We get you ready for Saturday's game against Michigan in this week's 3-2-1 column.

• Three things we learned this week.

• Two questions.

• One prediction.

C.J. Stroud seems to be ready for the Michigan challenge

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day knows how big the Michigan game is. But he also doesn't want to make the game itself any different for redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Over the past two games, Stroud has completed 63 of his 73 pass attempts —86.1% — for 793 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. In those games, the Ohio State offense has recorded more than 55 points and an average of 639.5 yards in each of the past two games.

Even though it's Ohio State's rival with the Buckeyes' season on the line, Day doesn't want Stroud to take the field Saturday and overthink things. especially heading into his first ever Michigan game.

"Certainly, there’s a lot riding on it, but other than that, we’re still playing football… against a very good team," Day said. "There’s things you want to talk about, but there’s things that you just have to go out there and do what you’ve done all year and have confidence in that because he’s had a lot of good reps this year.”

This is something Corey Dennis has seen Stroud do all season.

On a Thursday radio appearance, the Ohio State quarterback coach talked about how Stroud's been able to seamlessly take film sessions to the field ever since he first got to Columbus — seeing a concept one time and taking it onto the field.

"The one thing about C.J. is his preparation," Dennis said. "He prepares hard, he definitely watches a lot of film. He's a guy that's truly a film junkie and really grinds at his craft."

All Stroud has done this season, according to Dennis, is continue to grow and elevate his game ever since he took his first collegiate pass against Minnesota in the season opener.

But Day said there's still more that Stroud and the offense could do to continue progressing as the opponents get tougher each and every week.

"Certainly the efficiency has been much better, but by no means perfect (for) anybody on offense," Day said. "We have to continue to grow and build and get stronger and upgrade like we talk about every week. Every week has to be an upgrade."

The Ohio State defense is prepared to stop the Michigan run game

Zach Harrison feels Michigan's offense is similar to what Michigan State brought to Columbus one week ago.

The Wolverines area run-heavy team, utilizing multiple running backs — Blake Corum, when healthy, Hassan Haskins and Donovan Edwards — to record college football's No. 15 rushing offense, averaging 218.4 rushing yards per game.

Michigan is one of 19 programs in the country that average more than five yards per carry (5.09) and have scored more than 25 rushing touchdowns (29).

In terms of a plan to stop Michigan's run game, the plan remains similar to the Spartans.

"(The Wolverines) love to stay on schedule, play action pass off the run game, they love to run the ball a lot," Harrison said. "We have to do a good job of keeping them off schedule."

Last week, that plan worked. Running back Kenneth Walker III and the rest of the Michigan State run game averaged 3.1 yards per rush on 22 carries, including only 25 yards on six carries by the Heisman contender.

"Just really how detailed we were in our technique shows up on the film and how really what (Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson) teaches us in terms of fitting the run and make a new line of scrimmage," Ohio State defensive tackle Haskell Garrett said about what worked against the Spartans' run game

Ohio State knows there's a challenge coming against Michigan.

Garrett said the Wolverines' running backs are "versatile" and "great in the backfield," while Harrison talked about keeping Edwards at bay in the short passing game, taking 10 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield against Maryland last time out.

To Ohio State, it's not about personnel. It's about having the same fire it had going into the game last week against the Michigan State run game against its rival.

"Whether it was me last week or it could be Zach this week or it could be Tommy Eichenberg," Garrett said. "Whoever sparks that energy early in the game, everyone will feed off of.

Ohio State doesn't need bulletin board material

Ohio State doesn't need to hear what Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara or defensive end Aidan Hutchinson had to say prior to Saturday's game.

Here's what McNamara said about the Ohio State defense to MGoBlue Podcasts' Jon Jansen: “I wouldn’t say I’m very concerned about anything,. I’d say we’re looking to take advantage of Ohio State. As the week progresses, we’re gonna find ways to do that. I know this offense is going to be very confident going into this game.”

Here's what Hutchinson told reporters about Ohio State this week: “A lot of teams play them scared … I don’t think you’re gonna see a lot of scared or fearful play from us."

Day's not worried about it, saying Ohio State has always been a team that focuses on itself.

But there are things that pop onto the team's radar.

However, the Ohio State head coach doesn't need extra fuel or juice for his players heading into this game.

"We certainly don’t need extra motivation for a game like this," Day said. "Everything’s riding on it. It's the rivalry game, but I know the guys are always watching to see what's going on out there.”

Will Ohio State be able to disrupt Cade McNamara?

Not many opponents have been able to.

The Michigan junior quarterback has been sacked only six times this year, all coming in five of the last six games, including twice against Penn State.

The Wolverines are No. 1 in the Big Ten, having allowed nine sacks in their first 11 games this season. With that, Michigan is one of seven teams in the Big Ten that has quarterbacks who have completed 60% or more of its passes this season, averaging 229.5 yards per game and 8.1 yards per pass attempt.

This season, McNamara has 14 of Michigan's 18 total passing touchdowns.

Ohio State will prove to be Michigan's toughest task yet up front, leading the Big Ten with 35 sacks in 11 games — tied with Colorado State, Syracuse, Houston and Troy for ninth in the country with 3.27 sacks per game.

To Harrison, it's not all about bringing McNamara to the ground. It's also about clouding and closing the pocket, getting hands up and disrupting passing lanes.

The goal is just to make whoever is in the backfield uncomfortable, seeing the lack of sacks allowed by Michigan as a challenge.

"It just means we have to get after them even more," Harrison said. "Every week, teams will get bigger and bigger, that's what Coach Day says. Big time players show up in big-time games. That's what us as a D-line are trying to do. We're trying to impact the game and make sure we leave our footprint."

Will TreVeyon Henderson break the Ohio State freshman touchdown record?

TreVeyon Henderson remains two touchdowns away from making school history.

The Ohio State freshman running back has 17 touchdowns through his first 11 games, one away from tying and two from breaking Maurice Clarett's record of 18 touchdowns in his freshman year at Ohio State in 2002.

Against Michigan State, Henderson did what he needed to do in the run game, averaging seven yards per carry on nine touchdowns, but failed to make the end zone for only the second time this season.

With the No. 2 pass defense in the Big Ten behind Wisconsin, Michigan has struggled a bit comparatively against the run.

The Wolverines have allowed 10 rushing touchdowns in 11 games, allowing 127.7 yards per game and 3.6 yards per rush.

If Ohio State is going to develop an offense against Michigan, Henderson will be vital as a counter-attack to Stroud's passing game, especially if the Wolverines show themselves to be as stingy as 178.4 yards per game shows.

Ohio State's offense will score more points and record more offensive yards than Michigan has allowed all season.

The highest totals Michigan's defense has given up this season are not close to what Ohio State's offense averages any given Saturday.

Michigan State scored the most points in its win against the Wolverines, while Nebraska recorded 431 yards of offense to go with only 19 points.

With Stroud at the helm and three top-tier wide receivers, two of which are still vying for that 1,000-yard mark, along with a running back still trying for his own record, the Buckeyes should not miss a beat offensively, picking up where they left off against Michigan State and Purdue Saturday afternoon.