{"id":3869,"date":"2025-11-28T21:49:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T21:49:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2025\/11\/28\/what-to-watch-for-ohio-state\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T21:49:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T21:49:09","slug":"what-to-watch-for-ohio-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2025\/11\/28\/what-to-watch-for-ohio-state\/","title":{"rendered":"What to watch for: Ohio State"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>It\u2019s just about time for The Game. The game that both Michigan and Ohio State fans look forward to all season. The game that turns a cold November Saturday into a battle for bragging rights and glory. The game that defines legacies and decides seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For the No. 15 Wolverines, everything is on the line. Entering the rivalry matchup with a 9-2 overall record, Michigan is not only fighting to protect its four-year winning streak, but to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, the No. 1 Buckeyes are headed to Ann Arbor with a comfortable cushion. Boasting an unsullied 11-0 overall record with a playoff spot essentially clinched, Ohio State doesn\u2019t necessarily need this win to extend its season. But that doesn\u2019t lower the stakes. The chance to end their four-year drought and reclaim the rivalry makes this game feel just as urgent for the Buckeyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The tension is palpable and the pressure is on. Here\u2019s what to watch for on Saturday:<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 250px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>Can Michigan contain Ohio State\u2019s passing game?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Buckeyes currently have the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-football\/stats\/team\/_\/stat\/passing\/group\/5\/table\/passing\/sort\/passingYardsPerGame\/dir\/desc\">second-best<\/a> passing offense in the Big Ten. Averaging 270.1 yards per game in the air, they are armed with several elite receivers and quarterback Julian Sayin, who is completing 79.4% of his passes. Not only is that the best completion rate in the nation, but it would break the NCAA single-season completion percentage record previously held by now-NFL quarterback Bo Nix.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s potent, man,\u201d Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore said Monday. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best in the country, the best team in the country. The receivers are elite. Four, Jeremiah (Smith) is elite. Carnell Tate is elite. They got Brandon Inniss, he\u2019s elite. \u2026 They\u2019ve got elite players everywhere on the field from a skill position standpoint.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The numbers back up Moore\u2019s statement. Smith is one of the best receivers in the conference and has emerged as Sayin\u2019s top target, leading Ohio State with 69 receptions for 902 yards. Tate follows behind him with 39 catches for 711 yards, showcasing his playmaking abilities over the top of the defense. Add Inniss into the mix, and the Buckeyes evidently possess a dangerous receiving corps.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That depth presents a significant test for the Wolverines\u2019 defense. Sure, their run defense is ranked <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-football\/stats\/team\/_\/view\/defense\/stat\/rushing\/group\/5\">third<\/a> in the conference, allowing opponents an average of just 94 yards per game, but their pass defense is a different story. Opponents are currently averaging 208.5 passing yards per game against Michigan. An accurate passer like Sayin could easily capitalize on that to alter the course of the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 250px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 90px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>That\u2019s why containing Sayin and his wideouts will be key for the Wolverines. If Michigan can disrupt the Buckeyes\u2019 signal caller\u2019s rhythm and limit explosive plays, the Wolverines could tilt the matchup in their favor. If not, Ohio State\u2019s aerial attack has the power to set the tone from the first drive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michigan\u2019s offensive line versus Ohio State\u2019s defense<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a big question hanging over the heads of the Wolverines\u2019 offensive line: Can its redshirt freshmen hold their own against the best defense in the country?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Three of Michigan\u2019s front five are currently freshmen. Andrew Sprague earned the starting right tackle job at the end of fall camp, while Blake Frazier and Jake Guarnera gained their starting roles after injuries at the left tackle and right guard positions, respectively. They\u2019ve had ample time to gel throughout the season and have fueled a successful run game. But they haven\u2019t yet faced a defense of this caliber.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Since 2001, whichever team has dominated the run game has come away with the rivalry win. Naturally, this puts added pressure on sophomore running back Jordan Marshall, the Wolverines\u2019 go-to run option, who currently ranks <a href=\"https:\/\/bigten.org\/fb\/stats\/?section=rushing\">fifth<\/a> in the conference for total rushing yards.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-3    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 250px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 90px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s humbling, all the greats playing this game,\u201d Marshall said Tuesday. \u201c\u2026 It usually comes down to our room and how we perform, and that\u2019s without the ball and with the ball. For me, it\u2019s, \u2018How do I put myself in the position to help this team win every single snap?\u2019 I\u2019m just beyond humble and excited to go out there and go against my state, where I\u2019m from, and give those boys work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While Marshall is acutely aware of the weight of these expectations, it isn\u2019t just his to bear. The outcome of The Game could very well come down to how effectively the O-line can open lanes for him. The Buckeyes\u2019 defense hasn\u2019t let many teams do that. Ohio State boasts the No. 1 total defense in the country, surrendering just nine touchdowns all year. Buckeyes players like defensive end Caden Curry and linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles will force the Wolverines\u2019 front five to prove they can force an elite unit off the ball.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s not just about the run game. Even if Michigan\u2019s offensive line manages to open up lanes, that\u2019s only part of the battle. Keeping freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood upright will be crucial. A clean pocket gives Underwood the chance to settle in and unlock the passing game. Constant pressure, however, risks throwing the entire offense off script.<\/p>\n<p>The Wolverines\u2019 young offensive line is looking at their toughest test yet, and the stakes couldn\u2019t be higher. If they can create space on the ground and keep the pocket intact, Michigan\u2019s offense has a chance to find a rhythm. If they can\u2019t, three-and-outs could become an all-too-familiar pattern.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is Michigan\u2019s youth ready for The Game?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-4    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-4{min-height: 250px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Everyone says The Game is different. Ask any veteran, and they\u2019ll tell you that there\u2019s no real way to explain or describe what it\u2019s like to run out onto the field during your first rivalry game. And for the Wolverines, many of their key players will be doing just that.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis game is like its own game,\u201d graduate fullback Max Bredeson said Tuesday. \u201cIt\u2019s like its own little season. Whatever it is coming into it, it\u2019s its own thing, its own animal. You never have to look in the past of what\u2019s happened. It\u2019s all about what we\u2019ve got right now, and it\u2019s all about when the ball\u2019s kicked off.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What Michigan has \u201cright now\u201d is youth. Several of the Wolverines\u2019 most important pieces \u2014 players like Underwood, freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh and multiple starting offensive linemen \u2014 will be stepping into the rivalry for the first time. It\u2019s a game where records don\u2019t matter, where players clash violently and where experience is an advantage.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The question is whether Michigan\u2019s fresh faces are ready for the emotion and physicality that surrounds The Game.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c(Underwood) knows what it means,\u201d Marshall said. \u201c\u2026 That\u2019s the reason why he came here, and that has to be a reason why everybody comes to Michigan, is to play in this game. He knows what it means. He doesn\u2019t need me to give him a rah rah speech, or anybody else to give him rah rah speech. He knows what this means.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-5    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-5{min-height: 250px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Marshall\u2019s words underscore Michigan\u2019s belief in all its freshmen. On both sides of the ball, the Wolverines\u2019 youth this season have made plays and responded in key moments. Playing with a poise beyond their years, they\u2019ve shouldered significant responsibility from the start of the season. Saturday will put their experience to the test.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Game will demand that they play like veterans because rivalry games don\u2019t wait for players to grow into the moment. Michigan\u2019s youngsters will simply have to adjust on the fly, and their ability might very well dictate who emerges victorious Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">***<\/p>\n<p>Saturday, all the buildup, all the questions and all the pressure come down to 60 defining minutes out on the gridiron. The Buckeyes have the momentum, the Wolverines have everything to lose, but whichever team can seize the moment will write the next chapter of The Game.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"newspack-popup-container newspack-popup hidden  newspack-inline-popup      \" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF;color:#000\" id=\"id_162162\" data-segments=\"\" data-frequency=\"0,0,0,month\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Please consider donating to The Michigan Daily<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><h3 class=\"jp-relatedposts-headline\"><em>Related articles<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s just about time for The Game. The game that both Michigan and Ohio State fans look forward to all season. The game that turns a cold November Saturday into a battle for bragging rights and glory. The game that defines legacies and decides seasons.\u00a0 For the No. 15 Wolverines, everything is on the line. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1023,361,1825],"class_list":{"0":"post-3869","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-ohio","9":"tag-state","10":"tag-watch"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3869"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3871,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3869\/revisions\/3871"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}