The moment we have all been waiting for is finally here. It is officially Michigan vs. Ohio State week. Both programs enter The Game undefeated for a second straight season with a trip to Indy and CFP hopes on the line. The stakes could not be higher for either team heading into Saturday’s matchup.
Ohio State is coming off a big victory at home, defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers 37-3. The Buckeyes, similar to Michigan, have not been in a lot of close games this season; their only close contests came against top-10 teams in Notre Dame (17-14 victory) and Penn State (20-12 victory). Looking at statistics and familiar competition, the Wolverines and the Buckeyes are pretty evenly matched. That being said, let’s take a look at this week’s key matchups that could sway the game in either team’s favor.
J.J. McCarthy vs. Kyle McCord
Throughout the last two seasons, it has become quite apparent that against better competition, Michigan’s success is largely dependent on JJ McCarthy’s performance. With that being the case, there may be some reason for concern heading into Saturday’s game following McCarthy’s level of play the last two contests.
McCarthy, all-in-all, is an extremely talented quarterback. He is accurate, elusive, and a great passer on the run. With Michigan’s offensive line a little banged up and the pass protection not being fantastic, a lot will be asked of the junior signal-caller on Saturday. McCarthy will need to protect the football and make plays both with his arm and feet if Michigan wants to come away victorious.
OSU also has somewhat of a banged up defense, but boasts a ton of talent that will create issues for the Michigan offense. The Buckeyes currently boast the best pass defense in the country, barely edging out the Wolverines. OSU has a ton of playmakers on defense such as Tommy Eichenberg, J.T. Tuimoloau, and more that could make life difficult for McCarthy.
OSU quarterback Kyle McCord is a first-year starter but has had all season to get experience under his belt. He has showed up in a lot of big moments and made enough plays down the stretch to pull off victories. McCord, like McCarthy, may also be a little banged up heading into this matchup. The junior quarterback is less accurate than McCarthy and tends to struggle a little more on the road.
Will Johnson vs. Marvin Harrison Jr.
Will Johnson will face his biggest challenge of the season, and possibly his collegiate career, in being tasked with slowing down WR Marvin Harrison Jr. The junior offensive star is by far OSU’s best receiver and a matchup nightmare for most defenders he has gone against. He currently has 1,093 yards on 62 receptions, and an impressive 13 touchdowns on the season. Harrison Jr. is a game wrecker that can break off a huge play at any moment. If Michigan wishes to stay ahead on the scoreboard, they will need to keep him in check.
Will Johnson is an excellent cornerback who doesn’t make a ton of mistakes. He has been a lockdown defender for most of the season. Unfortunately for Michigan, Johnson struggled last week against Maryland and got beat more than once. Hopefully it was just a fluke performance from Johnson and Michigan won’t need to deploy Sainristil to assist him in covering Harrison.
The battle between the two stars will be huge in how this contest plays out. If Johnson can go toe-to-toe with Harrison and limit his productivity, Michigan’s odds of victory greatly increase. If Harrison is able to regularly get separation, this game could turn into more of a shootout, a style of play Michigan generally doesn’t like to participate in. Michigan’s defensive line will be able to help Johnson out by getting pressure on McCord and not giving Harrison Jr. much time to get open. If McCord is able to sit in a clean pocket, the Wolverines will have their hands full with the Heisman contending wideout.
Sherrone Moore vs. Ryan Day
Unbeknownst to nobody, head coach Jim Harbaugh will not be on the sideline for Michigan’s showdown with the Buckeyes. He will be serving his final game suspension by the conference and not allowed onsite on Saturday. Harbaugh was able to coach the team leading up to the game, but OC Sherrone Moore will once again fill in as interim head coach for the season finale.
Moore has done a good job filling in for Harbaugh, leading the Wolverines to victory the past two weeks over their toughest opponents yet. Although the Wolverines have looked lost at time without Harbaugh on the sideline, Moore finds a way to keep the team focused on the task at hand. He will be asked to do the same as he coaches the biggest game of his career on Saturday in Ann Arbor.
Fans were critical of Moore’s play-calling the last two games with Michigan transitioning back to a run-heavy offense from a more balanced attack we have seen all season. This could be for a variety of reasons, but likely directly related to wanting to keep plays in the bag for OSU and working around McCarthy’s health. I full expect the Wolverine’s to come out much more balanced this Saturday against OSU with Moore throwing everything out there that he has been saving up.
With all the outside noise and distractions surrounding the Michigan program, OSU head coach Ryan Day could not ask for a better situation heading into The Game. Whether the rumors of Day’s involvement is true or not, he is hoping that his team can take advantage of Michigan squad who may not be entirely focused. Day will also empty the playbook against the Wolverines, looking to avoid a third-straight loss.
Saturday will truly be a battle between both coaches and teams. Michigan will need to drown out the noise and focus on securing a third-consecutive trip to the Big Ten Championship game. Ohio State will need to respect the fact that this Michigan squad is full of playmakers who could end their post-season hopes on Saturday. Buckle up, this is going to be one of the biggest matchups in college football history.
