Michigan—Ohio State 2008 Preview

The storied rivalry of the upper Midwest; The Michigan Wolverines—The Ohio State Buckeyes, will stage its 105th version this weekend in a decidedly abnormal situation for this historic match-up.

In most years, “The Game” draws riveted attention from fans around the country. Its outcome normally has an impact on the Big Ten title and often possesses national ranking or national title implications. 

The two teams have won or shared the Big Ten title 58 times and ended up tied for the title in eight different seasons.  They share 17 national titles between them, and as recently as 2006, meeting in their traditional season ending game with mutual perfect records, their rivalry game was for a berth in the BCS national title game.

This season’s clash hardly resembles the collisions of the past.  With 20 returning starters from a team that played LSU for the national championship last year, 2008 was expected to be the year that OSU dominated the Big Ten and rode their upper class-men laden roster back to the BCS championship game. 

With an early season loss to USC, a change in starting quarterbacks to freshman phenomena Tyrelle Pryor, and a Big Ten loss to Penn State, the Buckeyes, even if victorious on Saturday, require help from the Spartans in their clash with the Nitany Lions to even claim a share of the Big Ten title. 

For Michigan, a new coach, a new system on offense and defense, returning one starter on offense from 2007, and a slew of injuries has resulted in their first eight season loss in their 129 year history of playing collegiate football.  The “Game,” therefore, has virtually no impact on the Big Ten race and certainly has a lower national profile than is customary.

While neither a place in the national title game or a likely Big Ten Championship is on the line this year, redemption is. 

For OSU, winning this game would help redeem and solidify the accomplishments of a team that seemingly had so much to play for at the beginning of the season.

For Michigan, despite comments of their coach Rich Rodriquez to the contrary, a victory on Saturday definitely redeems the struggles of this season and ends the Wolverines horrific five-game losing streak to the Buckeyes.

With Ohio State favored by 19 points coming into the game, the only question is whether the Wolverines and their battered, injured, and maligned squad even have a chance to taste victory in Saturday. 

In order for Michigan to pull this unlikely result off against the Buckeyes, they will have to play a perfect game devoid of turnovers—an unlikely result given their 28 turnovers on the season—and receive career performances from Steven Threet, their maligned quarterback, Brandon Minor, while also hoping the hard running junior tail-back is healthy for the game, and their young and over-matched offensive line. 

In addition, Michigan must complete tackles on defense—something they have struggled to do throughout the year.  Finally, Michigan must receive some gifts from the Buckeyes this Saturday in terms of turnovers and missed plays.

Given that the OSU defense features future NFL performers such as linebackers James Luarenitis, Marcus Freeman, and Malcolm Jenkins at cornerback, the likelihood that the Michigan offense, which has struggled most of the season, will put up season best numbers is unlikely. 

On the offensive side, the poor tackling Michigan defense will be faced with Beanie Wells, the most consistent tackle breaking back in the country, as well as a veteran, and very solid, offensive line.  Any objective observer would conclude that Saturday will be a walk in the park for the Buckeyes in front of their always vocal partisans.

Big rivalries, particularly as big as this one, are the stuff pounded out in history.  And, this annual, end of season clash is no different.  The last time the Buckeyes were favored by such a large margin was when the 1969, “Team of the Century,” OSU rolled into Michigan Stadium expecting a coronation.  What they received instead was one of college football’s all-time underdog performances as a staunch Michigan defense stunned the Buckeyes 24-12. 

Michigan faithfuls point to this first game of the Schembechler era as reason for historical optimism coming into this year's game. The 2008 Wolverines seem not to be a shadow of 69' squad that went 8-3. The fact that this young and mistake-prone version will have to face the Buckeyes in Columbus, hoping for such distant history to repeat itself is mostly wishful thinking. 

Prediction:  Buckeyes 34, Michigan 10.