Last week Michigan dominated Nebraska in a way none of us expected. We all were confident that Michigan would win but didn’t expect the whooping that Michigan put on the ‘Huskers. Justin and Josh tied for the closest. Justin was the most confident in Michigan’s offense, 12 away from the final, but thought Nebraska’s offense would pose more of a challenge. Josh was 18 away from Michigan’s score and 7 away from Nebraska’s, while Chris predicted a closer-scoring game, 21 away from Michigan’s score and six away from Nebraska’s.

Bo won his first Michigan-Ohio State game, but Woody didn't. Brady Hoke looks to follow in Bo's shoes

This week, we all know what’s on the line, so we’re not playing for anything except the season-long crown (although there is still the bowl game remaining). Josh leads with four wins, while Justin and Chris each have three and Matt has one.

The picks:

Justin (3) – Tattoos don’t win games. Their allure, and everything else that comes with them, might help with recruiting, but when it’s all you’ve got left, it’s just a stain on your skin. That’s what those dressed in scarlet and grey will realize at high noon on Saturday. The run of free cars, under the table cash, inked up arms, and pumped up kicks is over. And so is the seven year plague.

Ohio comes into Ann Arbor with a hollow momentum. Winning seven straight gives the Buckeyes the upper hand, but in reality, they’re hurting. Back-to-back losses to Purdue and Penn State leave OSU needing a win to finish with an above .500 record. If anyone saw that coming at this time last year I’d like to meet you.

The Buckeye offense is predicated on running and running and running. It will pound Herron, Hyde, Hall, and Miller and sprinkle in a pass here and there. Miller will probably be a pretty prolific quarterback by the time his days at Ohio are over, but right now he’s a true freshman playing in his first game at Michigan. He’s also facing a defense coordinated by Greg Mattison. Expect Mattison to have a perfect game plan designed to pressure Miller and keep him from getting comfortable. You can bet Mattison has preached gap responsibility all week as Miller is most dangerous when scrambling around eluding would-be tacklers.

Offensively, Michigan will pound Fitz Toussaint and Denard Robinson. Ohio has not proven it can stop the run and Penn State racked up the rushing yards last week. Michigan will get a couple of big gainers as Ohio’s linebackers and safeties are prone to getting out of position. I don’t see Michigan having much trouble moving the ball and as long as Denard doesn’t make poor back-footed decisions, points will be there for the taking. Look for something new from the game plan as well; something Offensive Coordinator Al Borges has been saving just for this game.

If Michigan can score quickly, all the momentum Ohio has in the rivalry will be zapped and the lingering doubts about the current season, the missing sweatervest, and the future of the head coach will sink in. Look for a fairly close game early on becoming a comfortable Michigan win in the second half.

Michigan 35 – Ohio 17

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Josh (4) - I’m not from Michigan, and I’m not even from the midwest, but I’ve been a die-hard Michigan fan for as long as I can remember. My dad, who went to Michigan for college and dental school, wasn’t exactly a sports fan, but every time a Michigan game was on we watched it and rooted for the Maize and Blue. My first real memory of Michigan sports was the 1989 NCAA basketball tournament when Glenn Rice and Rumeal Robinson beat Seton Hall for the National title. Incidentally, one of the assistant coaches on that Seton Hall team, Rod Baker, would end up becoming a co-worker of mine after college.

There will be many more Ohio fans like this one on Saturday afternoon (screenshot from Ohio State-Penn State telecast)

Then came Desmond Howard as well as the Fab Five in basketball. Michigan was always on and always winning. How could I not be a Michigan fan?

From middle school, and a bit before, until I graduated high school in 1998, Michigan was 7-1-1 against Ohio, with a National title after the 1997 season. Nebraska can say they won it too all they want but no one outside Nebraska believes it. From the time I was old enough to understand football until the beginning of this century Michigan was 9-2-1 against Ohio – complete domination.

It seems like every year the season for each team came down to “The Game,” either for the Big Ten title or a chance at a National title. It meant something on the national landscape. Lately though, the tides have turned and as we all know Ohio has inched a little closer in the overall win/loss record, going 8-1 since 2001 (Ohio fans will say 9-1 but technically they didn’t win last year, not against us, not against anyone). Aside from 2006, Michigan hasn’t had much at stake during “The Game.” This year is different, but the same. It means something to Michigan’s season and fan base, other than the great satisfaction of beating that school down south.

I live in Ohio now, and I work with two die hard Ohio fans. They’re not the most unreasonable Ohio fans I have met but they still border on insufferable. They like to talk about the past decade and how they’ve owned us, but whenever I bring up the 90s or the overall record they tell me that was the past. Never mind that once a game is over it is in the past and the PAST decade of Ohio wins are just that, in the past (but no one ever confused Ohio fans for being rational).

Before the season started, but after the “Tat Gate” scandal and Tressel’s ‘firing’ I was at lunch with some co-workers and a few of their friends talking football. They were so adamant about Ohio still being dominant and running the table in the B1G Ten and playing in its inaugural championship game. I said it would be tough without the vest and Pryor, but they laughed. They’re THE Ohio after all. Then the conversation switched to Michigan. I love my team unconditionally but I am also a reasonable and realistic fan. I didn’t expect them to go 10-2 but I thought it was reasonable to go 8-4. I mean, how was it possible to be worse than we were last season?! They laughed at me, ‘Michigan won’t win more than 4 games this year’ they said, ignoring all the changes in staff and other intangibles. Despite my most thought out, logical arguments (I went to law school for one year so I thought it was rather strong) they still laughed. One of them said he was so confident that Michigan would suck that he’d bet me dinner. The terms were each win over 7 would get me dinner at a nicer place and each win under 5 he’d get the nicer dinner. He has since tried to go double or nothing with the Ohio game. I took it but I still get lunch if we lose. The funny thing is he’s not even an Ohio fan, he was just so convinced by the Ohio fans around us about Michigan’s ineptitude that he thought he’d cash in on my loyal fanhood and get a free dinner out of it. Oops.

There weren’t many Michigan fans where I grew up (Rochester, NY), nor were there many Ohio fans, so I never experienced an insane amount of trash talking and just plain ridiculousness from Ohio fans. I have been in Ohio for almost a year and a half now. I didn’t like Ohio before, but I would never call it a hatred. Living amongst Ohio fans makes me absolutely despise that team down south. Notre Dame has incredibly unrealistic fans, but they’re not jerks (I’m censoring myself. If you know an Ohio fan you have a good idea of what I meant to say here). Ohio fans go beyond passionate super fans into a realm of just plain insanity.

Tim Biakabutuka gashed OSU's defense for 313 yards in 1995. Can Fitz Toussaint turn in a similar performance?

The Game has always been important but this year its different for me. It means more, both personally and for both teams. Michigan has a chance to end its losing streak and give Ohio its first non-winning season since and a LOSING record in the B1G Ten for the first time since 1999. Michigan has an outside shot at a BCS bowl for the first time in five seasons. It means I won’t have to hear Ohio fans give me crap for a whole year, and it means I can talk trash to them about how bad they are for a whole year. It means I can walk around town in my Michigan gear (although I already do) and know that we beat them and they cannot do anything about it for a whole year. I’m proud to be a fan of the Michigan Wolverines, win or lose, but when we’re winning it’s all the sweeter. And when we beat Ohio it’s almost heaven.

I didn’t want to move to Ohio for work – actually, it was supposed to be Detroit but plans changed – but now I’m glad we live in Ohio. After Tat Gate, Tressel’s ousting, and their less than stellar season, it feels great to watch them suffer (though I want to see them get back on their feet again – beating them when they’re 11-0 is the best feeling). And when Michigan wins on Saturday, it will feel so good. Not only to end the streak, but to know that Brady Hoke and Greg Mattison have brought back Michigan football. B1G Ten titles and beating Ohio is what Michigan is all about. We may not get to win the B1G Ten this year but we can beat Ohio.

Ohio’s offense has been erratic, at best. At times they’ve shown potential, and at others they’ve looked like a high school team could stop them. Braxton Miller is clearly their best option at QB and he can make plays with his arm and his feet. Other than at Nebraska, Ohio hasn’t played in a tough road game. The Big House isn’t known as the most intimidating place to play, but since the addition of the boxes the noise of 113,000-plus stays inside the stadium and makes it quite loud. I haven’t been there since the addition but I hear it is like night and day.

Miller is a freshman, an 18- or 19-year old kid. It will be loud and it will be hostile, I’m not too sure he can overcome that. Ohio’s defense is their strength but they haven’t been able to stop anyone good this year. They needed a miracle hail mary to beat Wisconsin. They’ve lost to bottom feeder Purdue, almost loss to Toledo, and had an incredibly poor showing against an Indiana team who hasn’t beaten a Division I team doesn’t exactly helping their case. That said, Ohio can still win this game. Sports are unpredictable and crazy at times. I don’t think that will happen, but for me to rule out the possibility would be wrong.

Ohio doesn’t give up many points, having given up over 30 only once, in the loss to Nebraska. So we know that a mobile QB and a good rushing attack can beat this defense. Funny enough, that is exactly what Michigan has, quite possibly the most electrifying mobile QB in some time and a good rushing attack with Fitz Toussaint. Denard hasn’t had the type of year passing that some expected, and while his interception total is a bit high he is a decent passer when he sets his feet. Teams shut down the Michigan offense late in the year in 2010 by focusing on Denard. They don’t have that luxury anymore, Toussaint is a great complement to Denard out of the backfield, and if Borges keeps up with the read option plays it could be a LONG day for Ohio. When the running game is clicking and the defense doesn’t know where the ball is going the passing game will open up.

From Woodson to Desmond to Biakabutuka, Michigan greats have come up big in The Game. Denard hopes to do the same

Michigan’s defensive turnaround is nothing short of a miracle, or is it? Brady Hoke is a defensive coach, Greg Mattison has coached some great college and NFL defenses. They aren’t good defensive coaches, they are great defensive coaches. What they have done with this group who got walked all over last season is inspiring. They’ve instilled confidence and focused on fundamentals. They’re a top 10 scoring defense and top 20 in yards allowed. It’s closer to a Michigan defense than people thought was possible in one year. Michigan has gotten better each game, with last week being their best performance all season. Nebraska isn’t the powerhouse people thought they’d be but they’re good nonetheless. For Michigan’s defense to dominate a top tier team like that was not luck, it was because Michigan’s defense is for real.

For Michigan to win this game they need to control the line of scrimmage, on both sides. Creating running lanes for Denard and Fitz will make for a long afternoon for the Buckeye defenders. Getting into the backfield and making Miller scramble to make plays in a loud, hostile environment will keep Ohio off the scoreboard. Yes, Herron and Posey are back but if Miller doesn’t have time to find them or has to scramble and throw under duress, it won’t matter much.

Brady Hoke stated the importance of this game when he was hired. It is not just a game to him, he has experienced this game many times before. He was on the winning side most of those times and he wants to keep it that way. He will not let his kids get overconfident or cocky coming into this game, or any game in the future. He knows Ohio will come to play and he’s prepared his kids to do as as well.

Ohio fans seem to think Michigan is overconfident and cocky coming in and will therefore be ripe for the upset. They also tell me Ohio is gonna win by five touchdowns and/or in dominating fashion. I have no response to statements as ludicrous as that. History has a tendency of repeating itself. Michigan owned the 90′s, Ohio owned the 2000′s. It goes back and forth. When Michigan hired its legendary coach the headlines read “Bo Who?” There was similar sentiment when Dave Brandon hired little known Brady Hoke over big names like Jim Harbough and Les Miles. 1968, the year before Bo Schembechler was hired, Ohio beat Michigan 50-14. In 1969 Ohio was the top ranked team in the nation, riding a 22 game win streak. Michigan and “Bo Who” beat them 24-12. Last year we ‘lost’ 37-7, and while Ohio isn’t the top ranked (or ranked at all) we have another no-name coach at the helm. Can we expect the same sort of results as in 1969? I think so. GO BLUE!

Michigan 27 – Ohio 12

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Chris (3) - Here’s the deal: This is The Game.  Records don’t matter.  Stats don’t matter.  What matters is who wants it more.  Both teams are going to come out playing their hearts out and what has happened during the year prior to this isn’t going to make a difference.  This game will not impact the Big Ten Championship, as neither team can make it to Indianapolis.  Saturday’s game will be all about pride and feeling the players will get when they get to put on their pads and smack around their biggest rival.  The Wolverines come into this game trying to break an embarrassing seven-game losing streak to the Buckeyes.  Stopping that streak means a lot more to the team than the potential BCS berth that could be gained with a win.

OSU will come into this game looking at it like their bowl game.  Even if the Buckeyes get into a bowl, it likely won’t be one of much interest.  What a better way to end a frustrating and disappointing season than to beat a Wolverines team that is favored by over a touchdown and looking to get back in control of this rivalry??

From the day Coach Hoke set foot on campus in Ann Arbor, he has made it clear that the goal is to beat OSU every year.  In practice this week, certainly that fact was not lost on the Michigan players.  The fact that OSU has had a “down” year this year will not play into this game, however.  I like the Michigan defense, led by the Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison, to put a lot of pressure on true freshmen quarterback Braxton Miller and confuse him at the line of scrimmage.  The Michigan secondary will need to stay with their assignments in case Miller is able to break free though.  He has had a tendency to create big plays with his ability to escape the pocket when it closes in.

On offense, I look for Offensive Coordinator Al Borges to call a game similar to what he did last game against Nebraska.  The ball will need to be in Denard Robinson’s hands for them to score points.  They will need to be able to pass the ball too, as OSU has shut down Denard in the previous two games.  A game plan similar to last week will do the trick.

Michigan 28 – OSU 17

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Matt (1) – Eight years ago, Michigan beat Ohio State. That was the last time Michigan beat them. But that was then, this is now.

Brady Hoke has already proven this season that he was the perfect Michigan man for the University of Michigan to hire for the football team’s head coach. But a win tomorrow against the Buckeyes will be a huge exclamation mark for Hoke and his coaching staff.

Michigan has gotten better and better each and every week. Improvement on offense and defense has been visible during every single game, and hopefully it will be tomorrow as well.

Michigan’s defense has gotten better every game against the pass and run, so although I do see Braxton Miller putting a couple of big plays, I do see Michigan’s defense shutting him down somewhat.

I tend to say Denard will be Denard every single game, and again, I see him doing what he does this Saturday as well: a couple of passing touchdowns, a couple of rushing touchdowns, and probably a couple of picks, unfortunately. I think we will also see Devin Gardner in for quite a few plays.

Brady Hoke knows this rivalry. He has experienced this rivalry. And tomorrow he will have the boys more pumped up for a football game than they ever have been. Brady Hoke will experience his first Michigan vs Ohio State game as a head coach, and he will experience a victory.

I’m going overboard, but hey, it’s The Game, you have to go overboard! Go Blue!!!

Michigan 100 – Ohio State 0

College football’s greatest rivalry has built itself throughout the years on playing for all the marbles. More often than not over its 107-year history, The Game has been played at season’s end to decide the Big Ten champion, the conference’s representative in the Rose Bowl, and year-long bragging rights for alumni and fans of the schools to the north and south of Toledo.

#15 Michigan v. Ohio
	Saturday Nov. 26 12 p.m. ET ABC
9-2 (5-2)	Record	6-5 (3-4)
Western Michigan 34-10 Notre Dame 35-31 Eastern Michigan 31-3 San Diego State 28-7 Minnesota 58-0 Northwestern 42-24 Purdue 36-14 Illinois 31-14 #16 Nebraska 45-17	Wins	Akron 42-0 Toledo 27-22 Colorado 37-17 #16 Illinois 17-7 #15 Wisconsin 33-29 Indiana 34-20
#23 Michigan State 14-28 Iowa 16-24	Losses	Miami 6-24 Michigan State 7-10 #14 Nebraska 27-34 Purdue 23-26 OT #21 Penn State 14-21
33.6	Scoring Offense	24.3
231.9	Rushing YPG	201.0
189.3	Passing YPG	114.0
421.2	Total Offense	315.0
15.6	Scoring Defense	19.0
128.4	Rush Defense YPG	130.2
184.3	Pass Defense YPG	187.9
312.6	Total Defense YPG	318.1
26	Takeaways	16
20	Giveaways	12
24/14	Sacks By/Allowed	22/36
70-of-144 (48.6%)	Third-down Conv.	60-of-151 (39.7%)
9-for-13 (69.2%)	Field Goals	13-for-16 (81.3%)
32.9	Net Punt Avg.	37.6

While Michigan holds a 57-44-6 edge in the series, there have been plenty of streaks by either side. Michigan won 13 of the first 15 contests played from 1897-1918 with the two others being ties. From 1922-27, Michigan had a six game winning streak and then went 10-2-2 from 1938-51. Ohio State then turned the tide throughout the ’50s and ’60s, taking 16 of 24 from 1952-75. The pendulum swung back in Michigan’s favor through the Schembechler, Moeller, and early Carr years, when Michigan won 18 of 27 from 1976-2003, including a 12-3-1 run from 1988-2000.

But since winning the game’s ceremonial 100th meeting in 2003, the rivalry has been decidedly one-sided. Seven-year old kids have never seen Michigan beat the Buckeyes and the last three years have been uncharacteristically boring for traditionalists. Even Ohio fans long for the days of the hard-fought, hyped-up battles they were used to when it didn’t matter who was favored and the underdog always played above its head.

When Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia for Ann Arbor in 2008, one of his fatal flaws, at least perceptibly, was that he didn’t completely understand the rivalry. However, as John U. Bacon’s book Three and Out detailed, he understood it as much as anyone who had never stepped foot in Ann Arbor before could, having learned many of Schembechler’s coaching principles from Bo disciple and West Virginia legend Don Nehlen. Still, his Michigan teams weren’t able to put up much of a fight against the Buckeyes, getting outscored 100-24 in three meetings.

Enter Brady Hoke. Unlike when Jim Tressel took over at Ohio State in 2001 and immediately announced to the world that he was there to beat Michigan, Hoke took his message only to his team, installing ‘Beat Ohio’ countdown clocks in the locker room. He didn’t need to declare anything publicly, but everyone in Ann Arbor understood how he felt. He refers to the Buckeyes simply as ‘Ohio,’ he claims to have never worn red, and he has declared Ohio as one of his main recruiting battlegrounds. In his first 10 months on the job, he has put Michigan in position to make a BCS bowl, secured what is so far one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, and reinvigorated the rivalry.

At this time last year, Michigan was on the eve of yet another beatdown in Columbus while Ohio State was soaring high with an experienced bunch. Now, a year later, the scrip has been flipped. The Jim Tressel saga that led to his dismissal, the loss of Terrell Pryor, and the suspension of five players for the first part of the season has brought down the mighty Buckeyes to the point that Ohio supporters are already making preemptive excuses for a loss on Saturday. They’re already giddy with excitement over the rumored Urban Meyer hiring, which has taken hold of the headlines this week surrounding the game.

But the reality is that while there’s no Big Ten title on the line, this is still a huge game for each team. Michigan has a chance at a BCS at-large bid, which would do wonders for Michigan’s return to national prominence. Ohio will likely get a middling bowl regardless of the outcome, but an eighth straight win over Michigan with a lame duck interim head coach and a freshman quarterback would be just the kind of dagger to the hearts of Michigan fans that would send Columbus into a tither.

While those in Columbus try to downplay the importance, claiming that Michigan is expected to win this one because of the current state of influx in their program, they conveniently forget that they benefited from that very thing the past three years. Now, Michigan has a chance to not only end the losing streak, but to seize control of the rivalry before St. Urban enters the fold.

The players on Ohio State’s roster come into the game expecting to win because that’s all they’ve known, while Michigan’s seniors have never beaten the Buckeyes. OSU quarterback Braxton Miller was in middle school the last time Michigan won, and until the Wolverines can win and put those doubts back in the minds of Buckeye players, Ohio will continue to have the upper hand in the rivalry.

So does Michigan have the upper hand tomorrow? Let’s look at the matchups:

Quarterback:

If Michigan's defense can force Miller to pass, good things will happen (photo by Jay LaPrete, AP)

Head Coach Luke Fickell gave up on the Joe Bauserman experiment after just a couple of games, opting to throw freshman Braxton Miller into the fire. Miller has delighted with his legs but underwhelmed with his arm. He leads the team in rushing with 595 yards and six touchdowns on 128 carries (4.6 yards per carry), having rushed for 100 yards in two of his last three games. But through the air, he has completed just 48.6 percent of his passes for just 76.2 yards per game.

The Bucks rarely throw the ball, and when they do, they don’t complete very many. The most attempts Miller has had all season is 18 against Purdue two weeks ago. He also had 17 last week. Both of those were games in which OSU fell behind 10-0 and was playing catch-up. The most completions he has had in a game is eight against Purdue. He’s most dangerous when he eludes the pass rush and scrambles around waiting for his receivers to work open. He does a good job of keeping his eyes upfield makes defenses pay for overpursuing or failing to bring him down.

Still, while he has shown signs of promise, he’s a true freshman playing in his first Michigan game and it’s in the Big House.

Edge: Michigan

Running Backs:

Dan “Boom” Herron, Jordan Hall, and Carlos Hyde are the go-to backs for the Buckeyes. All three are talented and all three get the ball a lot. Herron was part of the “tat-gate” group that was suspended for the first five games of the season, but he returned with a bang, rushing for 114 yards against Illinois, 160 against Wisconsin, and 141 against Indiana. His production and workload have fallen off in the last two games, but he’s still averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

Hyde, a sophomore, is the team’s second-leading running back with 549 yards and six touchdowns. He’s averaging 5.4 yards per carry and recorded 100-yard games against Nebraska and Indiana. In the last two games, however, he has just eight carries for 36 yards.

Hall split carries with Hyde in the first half of the season, but has just 16 carries for 60 yards in his last three games combined. However, against Purdue, he caught three passes for 59 yards and two touchdowns. At 5’9″ he’s capable of playing the Vincent Smith role of catching screens and picking up chunks of yards.

The Buckeyes are a running football team. Only a handful of teams nationally have more rushing attempts this season, but while they rank 27th in rushing yards per game, they are much lower in yards per attempt at just under 4.5. By comparison, Michigan averages 5.3.

Edge: Michigan

Receivers and Tight Ends:

This is a unit that got a huge facelift last week when DeVier Posey returned from suspension, who instantly gives Miller a true receiving threat. He caught four passes for 66 yards last week against Penn State, one of which was a great one-handed catch on the sideline. In each of the last two seasons, he caught at least 50 passes for over 800 yards, and against Michigan last season he caught five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Aside from Posey, the Bucks lack true playmakers. Freshman Devin Smith is the team’s leading receiver with 11 receptions for 241 yards and four touchdowns, the majority of which came in the first half of the season. The biggest play he will be remembered for is slipping behind the Wisconsin secondary and catching the hail marry to win the game. Including that one, he has three catches since Week 4. Tight end Jake Stoneburner is probably the most dangerous touchdown threat tomorrow. The junior has 13 receptions, seven of which were touchdowns. If the Buckeyes get into the red zone, look for Stoneburner to be the target.

Edge: Michigan

Offensive Line:

Ohio State does have an experienced offensive line with center Mike Brewster and tackle Mike Adams helping to pave the way for the nation’s 27th-best rush offense. The Buckeyes rank 118th in pass offense, but that has less to do with the line as it does with the signal callers. OSU has allowed a lot of sacks – 36 of them to be exact. Some of that has to do with Miller’s scrambling and some has to do with Bauserman’s ineptness early in the season. Michigan State recorded nine sacks against Ohio, but also sacked Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner seven times. Ohio uses mostly a zone blocking scheme, which doesn’t really fit the size of the linemen, but that’s what you get as a result of what has gone on in Columbus in the last 11 months.

OSU will try to rely on freshman Ryan Shazier to slow down Denard

Edge: Even

Defensive Line:

Ohio State’s defense lost seven starters from last year’s team and lost another when defensive end Nathan Williams went down with a knee injury. Junior end John Simon is the leader of the young and inexperienced Buckeye defensive line and he’s a good one. He leads the team in sacks with six and tackles for loss with 13.5. Sophomore tackle Johnathan Hankins and freshman Michael Bennett each have three sacks, while Hankins is second on the team with 10 tackles for loss.

The Buckeyes average two sacks per game, which ranks 49th nationally, and allow 130 rushing yards per game, good for 42nd. In other words, it’s an above-average unit.

Edge: Michigan

Linebackers:

Senior Andrew Sweat and Storm Klein are your typical Ohio State linebackers: tough, smart, and always seem to be in the right position to make plays. Sweat leads the team in tackles with 68 and also has an interception, a forced fumble, and three pass breakups. However, he has been recovering from a concussion and may not play tomorrow. Klein has 41 tackles, a sack, and an interception. But the one that fans are most excited about is freshman Ryan Shazier. He filled in for Sweat last week against Penn State and recorded 15 tackles, and OSU Defensive Coordinator Jim Heacock said Shazier has the size and speed to make plays in space and may spy on Denard.

Edge: Even

Secondary:

Ohio State has a pretty good secondary statistically. The Buckeyes rank 16th nationally in pass defense, allowing 188 yards per game through the air. Corners Travis Howard and Christian Bryant are okay, while safety C.J. Barnett is a playmaker. Howard got picked on by Penn State last week and the Buckeyes gave up 253 passing yards to Wisconsin, 292 to Toledo, and 234 to Purdue. In other words, I think the statistical success of the OSU pass defense is inflated by opposing teams’ ability to run on them.

Edge: Even

Special Teams:

Ohio State does have a good kicker in sophomore Drew Basil who has converted 16-of-19 field goals and 30-of-31 extra points. The lone missed extra point was the one that was blocked at the end of the game against Purdue, sending the game into overtime where OSU eventually lost. His longest field goal is 47 yards and he hasn’t missed from inside 40 all season. Punter Ben Buchanan averages 40 yards per punt and Ohio holds a 37.6-yard net punt average, which is above average. Return-wise, OSU is pretty good, ranking 32nd nationally in punt returns and seventh in kick returns.

Edge: Even

Coaching:

Luke Fickell is probably the unluckiest current head coach in the country. As a promising assistant and co-defensive coordinator, he was likely headed for his shot eventually, but when Jim Tressel was forced out amid the “tat-gate” scandal, Fickell was thrust into the position before he was ultimately ready. That has shown this season from seemingly giving up at the end of a game early in the season to the uncreative offensive scheme, Fickell has just seemed as if he was in over his head. He very well may be a great head coach some day, but he isn’t right now and with the Buckeyes on the verge of hiring Urban Meyer, he’s got to be pretty uncomfortable right about now.

Brady Hoke is looking to beat Ohio in his first season just like Bo did

Contrast that with Michigan’s current position: a “Michigan man” head coach brought in to replace the one the loyalists ran out of Ann Arbor, who brings a true understanding of the the rivalry, the Michigan way, and boasts a 9-2 record. If Michigan wins tomorrow and likely earns a BCS berth, Hoke will be the most popular man in Ann Arbor for a long time to come

Edge: Michigan

Intangibles:

On one hand, you have a team playing at home, hungry to avenge seven straight defeats at the hands of the other. A Michigan win would likely send the Wolverines to the Sugar or Fiesta Bowl, the first BCS bowl since the 2006 season. On the other hand, you have a team with nothing to lose, playing under a lame duck interim head coach, already salivating over his likely replacement, and carrying all the momentum of the rivalry, having won the last seven meetings. It could go either way, right?

If Rich Rodriguez was still the head coach, that would probably be true. But the mentality that Hoke has instilled in his team is one that is tired of hearing about the number of days since it last beat Ohio. It’s hungry to change the tide of the rivalry. And it’s one that is playing its best football of the season right here and now. Michigan won’t play tight like it did the last three years. It will play confident because of the man at the helm.

Edge: Michigan

Prediction:

Years ago it was always near impossible to predict the outcome of the Michigan-Ohio State game. Whether one team was ranked higher or one team was having a down season didn’t matter. You could always throw out the records when the two squared off in late November. In the past few years, however, we Michigan fans have tried to rationalize ways in which we thought Michigan could pull off the upset against the decidedly better team. But the reality was Ohio had the upper hand in the rivalry because it had the better team. Michigan had gotten away from Michigan football and what made the rivalry great.

What a difference a year makes. At this time last season, prospects looked bleak. Michigan was about to fire Rich Rodriguez and Ohio State was cruising into yet another BCS bowl with a hotshot quarterback promising to return for his senior year, and plenty of talent around him returning as well. Now, the mastermind that figured out the secrets of success is in Indianapolis watching replays, the hotshot is riding the pine in Oakland, his replacement is an up-and-coming star but still a freshman, and everyone in Columbus is begging Urban Meyer to become their savior.

Frankly, Michigan is the better team right now and is in a much better spot with its program. The Wolverines are riding high off of decisive wins over Illinois and Nebraska, while Ohio is reeling after losses to Purdue and Penn State. The once formidable Buckeye defense is giving up early leads and the offense couldn’t get a waterwheel spinning in a monsoon.

In the last two weeks, Michigan has scored early. Against Illinois, Michigan marched the opening drive down the field for a touchdown. Against Nebraska, the first drive yielded a punt, but after forcing a Nebraska punt, Michigan marched down for a touchdown. Ohio State is already down and out having lost its last two, and having dug itself a 10-0 hole in each of the last three, so Michigan should take the ball first if it wins the toss. Driving right down the field for a score to open the game would send a message early.

From there, Michigan needs to stop Braxton Miller. The Wolverine defense did a phenomenal job against Nathan Scheelhaase and Taylor Martinez the last two weeks, so there’s no reason it can’t handle Miller. He’s probably more elusive than both of them, but the Michigan front seven needs to make sure to contain him. As mentioned above, he’s at his best not on designed runs, but when he breaks containment and scrambles around. At that point, he keeps his eyes upfield for an open receiver or he picks up a big gain on the ground. Ryan Van Bergen and Craig Roh need to keep him from getting out on the edge, and I think Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison will dial up some aggressive blitz schemes from the linebackers to keep him off balance and force him to make quick decisions. He’s always a run-first checkdown if he’s forced into a quick decision, Michigan’s safeties can come up and make the tackle.

Offensively, expect a lot more of what we saw last week. Michigan has to force Ohio State to prove it can stop Fitz Toussaint. The Buckeyes had trouble with Penn State’s duo of Stephfon Green and Silas Redd last week. Toussaint has the ability to pull off a couple of big runs in this one. Also look for a couple of new looks we haven’t seen before. I’m not talking about some of the gimmicks that were tried in the middle of the season, but some special packages that were saved specifically for Ohio State.

I think it’s important to get off to a fast start. Ohio State has the momentum in the rivalry, but not the current momentum. A couple of scores early on would demoralize the Buckeyes, but letting them hang around would only build their confidence.

Michigan will come in prepared, hungry, and ready for business and will send the Buckeyes home with a .500 record. Toussaint will rush for 120 yards and Denard will break a big run.

Michigan 35 – Ohio 17

Good to Know:

Michigan holds the all-time series lead 57-44-6 (just in case you forgot). In games played after Thanksgiving, the teams are tied 8-8-1.

Michigan’s defense ranks 2nd in the Big Ten and 6th nationally in points allowed (15.6).

Michigan’s defense has forced 26 turnovers, which ranks first in the Big Ten and 11th nationally.

Michigan’s defense -ranks second in the nation in red zone defense (66 percent).

Michigan has outscored opponents 298-109 after the first quarter and 190-77 in the second half.

Michigan ranks second in the Big Ten and fifth in the nation in fewest penalties committed (46).

Michigan has 21 players, including six starters, from the state of Ohio. Head Coach Brady Hoke is also from Ohio.

Record Watch:

With 10 pass completions, Denard Robinson will pass Steve Smith (1980-83) for 8th in career completions. With 2 passing touchdowns, Denard Robinson will tie Todd Collins (1991-94) for 6th place on Michigan’s career list. With a 100-yard passing game, Denard will tie Tom Brady (1996-99) for 6th in career 100-yard passing games. With 214 passing yards, Denard will pass Steve Smith (1980-83) for 7th in career passing yards. With 27 rushing yards, Denard will pass Billy Taylor (1969-71) for 8th on Michigan’s career rushing list With 1 rushing touchdown, Denard will move into a tie with Rick Leach (1975-78) for 5th place in career rushing touchdowns With 109 rushing yards, Fitz Toussaint will break 1,000 yards rushing on the season.

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan. For a full rundown of our rivals’ games, see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, and Week 10.

Previously on Rival Rewind, we saw Ohio State lose to Purdue in overtime. Last week, Penn State came calling in its first road game after the Jerry Sandusky allegations rocked Happy Valley. With the Big Ten Leaders Division title still in reach – albeit a longshot – and the big game against Michigan a week away, was Ohio able to focus on the task at hand and beat Penn State?

Ohio State: Lost to #21 Penn State 14-20 Record: 6-5 (3-4) Penn State traveled to Columbus for its first road trip without Joe Paterno at the helm in 46 years and came away victorious with a 20-14 win over Ohio State to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten Leaders Division. For the third straight week, Ohio State dug itself a 10-0 hole. Penn State got the ball to start the game and drove 80 yards on five plays, capped off by a 39-yard touchdown run by Stephfon Green. Ohio State started a promising drive which included a 39-yard pass to DeVier Posey, in his first game back from suspension, but a fumble by Braxton Miller took the Buckeyes out of field goal position and they had to settle for a punt. Penn State took advantage, mounting a 15-play, 54-yard scoring drive. Anthony Fera kicked a 43-yard field goal to put the Nittany Lions ahead 10-0. Ohio State answered with a 10-play, 77-yard drive of its own, capped by a 24-yard Miller touchdown run to pull within three, but Penn State came right back with a four-yard Green touchdown run. That score was set up by a 42-yard run by Silas Redd to the OSU 36 and a 20-yard pass from Matt McGloin to Derek Moye into the red zone. DeVier Posey made his return from suspension - tats and all - with four catches for 66 yards (photo by Al Behrman, AP) On Penn State’s next possession, Ohio’s Orhian Johnson picked it off and gave the Bucks the ball in PSU territory. Ohio State took advantage with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Miller to tight end Jake Stoneburner. Penn State closed out the half with a 46-yard Fera field goal to widen the lead to 20-14. Neither team could score in the second half and Penn State sent the Buckeye seniors home sad on senior day. Miller connected on 7-of-17 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. He also led the Buckeyes in rushing with 18 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown. Posey caught four passes for 66 yards, while Dan Herron rushed for 76 yards on 18 carries. What was most surprising was the ease of which Penn State was able to move the ball on the Buckeyes defense in the first half. Penn State had the nation’s 102nd-ranked total offense heading into the game having scored just 24 total points in its previous two games against Illinois and Nebraska. The Nittany Lions racked up 239 yards rushing against the Buckeyes, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Ohio State’s defense has gotten progressively worse as the season has gone on. What started out as the team’s strength has now given up an average of nearly 24 points per game over the last four – against Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue, and Penn State – not exactly the class of the Big Ten as far as offense is concerned, with the exception of Wisconsin. In each of those games, Ohio State has given up at least 327 yards of offense, but it hasn’t always been the same way. Wisconsin did it through the air, throwing for 253 yards. Penn State did it on the ground with 239 rushing yards. Indiana and Purdue used a balanced attack. Offensively, Ohio State is flat out struggling. The return of Posey certainly helps, but Michigan Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison should be able to draw up a game plan to force Miller to rely on his arm rather than his legs in much the same way he did to Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez last week. Next: The Game, Saturday v. #15 Michigan (9-2, 5-2) – 12pm on ABC Prediction: Coming Friday

Congratulations to our 10th different winner in 11 weeks, bluwolf77. He was skeptical of Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead (or the most confident in Michigan’s defense), predicting just 135 total rushing yards between the two. In reality, they combined for just 85. Tooty_pops was actually the closest to getting that one right, predicting 117. Bluwolf77 was also just 12 off Michigan’s total rushing yards (238), two away from the longest pass reception (54 yards), and 1.5 points away from Denard’s completion percentage (61 percent).

Goobot was the closest to Denard’s completion percentage, just one point away, while Jim Mackiewicz was just one yard away from the longest pass completion and former winner bomoho was just three yards away from correctly predicting Michigan’s rushing yards.

With one week left in the regular season, several contestants are still within reach of the overall title. Umichfan1 is still in the lead, but two-time winner Hazel Parker is making a late charge and chris12qb and myrick55 are close behind. Please note that we will be running a Michigan Man 5-Spot Challenge for the bowl game, so the challenge is not over after the Ohio game.

This week, nothing more needs to be said…but I’ll say it anyway. It’s Beat Ohio week and we all know the importance. A potential share of the Big Ten Legends Division title, a possible BCS bowl game, and of course, beating that team down south. With so much at stake, we’re going all out this week. Ten questions instead of the usual five. It’s time to separate the contenders from the pretenders, so good luck.

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan. For a full rundown of our rivals’ games, see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, and Week 9.

Now that Michigan has already played Notre Dame and Michigan State, we don’t care about those teams. The weekly Rival Rewind segment is going to transition into a sole focus on the lone rival remaining: Ohio State. It will provide a more in-depth look at each Ohio game and preview its upcoming game.

Previously on Rival Rewind, we saw Ohio State struggle for three-plus quarters against Big Ten bottom-feeder Indiana before ultimately winning. It looked as if everything was falling right into Ohio State’s lap in the Leaders Division, with Purdue on the slate next, Penn State at home, and then Michigan to end the season. So were the Bucks’ able to capitalize?

Ohio State: Lost to Purdue 23-26 in OT Record: 6-4 (3-3) With a perfect chance to grab control of the Big Ten Leaders Division due to Penn State’s loss to Nebraska, Ohio State squandered any chance of advancing to the first ever Big Ten Championship game by losing to Purdue last Saturday. Purdue has gotten trounced by Notre Dame, Michigan and Wisconsin this season, scoring 26 or more points just twice all season, against Middle Tennessee and FCS Southeast Missouri State – teams with a combined record of 5-14. But on Saturday, Purdue looked like the better team for 55 minutes against the once proud Buckeyes. Ohio State’s offense has become increasingly one-dimensional and Buckeye fans have been criticizing offensive coordinator Jim Bollman all season. The first quarter possessions went like this: First drive: Herron rush 2 yards, Herron rush 4 yards, Miller pass incomplete, punt Second drive: Herron loss 2 yards, Miller rush 1 yard, Miller rush no gain, punt Third drive: Herron rush 7 yards, Herron rush no gain, Miller sack, punt Through the first quarter, Ohio State ran 9 plays for 11 yards. During that time, Purdue capitalized with a 10-play, 57-yard field goal drive and a 11-play, 60-yard touchdown drive to take a 10-0 lead. Ohio State finally came to life in the second quarter with a touchdown drive of its own, capped off by a 38-yard pass from Miller to Jordan Hall on 3rd-and-10. After trading punts, Purdue struck again, this time going 88 yards on 13 plays to take a halftime lead of 17-7. In the second half, Ohio State forced a punt and drove 58 yards for another touchdown, this time a 6-yard Braxton Miller run. On the drive, the Buckeyes didn’t throw a single pass, running eight times. After a punt fest the rest of the third quarter, Purdue widened the lead to 20-14 with a 44-yard field goal just minutes into the fourth. With 6:15 to play, Ohio State began a drive from its own 34. Using a healthy dose of Herron and Hall, with a 12-yard pass sprinkled in, the Bucks drove down to the Purdue 13. Facing 4th-and-3, Miller scrambled around, escaping a sack and found a wide open Hall in the end zone. Ohio kicker Drew Basil missed a 33-yard field goal in overtime (photo by Joe Robbins, Getty Images) With just under a minute remaining, it seemed as if OSU was going to escape with another win in the final minutes. But Purdue blocked the extra point to keep the game knotted at 20 and send it to overtime. In the first stanza, Ohio State was held to a field goal attempt, which Drew Basil missed from 33 yards out. Purdue took over needing just a field goal, but converted a 3rd-and-4 and a 3rd-and-12 before quarterback Robert Marve carried it in from a yard out to give Purdue the upset. It was the second straight time Purdue upset the Buckeyes in West Lafayette and makes it nearly impossible for Ohio State to win the Leaders Division. To do so, they would have to beat Penn State and Michigan, Wisconsin would have to lose to Illinois, and Penn State would have to lose to Wisconsin. It’s not completely out of the question, but it’s very unlikely. Ohio State is such a strange team this year. At times (against Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Illinois), the defense looks as good as nearly any defense in the nation. At other times (against Toledo, Miami, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Purdue), it looks like an average Big Ten defense at best. The offense is essentially just a rushing offense, but it seems to work best when Miller scrambles around long enough for running backs or receivers to become open. That’s how nearly all of Miller’s completions happen. When he actually drops back to pass, there’s a good chance of something bad happening for the Buckeyes, which is why he virtually never does. Against Purdue, he threw 18 passes, but many of those were broken plays. The more the season goes on, the more I like Michigan’s defense to match up. With the emergence of Blake Countess, as well as J.T. Floyd stepping up and Troy Woolfolk’s move to safety, Michigan has the corners to match up with Ohio State’s receivers. That allows the rest of the defense to focus on stopping the run. Granted, Ohio State is supposed to get talented receiver DeVier Posey back next week, so it’s yet to be seen how that will change the complexion of the offense. This week, Ohio State hosts Penn State, which is coming off a heart-wrenching loss to Nebraska in the first game since the Jerry Sandusky scandal. If that was rough for the Nittany Lions, at least they had the comfort of the home crowd. This week will be their first road trip without Joe Paterno in 62 years, which will surely have an effect. I don’t see Penn State winning another game and Ohio State should cruise in this one. Next: Saturday v. #21 Penn State (8-2, 5-1) – 3:30pm on ESPN/ABC Prediction: Ohio 30 – Penn State 17 Anytime Purdue beats Ohio, the season is made (photo by Michael Conroy, AP)

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan. For a full rundown of our rivals’ games, see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8.

Now that Michigan has already played Notre Dame and Michigan State, we don’t care about those teams. The weekly Rival Rewind segment is going to transition into a sole focus on the lone rival remaining: Ohio State. It will provide a more in-depth look at each Ohio game and preview its upcoming game.

Previously on Rival Rewind, we saw Ohio State follow up its win over then-No.16 Illinois with an upset of 15th-ranked Wisconsin. While Illinois appears to have been an early season mirage, the win over Wisconsin showed the Buckeyes are for real and steadily improving as the season progresses. This past weekend, Indiana limped into Columbus without a single FBS or Big Ten win on the season. Easy, right? Well, as Lee Corso likes to say, not so fast my friend.

Ohio State: Beat Indiana 34-20 Record: 6-3 (3-2) Ohio State entered the Indiana game perhaps too overconfident after upsetting Illinois and Wisconsin in back-to-back weeks and it almost paid the price. Instead, the Buckeyes walked away with a narrow victory over the Big Ten’s bottom-feeder. Indiana was driving to tie the game with just just over four minutes to play, but Ohio State defensive back Travis Howard picked it off at the OSU 28-yard line and a few plays later Carlos Hyde scored to put the game away. It was a back-and-forth game throughout, as Indiana jumped ahead 10-0 on its first two possessions of the game. Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller brought the Bucks within three with an 81-yard scamper to end the first quarter 10-7 Indiana. The true freshman completed just 5-of-11 passes for 55 yards and an interception, but the passing game wasn’t really needed as he was one of three Buckeyes to rush for over 100 yards, compiling 105 yards on 14 carries. In the second quarter, a pair of OSU field goals and one by Indiana sent the two teams into the locker rooms tied at 13. Ohio State took the lead early in the third on a 15-yard Dan Herron touchdown run, but Indiana would not go away. Freshman quarterback Tre Roberson connected with Kofi Hughes on a 34-yard scoring strike to tie the game at 20. At the end of the third, facing a 3rd-and-20, Miller took off up the middle, untouched into the end zone for what was ultimately the winning touchdown. Indiana’s comeback attempt fell short when it missed a 40-yard field goal and then threw the interception at the OSU 28. Ohio State's defense gave up 333 yards and 20 points to the 1-8 Hoosiers (photo by Jamie Sabau, Getty Images) It was an impressive rushing performance by Ohio State as three Buckeyes topped 100 yards, including Herron’s 141 on 14 carries, Hyde’s 105 on 15 carries, and Miller’s 105 on 14. It was the first time that has happened since a 1989 game against Northwestern. Altogether, Ohio State tallied 346 yards rushing on 46 attempts. What wasn’t impressive, however, was Ohio State’s defense which has been its strength all season. Indiana, which has just one win this season – over FCS South Carolina State – moved the ball fairly well, gaining 333 total yards, converted 10-of-17 third downs, and turned the ball over just once. With just three games remaining, it’s clear what interim head coach Luke Fickell wants to do – run the football. Since Herron returned against Illinois, Ohio State has thrown the ball just 27 times in three games, an average of nine per game, and rushed 155 times for 825 yards, averaging 275 per game. Fortunately for Ohio State, Purdue is up next, in West Lafayette. The Boilers limp in at 4-5 (2-3 in the Big Ten), fresh off back-to-back losses to Michigan and Wisconsin. Their only conference wins are over Illinois and Minnesota, and out of conference, the Boilers beat Middle Tennessee and FCS Southeast Missouri State. With Michigan’s loss to Iowa on Saturday, the Wolverines remain a long shot to win the Legends Division, but Ohio State is still very much in the thick of the Leaders Division race. The Bucks need to win out – beating Purdue, Penn State, and Michigan – and need Penn State to lose one of its remaining games – very likely against Wisconsin and Nebraska, and especially considering the sex abuse scandal and Joe Paterno’s announced end-of-season retirement swirling around Happy Valley this week. We could very well be looking at Michigan’s chance to play spoiler on Nov. 26. Next: Saturday at Purdue (4-5, 2-3) – 12pm on Big Ten Network Prediction: Ohio 35 – Purdue 17 Braxton Miller has Buckeye fans eyeing the Big Ten title game (photo by Jamie Sabau, Getty Images)

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan. For a full rundown of our rivals’ games, see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7.

Now that Michigan has already played Notre Dame and Michigan State, we don’t care about those teams. The weekly Rival Rewind segment is going to transition into a sole focus on the lone rival remaining: Ohio State. It will provide a more in-depth look at each Ohio game and preview its upcoming game.

In its previous game, Ohio State entered its bye week with an energizing 17-7 victory over then-No. 16 Illinois, ending a two game skid, and pushing the Buckeyes’ record above .500. This past weekend, the Buckeyes hosted the 15th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers who were fresh off a stinging defeat at the hands of Michigan State. Were the Bucks able to stay hot?

Ohio State: Beat #15 Wisconsin 33-29 Record: 5-3 (2-2) Ohio State continued its upward climb this past weekend, knocking off 15th-ranked Wisconsin 33-29 in the Horseshoe. The game started off slow, looking like a classic defensive battle, as Wisconsin took a 7-3 lead into the half. But in the second half, the floodgates opened and Ohio State’s anemic offense suddenly looked like it had never missed a beat. Braxton Miller scored a one-yard touchdown run to put the Bucks ahead 10-7 just three minutes into the half. The touchdown was set up by a 57-yard romp and a 18-yard run by Dan Herron. Ohio State forced Wisconsin into a punt situation and blocked the punt, giving the Bucks possession at the Wisconsin 1-yard line. Three plays later, Jordan Hall punched it in to widen the lead to 17-7. Wisconsin punted again, but Hall fumbled the punt and Wisconsin recovered at the OSU 27-yard line. Wisconsin’s Montee Ball carried it in to pull the deficit to three. Ohio State tacked on a field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter and Wisconsin was stopped on 4th-and-2 from the Ohio State 38 with just over eight minutes remaining. Six plays later (all runs), Miller took it in to put Ohio State ahead 26-14. The two-point conversion attempt failed. Wisconsin wasn’t finished, however, scoring on just four plays, set up by Ball’s 40-yard run to the OSU 17. Russell Wilson connected with Jared Abbrederis to pull the Badgers within five at 26-21. Ohio State was forced to punt and Wisconsin used two timeouts to get the ball back with 2:36 remaining. Once again, it took just four plays as Wilson and Abbrederis hooked up again, this time for a 49-yard touchdown to shock Columbus. The two-point conversion was good and suddenly, Wisconsin had a 29-26 lead with 1:18 to play. Fans in Columbus celebrated a win over 15th-ranked Wisconsin like it was 2002 (photo by Kirk Irwin, Getty Images) Ohio State got a good kick return and moved the ball to the Wisconsin 40-yard line with less than a minute to play. Needing only a field goal to force overtime, Miller took the snap, flushed to his right towards the line of scrimmage and the sideline and let loose a bomb across his body toward the end zone. Those watching on TV couldn’t see the wide open Devin Smith behind the Wisconsin secondary and immediately assumed interception, but as the TV cameras panned to the left, the ball floated into Smith’s arms and set off bedlam in the ‘Shoe. Wisconsin’s last-second prayer fell short and Buckeye fans stormed the field, for at least a night of forgetting all about the problems that have plagued the program for nearly the past year, and are still to come when the NCAA hands down its sanctions. Right now, it seems as if this Buckeye team is coming together. Everybody knew Ohio State’s defense was a force to be reckoned with this season, but the offense was struggling to move the ball with Joe Bauserman under center. When interim head coach Luke Fickell decided to switch to Miller, the true freshman, it signaled a turn to the future. But it was much more than switching between Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan. While still young and inexperienced, Miller is a playmaker and a threat with his legs as much as his arm. He’s still erratic at times but as the broadcasters kept saying during the telecast, he keeps his eyes downfield while running, allowing him to find open receivers as the play breaks down. And that’s what makes him dangerous. The scary thing is the Ohio State offense is just going to keep getting better. Offensive tackle Mike Adams returned a couple weeks ago, as did running back Herron. Three weeks from now (barring any further penalty) receiver DeVier Posey will return to give a shot to the arm of the passing game, and with every passing week, Miller will continue to gain confidence. Ohio State has the fortune of playing Indiana and Purdue the next two weeks to likely push its record to 7-3 before returning home to host Penn State and then traveling to Ann Arbor for The Game. To be honest, Ohio State winning the past couple of weeks and reenergizing the fan base is a good thing. For one, it keeps the Buckeyes in the thick of the Big Ten race, and as long as Michigan keeps winning, could set up a showdown with major implications on Nov. 26. For the first half of the season, it appeared The Game wouldn’t be a major factor in the Big Ten race. Secondly, with Ohio State at a likely 8-3 or, at worst, 7-4 heading into The Game, it will be that much sweeter when Michigan turns the tide of the rivalry. Beating a downtrodden program, like OSU has done to us the past three years, will just inspire excuses from down south. Beating a team on a five-game winning streak with a spot in the Big Ten Championship game on the line is the kind of thing that shaped the rivalry over the past 100-plus years. This week, Ohio State hosts Indiana at noon on the Big Ten Network, the same time as the Michigan game, which means none of us will be watching. Not that we need to. Indiana comes in at 1-8 (0-5 in the Big Ten) and ranks 114th out of 120 FBS teams in scoring defense, giving up 36.2 points per game. The Hoosiers haven’t beaten an FBS team yet (the only win was against FCS South Carolina State), so don’t expect to see anything worthwhile in Columbus this weekend. Next: Saturday v. Indiana (1-8, 0-5) – 12pm on Big Ten Network Prediction: Ohio 46 – Indiana 10 Devin Smith catches the game-winning catch with 20 seconds to play as Ohio State upset #15 Wisconsin (photo by Jay LaPrete, AP)

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan. For a full rundown of our rivals’ games, see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6.

Now that Michigan has already played Notre Dame and Michigan State, we don’t care about those teams. The weekly Rival Rewind segment is going to transition into a sole focus on the lone rival remaining: Ohio State. It will provide a more in-depth look at each Ohio game and preview its upcoming game. Coming out of the bye week, this week’s recap/preview will be a little light, but will intensify the rest of the season leading up to the big late-November matchup.

Ohio State: Beat #16 Illinois 17-7 Record: 4-3 (1-2) Just like Michigan, Ohio State enjoyed a bye week this past weekend, allowing for the chance to work on certain things and get healthy for the remainder of the season. Unlike Michigan, the Buckeyes went into the bye week fresh off a big win. Ohio State upset previously unbeaten and 16th-ranked Illinois 17-7 in Champagne. The Bucks’ defense has been solid all season, holding Michigan State to just 10 points and ranking 12th in the nation in points against. But this game, the offense finally came alive just enough to get the win, thanks in large part to the return of suspended running back Dan “Boom” Herron. Ohio State threw the ball just four times the entire game (completing one) but rushed for 211 yards behind Herron’s 114 and ground out the win. The Buckeye defense held Illinois to 165 yards and 24 points below its season average while forcing three turnovers. Two of those turnovers led to Buckeye touchdowns. A fumble gave Ohio State the ball on the Illini 37-yard line, while an interception was returned to the Illini 12. Both turned into Ohio State’s two touchdowns. So is Ohio State really showing improvement, or is Illinois just worse than it appeared through the first six weeks of the season? It’s probably a little of both, but this was much more of a defensive win for Ohio State than a major offensive improvement. Herron certainly helps, as does left tackle Mike Adams, who was also suspended for the first five games. The two at least give freshman quarterback Braxton Miller experienced and talented weapons that he lacked at the beginning of the season. However, this is still far from a potent offense. Ohio State will live and die with its defense this season. This week, Ohio State hosts #15 Wisconsin in what will be a great measuring stick for both teams. Wisconsin suffered an agonizing defeat on a last-second hail marry at Michigan State last week and will be hungry to bounce back. Ohio State gets a chance to build on its momentum and capture a season-defining victory. As good as the Buckeye defense is, it will have a hard time slowing down Russell Wilson and Wisconsin like MSU did last week. Offensively, OSU will struggle to move the ball against a stout Badger defense that still allowed just 109 rushing yards in last week’s loss. Michigan fans: pay close attention to Dan Herron to see if he’s able to have another big game against another good defense. Also watch closely at how Miller handles one of the nation’s top defenses when he’ll likely be forced to put the ball in the air more than just four times. Next: Saturday v. #15 Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1) – 8pm on ESPN Prediction: Wisconsin 24 – Ohio 10 Boom Herron's return shot some life into OSU's offense (photo by Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

It’s no secret that Denard Robinson had a bad game against Michigan State on Saturday or that his passing has not shown much improvement since last season. He went 9-for-24 last Saturday, lowering his season completion rate to 53.9 percent, and threw an interception to raise his season total to a nation-leading 11. Michigan fans across the spectrum are clamoring for Devin Gardner to replace him. So why is this guy still the starting quarterback at Michigan?

Denard already ranks in the top 10 in every passing and rushing category (photo by the Ann Arbor News)

The answer, in short, is because by the time he hangs up his jersey for the last time, Denard will be one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever don the maize and blue. You may scoff at that claim, given the number of signal-callers Michigan has sent to the NFL, but it depends on what your definition of quarterback is.

Is he the best pure, NFL-ready quarterback? No. There are probably a dozen Michigan alums that were better true pro-style quarterbacks. But college football is chalk full of effective quarterbacks who aren’t NFL-style QBs. Denard is one of the best, and the same can be said for his place in the history of college football’s all-time winningest program.

Don’t agree? Look at the numbers. He’s a year-and-a-half into his career as a starter and he already ranks in the top 10 in nearly every major offensive category, both passing and rushing.

Michigan has fielded 132 teams since the football program began in 1879. It has a history as rich as any school in the country. There have been some phenomenal players to take the field, but none have the statistical resume Robinson will have when he graduates.

Putting stats aside for a minute, the main metrics in which any player is judged – and rightfully so – are winning games, winning championships, and beating rivals. Right now, Denard trails in all three, but he’s not as far behind the greats as one would think.

He has a current record of 13-7 as a starting quarterback through his first 20 games. By contrast, Chad Henne and John Navarre were each 14-6, and Tom Brady and Elvis Grbac were 15-5. Brian Griese was 16-4 thanks to the national championship season of 1997, and Jim Harbaugh was 16-3-1. As you can see, Denard’s not far behind the recent greats in the win category. However, judging a quarterback by winning games alone is somewhat misleading unless you look at the talent he has around him.

Henne had probably the best crop of playmakers of any Michigan quarterback, with Braylon Edwards, Steve Breaston, Mario Manningham, and Adrian Arrington to throw to, Mike Hart to hand off to, and an NFL No. 1 overall pick, Jake Long, protecting him. Navarre had David Terrelle and Marquise Walker to throw to and Anthony Thomas and Chris Perry to hand off to. Griese had Amani Toomer, Tim Biakabatuka, Tai Streets, an NFL offensive line, and one of the greatest defenses of all time. Grbac had Desmond Howard, Derrick Alexander, and Ricky Powers.

Denard has some talent around him, but right now it pales in comparison to what Henne, Navarre, Griese, and Grbac had. Every single one of those above played or are playing in the NFL. How many of Denard’s current supporting cast will make it to the league?

Chad Henne is Michigan's career leader in all major passing categories, but had a losing record against rivals (photo by the Ann Arbor News)

Now that we’ve established that Denard is right on pace in the win category, lets move on to winning championships. If we’re talking national championships, then only Brian Griese can count in the modern era. We would have to go all the way back to Pete Elliott in 1948 to find the last Michigan quarterback to lay claim to that.

If we’re talking Big Ten championships, then Denard has some work to do. Henne started four years but won just one Big Ten title. Denard still has a chance –albeit slight – to achieve that this season. He also has a year left. Brady, Griese, and Harbaugh each also won one. Navarre won two, although one was in 2000 when he started just four games and split time with Drew Henson.

How about beating rivals? This has a chance to be Denard’s strongest comparison but just like winning games, this takes help. He has beaten Notre Dame both times he’s faced them – and did it almost singlehandedly each time. He’s lost twice to Michigan State and is 0-1 against Ohio State with a chance to even that record at the end of November. That would pull him to 3-3 against rivals, and with a sweep in 2012, he could get to 6-3. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Since he will play nine career rivalry games, barring injury, he’ll either finish with a winning or losing record in those games.

Henne went 5-6 (4-0 against Michigan State, 1-2 against Notre Dame, but 0-4 against Ohio State). Navarre went 4-4 (2-1 against Michigan State, 1-1 against Notre Dame, and 1-2 against Ohio State). Griese was 4-1 (2-0 against Ohio State, 1-0 against Notre Dame, and 0-1 against Michigan State). Grbac was 5-2-1 (2-0 against Ohio State, 2-1 against Michigan State, and 1-2-1 against Notre Dame). Harbaugh went 6-1 (2-0 against both Ohio State and Notre Dame, and 2-1 against Michigan State).

So by that measure, Harbaugh, Grbac, and Griese lead, but again, Denard still has a chance to achieve a winning record, which Henne and Navarre couldn’t. Only Henne had a losing record, so Denard will have to avoid doing that.

Stats-wise, Denard currently ranks 9th in career completions (272), 10th in passing yards (4,011), 9th in touchdown passes (31), 9th in 100-yard passing games (14), and 6th in 200-yard passing games (9). He also has the second-best single-game completion percentage, with his 86.3 percent performance against UConn last season, he currently ranks 5th in career completion percentage (59.9), just ahead of Henne, and 4th in career efficiency rating (145.9), ahead of both Henne and Brady. Last season’s 2,570 passing yards was the 7th-best season total in Michigan history.

By the time his career is over, Denard should conceivably rank third or fourth in every major passing category, behind only Henne and Navarre.

Rushing-wise, he’s like no other Michigan has seen. Michigan has had some agile quarterbacks, but none put up anywhere close to the rushing numbers he has so far, partially because they all had solid running backs alongside them. Denard is already second in Big Ten history for quarterback rushing yards, trailing only Illinois’ Juice Williams, and he’s just 1,080 away from passing Williams.

He currently ranks 10th in Michigan career rushing yards (2,815) and career rushing touchdowns (28). Those numbers are for any Michigan player, not just quarterbacks. He also has the highest career yards-per carry average (6.49), the 4th-best single season yardage total (1,702), and the 5th-best single game total (258). Last week, he passed Tim Biakabatuka in yards. By the time his career is over, he’ll likely rank in the top four in yards and top two or three in touchdowns.

So buckle up Michigan fans, because right now we’re witnessing one of the most prolific Michigan quarterbacks of all time, whether you like his style or not. After he graduates, Michigan will likely go back to the NFL-style signal-caller, and years from now, we’ll all look back with reverence at the Michigan legend that was Denard Robinson. Let’s put to rest the calls for Gardner.

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan. For a full rundown of our rivals’ games, see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5.

Last week we saw this week’s opponent, Michigan State, shut down Ohio State on the road, while Notre Dame blew out an overmatched Purdue squad in West Lafayette.

The Irish and Buckeyes are going in opposite directions. Notre Dame has rebounded from two losses to start the season, while Ohio State can’t find its offense with Joe Bauserman at the helm and has turned to relying on freshman Braxton Miller.

Michigan State, meanwhile, is chugging along after falling to Notre Dame in Week 3, and heads into this week’s matchup fresh off a bye week. So how did the teams far on Saturday?

Ohio State: Lost to #14 Nebraska 27-34 Record: 3-3 For three quarters it looked as if Ohio State had risen from the dead and was poised to continue Nebraska’s rude Big Ten awakening. But when Miller went down in the third with a sprained ankle after guiding the Buckeyes to a 27-6 lead, Bauserman came in and erased any hope OSU had of returning home above .500. Miller wasn’t outstanding – he completed 5-of-8 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 91 yards on 10 carries – but he wasn’t awful like Bauserman either. The Husker comeback started when Miller fumbled, allowing Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez to score the Big Red’s first touchdown of the day. There was no looking back from there as Martinez threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Quincy Enunwa and a 30-yarder to Rex Burkhead to tie the game. Ohio State punted it back to Nebraska and Burkhead ran for the winning score a few plays later. Bauserman assured himself a big fat spot on the bench the rest of the season with a 1-for-10 performance for just 13 yards and an interception. Miller’s just a freshman and prone to making mistakes, but he at least gives Ohio State a viable run/pass threat on the reins. If he’s not able to go due to injury, Ohio State is as good as dead. One thing Michigan fans can take away from this one is Ohio State exposed Nebraska’s defense much like Wisconsin did a week prior. The Buckeyes rushed for 243 yards on 5.9 yards per carry. That bodes well for Michigan when the Huskers come to town in mid-November. Next: Saturday at #16 Illinois (6-0, 2-0) – 3:30pm on ABC Prediction: Illinois 31 – Ohio 17 A dejected Luke Fickell leaves the field after blowing a 21-point third quarter lead (photo by Nati Harnik, AP)

Michigan State: Bye Record: 4-1 (1-0) Michigan State got a week off to prepare for this Saturday’s battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. With Mark Dantonio in East Lansing, MSU is 1-1 after the bye week, narrowly beating Purdue 35-31 last season, and falling to Penn State 49-14 in 2008. Next: Saturday v. #11 Michigan (6-0, 2-0) Prediction: Check back for my game preview on Friday morning

Notre Dame: Beat Air Force 59-33 Record: 4-2 Notre Dame exhibited probably its best offensive performance of the season on Saturday with a 59-33 win over Air Force. The Irish stormed out of the gates to a 35-9 lead and led 42-16 at the half thanks to four Tommy Rees touchdown passes. ND flashed near perfect offensive balance with 294 passing yards on 36 attempts and 266 rushing yards on 29 attempts. Rees finished 23-of-32 for 261 yards and three touchdowns. Most importantly, he didn’t commit a turnover that plagued him at the beginning of the season. Andrew Hendrix led the Irish in rushing with six carries for 111 yards, while Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood split the rest with 69 and 66 yards, respectively. Gray scored a pair of touchdowns and Wood scored one. Notre Dame’s defense, which completely shut down Purdue a week earlier, was the sore spot, giving up 565 total yards including 363 on the ground. Much of that was in garbage time late in the fourth quarter, however, as Air Fore scored two touchdowns in the final four-and-a-half minutes. Notre Dame is blossoming into the team it was projected to be at the start of the season. With a fairly soft schedule remaining, it’s likely to have just one or two more tough games. USC is entirely beatable two weeks from now, while Navy will give the Irish a test the following week and a visit to Stanford is the least winnable game left. As hard as it is to do so, Michigan fans should root for the Irish to win out and move its way into the polls. It will only help Michigan’s BCS standings the rest of the season, especially if Michigan beats Michigan State this Saturday, who Notre Dame beat convincingly. Next: Saturday v. Air Force (3-1) – 3:30pm on NBC Prediction: Notre Dame 34 – Air Force 24 Notre Dame is feeling the love after four straight wins (photo by Michael Conroy, AP)