The Game: 5 reasons Michigan can beat Ohio State
Michigan is again a decided underdog in The Game, but that didn't stop the Wolverines from winning in upset fashion last year.
No. 15 Michigan (9-1, 7-1 Big Ten) will play host to bitter rival and No. 1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0) at noon on Saturday from Michigan Stadium in the annual season-ending showdown, and the stakes are ample.
Materially, with respect to this season, the Buckeyes are gunning to stay on track and nab a No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, getting a bye before kicking off a national title defense. The Wolverines, with a win, could jump into the College Football Playoff field as an at-large and could back into the Big Ten title game with some help from the likes of Washington and Purdue against Oregon and Indiana, respectively.
And on the heels of four-straight Michigan wins, including last year’s stunning upset result for the Wolverines in Columbus, Ohio State and Ryan Day are yearning for a win while UM head coach Sherrone Moore is calling on Michigan faithful to make the Big House a fortress.
“Be the loudest, most ravenous, craziest, energetic environment than we’ve had in Michigan Stadium ever,” Moore said. “That’s what we want it to be: The loudest place it’s ever been. I don’t know what the decibels have been or what they could be, but we need them to reach peak on Saturday.”
And while Michigan is again a decided underdog, it’s a better team than the one that beat Ohio State on the road last year — it’s no stretch to think the Wolverines can pull off a fifth straight win on Saturday.
Here’s how.
1. Shrink the game by leaning on the rushing attack
Good news for Michigan after missing him last week: Jordan Marshall seems set to play this Saturday against Ohio State.
