Ohio State vs. Michigan: ‘We’re playing for it all’

Once again, it’s a fair fight. If Ohio State is to make it five straight, Buckeyes lineman Tyquan Lewis said it will have to be prepared for whomever MI puts behind center. Instead, he moved from guard to center to anchor an offensive line with three new starters, helping the Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in scoring (43.8 ppg), rushing offense (263.1 ypg) and total offense (493.1 ypg). He has been projected as a top pick in the National Football League draft, assuming he skips his senior season.

Peppers and his teammates will get a chance to earn a rare win for the Wolverines against the Buckeyes on Saturday. He lost his final three meetings to “Ohio”, as he called it.

MI and Ohio State are two of the most prestigious teams in college football, and their rivalry pre-dates time.

Barrett demurred when he was asked this week if the MI game might be his last at Ohio Stadium. But that MI team had been in Harbaugh’s possession for less than a year.

“What a small world, as they say”, Harbaugh said.

So who wins Saturday? The spread also favors the Buckeyes.

“It can be a little rough is one of them is a runner, but they already have a really solid foundation with what they’re going to do: run the ball and throw when necessary”.

MI has been very good against the pass but is that a result of a weak passing schedule going against them or have games of total domination by the Wolverines just tilted the numbers to look the way they do? Quarterbacks have posted a 94.2 rating against MI, second-lowest in the nation to …

The median price of tickets sold for MI at Ohio State – teams ranked third and second, respectively, in the CFP rankings – on Saturday (noon, ABC) is now $390. All four of MI starting defensive backs have double-digit career starts and are led by Jourdan Lewis and his 28 career starts. Channing Stribling leads the Wolverines with four interceptions and 11 PBUs. No. 16 has seen a lot in his time in Columbus, and there’s not much that’s going to rattle him.

Schembechler was an assistant to Hayes at Ohio State for five years before eventually taking over at MI. And last year’s loss might have been the toughest to take.

Ohio State is favored by about a touchdown perhaps in part because the Wolverines may be without standout quarterback Wilton Speight, who missed Saturday’s 20-10 win over in with an injured left shoulder. They haven’t had much to celebrate this year. “Took away our pride”. The Noles are playing their best football of the season right now. The versatile and talented Peppers anchors the fine MI defense and has earned some Heisman Trophy buzz.

No word yet on what weird thing Jim Harbaugh is nearly certainly doing in preparation of one of the biggest games of the season.

Peppers put it like this: “Everything is coming out of the bag this week”. If Ohio State loses, it’s a really, really bad day. J.T. Barrett had much more favorable conditions up in East Lansing, yet still struggled mightily. O’Korn was 7 of 16 yards for just 59 yards, the fewest yards passing for MI since John Navarre threw for 58 in a win over Wisconsin on November 17, 2001. When his receivers and line are cooperating, he can beat you two ways.

This should be a whale of a game between two of the best teams in the country. “Which will it be Saturday?” The Cornhuskers’ offense has injury issues at quarterback and will be going against an Iowa defense that has allowed a combined 399 yards the last two weeks against MI and IL. Whether it’s Wilton Speight or John O’Korn that gets the start for MI on Saturday, yards through the air will be touch to come by.

“To my eye, he has looked better every day”, MI coach Jim Harbaugh said. “The main thing is that the offense has really opened things up for the guys running and also for me running the ball”. Maybe it was first-game jitters.

Yep. The Game is in the ‘Shoe this year. Under that scenario, the Big Ten might place two teams in the playoff – Ohio State and the conference champ. No. 1 Ohio State hosted No. 2 MI with both a Big Ten title and spot in the National Championship Game on the line.

Omitting its 2010 “victory”, MI has not won in Columbus since 2000.