Published Nov 24, 2021
Scouting the Opponent: Michigan
Colin Gay  •  DottingTheEyes
Managing Editor
Twitter
@ColinGay_Rivals

The Game is here.

No. 2 Ohio State will take on No. 5 Michigan in their first meeting in more than 700 days.

To find out more about the Wolverines, we spoke to The Maize and Blue Review publisher Josh Henschke and asked him about the Michigan run game, the combination of defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker David Ojabo and if this is the year the Wolverines can come out on top.

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Put Michigan in context up to this point. Is this a team that is confident that it could win a Big Ten title or a spot in the College Football Playoff, and why? 

"I think any team that has put itself in a position to contend for both the Big Ten conference and College Football Playoff will be confident. Sure, the Wolverines needed a little help to get there, but you can't apologize for the schedule and what other teams do. I don't equate confidence with a surefire path to either outlet, but the Wolverines, for the most part, did what it said it was going to do leading up to the season. Now, all the talk about getting over the 'Ohio State hump' needs to be proven on the field if the program truly wants to be elevated to elite status."

Michigan has been one of the more dynamic running teams in the Big Ten this year with the duo of Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins. If Corum would be be back against Ohio State, what do both backs bring to the table and what should Ohio State do to stop the run game? 

"Blake Corum playing is still going to be a question mark, in my eyes. Being suited up against Maryland is encouraging, but it was also a homecoming for him as well, so seeing him make the trip in front of familiar faces isn't exactly a surprise. I expect him to, at the very least, try to give it a go. This leads to Hassan Haskins getting most of the carries if Corum isn't able to play. Both bring a physical nature of running style to the offense. Haskins will give you the hard yards and Corum is a little bit faster and shiftier. Haskins has the 'sneaky athleticism' where he isn't going to run away from you but he'll surprise by hurdling a player. He's a unique player. As far as stopping the run, if Ohio State can load up the box and completely shut down the run, it doesn't bring much confidence that the Wolverines can get it done through the air."

How will Michigan game plan to stop C.J. Stroud and the three wide-receiver tandem of Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson? 

"At this point, there's no stopping that group of receivers nor Stroud. You have to hope that Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo play their best games of the season to make Stroud speed up and make quick decisions. If Saturday's game against Michigan State was any sign, giving Stroud all day in the pocket to throw and expecting to win is an impossible task. There's no doubt the Buckeyes' passing attack will be the biggest challenge the Wolverines will face this year. I think Jahan Dotson is an elite receiver and the Wolverines did well covering him. Having three, and possibly more, Dotson-like players on the field at one time is a totally different story."

Is this a game Michigan thinks it can win, and why? Who will be the key X-factor player if the Wolverines come out on top? 

"I think Michigan will have confidence heading into the game, otherwise, it's already lost if it acts timid. I think the Wolverines will try to trust what works and throw the kitchen sink as the Buckeyes when it comes to defensive looks. I think it comes down to Cade McNamara continuing to make smart decisions with the ball, Haskins being effective on the ground and the Hutchinson/Ojabo tandem being disruptive."

What do you think is Michigan's main problem the Buckeyes could exploit? 

"As I said above, if the Buckeyes are able to shut down the Wolverines' running game, there isn't exactly confidence from outside of the program that the U-M offense would be able to get it done through the air. I think if this game becomes a pass-heavy game, U-M is facing an uphill battle."

How do you think this one will go and why? 

"Like every year, U-M hasn't given me confidence that it has what it takes to take a rivalry win away from a superior Buckeyes team. Until it proves it, consider me skeptical. I think the Buckeyes' offensive weapons will be too much for the Wolverines to handle, especially of this game comes down to some kind of offensive shootout. Give me 35-17 as the final score in favor of the Buckeyes."