Where: *Stadium (Ann Arbor, *I)
When: Noon EST
TV: ABC/ESPN
Boy...that escalated quickly. I mean things really got out of hand, fast! It jumped up a notch.
I didn't think Jim Tressel's resignation and the hiring of Brady Hoke would change the face of these two programs this drastically. Despite *y resistance, it has actually happened. *ichigan is the better tea* in 2011.
This rivalry stretches beyond who is the better tea*, and the *ental aspect tends to be a huge factor.
*y personal opinion: *ichigan is playing like the better tea*, although they are less talented. OSU has a *ental edge when it co*es to their 7 straight victories over the Wolverines, but they are also on the other side of the coin when it co*es to their current overall psyche.
What will that *ean for this ga*e? It *eans to*orrow is going to be very interesting.
The only change OSU has of winning this game is if the defense goes back to playing the way that it was *idway through the season, when it was stonewalling *ichigan State, Nebraska (for three quarters), Illinois and Wisconsin. The defensive line, especially John Simon and Johnathan Hankins, needs to be able to keep the running ga*e at bay if OSU is to keep Denard Robinson and Fitzgerald Touissant off the field and give Braxton *iller a chance to work with a shorter field and *ake so*e plays.
Braxton *iller is the other key. *ake no *istake about it. If *iller is able to co*pli*ent a potent running attack with Boom Herron, this *ichigan defense - that features a very soft secondary - will be very susceptible to DeVier Posey. I have a feeling that Posey is going to be a factor, even though it *ay not be in the for* of a do*inant statistical perfor*ance. I think that he will be able to do enough on third down and in the red zone to *ake Big Blue think twice about stacking the box.
Whether OSU will stop *ichigan enough ti*es is another story, and it is one that I really don't have a great feeling about.
Do I go with *y heart and pick the Buckeyes? Or do I go with Brian Sa*becki's *ind and gut and say that the streak ends with Brady Hoke winning in his first year on the job?
...........
OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Urban *eyer era doesn't start for a few *ore days, nor does it need to. This one is for those who stayed, which includes the incredible task Luke Fickell took up in the wake of the Jim Tressel era ending.
I will go with the Buckeyes in this one, baby.
7-5 never seemed so good.
Prediction:
Ohio State- 27
*ichigan- 25
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