) Post Game

[medinabuckeye1]

I know I am starting this WAY too early and that might annoy some people, sorry. 

That said, I am starting this now because the modern facets of the game (CFP, CCG, etc) have changed THE GAME in ways that I don't like. 

Ohio State has four or five games left and of those five, I would rank their importance as follows:

• Penn State (because the Buckeyes probably can't make it to the B1GCG without winning this)
• The B1GCG (because even with a prior loss, at 12-1 and with a B1G Championship, the Buckeyes would be VERY likely to make the CFP. 
• Rutgers because losing to the Scarlet Knights would be REALLY embarrassing and it would be such a "bad loss" that it would be fairly likely to keep the Buckeyes out of the CFP.   
• Maryland for the same reason as Rutgers but not quite as bad of a loss. 
• Michigan because it will probably be irrelevant to whether or not tOSU goes to the B1GCG and a loss to a highly ranked team that blew out Notre Dame wouldn't hurt the Buckeye's CFP resume nearly as much as RU or UMD

In theory, as an Ohio State fan, I *should* see the Michigan game as the least relevant remaining game for my team.  As a guy who went to Ohio State during the John Cooper era I can't bring myself to actually see it that way, but that is how I *should* see it. 

[MrNubbz]

Pot-Stirrer

[TyphonInc]

POT-STIRRER!

[FearlessF]

[Temp430]

[Cincydawg]

Pot stirrer.

[FearlessF]

I don't understand the need for rubber bracelets, but I'm old

[847badgerfan]

This thread sucks.

[FearlessF]

well stated

[MaximumSam]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHaclyWWd_E

[betarhoalphadelta]

#helmetteamproblems 

[medinabuckeye1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHaclyWWd_E

Regarding last year's game:
Ohio State looked incredibly dominant.  They won by 23, outgained the Wolverines 567-401, and never led by less than 16 points in the fourth quarter.  Furthermore, the game was only as close as it was due to a boneheaded turnover committed by Ohio State's return team on a kickoff that allowed a one-play quick Michigan score in the second quarter.  

That said, I think that the teams were not THAT far apart.  Instead, I just think that Ohio State had the absolutely perfect antidote to Michigan's defense.  Michigan loved to play man coverage and Ohio State had incredible depth at WR.  None of Ohio State's WR's last year were true superstars but I believe that Ohio State probably had at least three and probably five guys who were good enough to start at WR at most any B1G school.  That just killed the Wolverines because their depth at CB simply wasn't as good as Ohio State's depth at WR.  Thus, no matter how the Wolverines lined up the Buckeyes just picked on their #3 and #4 DB's.  

A lot of Michigan fans criticized the Michigan Defensive staff for failing to adjust to that.  I understand the thinking behind that, but I also have to say that I can understand the problem from the perspective of their staff.  I think they had to problems.  First, switching up the way you play defense in the biggest game of the year after playing a different way for 11 straight games would be problematic.  Guys would be asked to play in a way that they had hardly practiced and almost never played and if you do that there are bound to be mistakes.  Second, mid-way through the third quarter the Buckeyes took an eight point lead and the game never got any closer after that.  Early in the fourth quarter the Buckeyes scored on a 78 yard pass play.  Michigan could have dropped their guys back to prevent that, but Ohio State was already up by 16 points BEFORE that.  Ohio State didn't REALLY need to score.  If Michigan had dropped their defense back to prevent the long passes the Buckeyes would have obviously been content to grind out first downs and run the clock while sitting on their 16 point lead.  At that point Michigan was better off continuing to play their style because all they could do was dare the Buckeyes to keep throwing and hope for some drops.  

[847badgerfan]

This thread sucks.

[LittlePig]

What if OSU loses to PSU, then will the OSU-Mich game matter?