Michigan Football: Playmakers Who Are Crucial to Wolverines Surpassing Buckeyes

Beat Ohio State—that’s the mantra every Michigan Wolverines football fan and player has ingrained in them from birth, either of their lives or their football careers in Ann Arbor.

The bar was set exceedingly high by the Wolverines’ archrival during the 2012 college football season. A perfect 12-0 record by the Buckeyes has since become the overlying storyline this offseason as the Big Ten ramps up for another year on the NCAA gridiron.

But there’s another storyline brewing in the conference, perhaps an underlying one: the revival of a sleeping giant just one state and a couple of freeway routes to the north.

In order to bridge the gap, Brady Hoke is going to have to incorporate some young, new faces into his new-look pro-style offense. Defensively, the task couldn’t be greater either.

Here’s a look at a few Wolverines who are going to have to perform remarkably this season in order to close the gap with the surging Urban Meyer-led Bucks.

S Thomas Gordon

Playmakers don’t just come on the offensive side of the ball. Returning starting safety Thomas Gordon has proved that during his time in Ann Arbor. Last year the safety compiled 81 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and four pass deflections.

He’s not ready to rest on his laurels and be content with those accomplishments, according to Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News:

If Michigan’s defense is going to succeed this season, it’s going to start with Gordon’s leadership and performance in the secondary. He'll be a crucial factor next year and a player the defense will rely on to make some impact plays.

WR Amara Darboh

Hoke’s new pro-style offense is going to need more than one receiver who can do it all. Sophomore Amara Darboh is quickly becoming a player who can do whatever his coach asks of him, and then some.

He has big-play capability too. Here’s a look at the receiver’s unfathomable one-handed grab during one of the team’s Outback Bowl practices last season that Devin Gardner labeled as “the single greatest catch” he’s ever seen:

He's ready to emerge this season after not seeing the field much in 2012. According to Big Ten Network’s Tom Dienhart, Darboh is looking more and more like a starter for the Wolverines this season:

At 6’2” and 212 pounds, he’s the biggest and most complete physical option for quarterback Devin Gardner. Sure, Gardner and Jeremy Gallon’s rapport is proved on the field, but no other player has as much raw potential as their gifted young wide receiver.

DE Frank Clark

If Hoke’s defense plans to contain Braxton Miller in Meyer’s spread offense, he’s going to need to get a better pass rush from his defensive line. Last season, linebacker Jake Ryan—who is out with an ACL injury—led the team in sacks with 4.5. The team totaled just 22 the whole year, good enough for 78th in the nation.

Standout offensive tackle Taylor Lewan believes Frank Clark is a guy who can help the defense turn things around after battling with the defensive end in one-on-one drills this offseason.

"I think no doubt in my mind he's an All-Big Ten guy, if not more," the All-American said via MLive.com.

Hopefully Clark can help boost his unit's efforts by translating his offseason strides into game-changing plays this season.