Coaches Corner: Ohio State at Michigan Preview - When Ohio State has the Football

When OSU has the ball:

First and most important is Michigan needs to take care of its own issues. Get back to playing sound fundamentally strong defense. Things like staying in their lanes , be positional strong, maintain contain, no stupid penalties, take on blockers with inside instead of outside arm, and sound crisp TACKLING. If you can take care of these problems their chances of winning increase greatly.

After fixing fundamentals there are two huge keys to stopping Ohio State and winning the game. Michigan must stop the run, and they must make Ohio State drive the field. They cannot give up big plays like they did last year. Ohio State is an excellent play action team. If Michigan can stop the run game you limit an offense ability to be effective in play action.

What concerns me most is Chris "Beanie" Wells ability to run the cutback. Two weeks in a row RB's have had the great success starting one way and cutting back through huge holes. Michigan's backside DE's and OLBers need to maintain outside leverage and stay on backside shoulder of RB. If Wells runs successfully it opens rest of offense. Robiske and Hartline become bigger factors do to the opens the running game causes in the secondary.

From scheme point Ohio State uses two packages in running game. They run the inside zone and power play pulling the backside OG to either trap, log, or lead into the hole depending on what the defense does. They run several different sets, looks, and formations off those schemes that give the running game much diversity. The O-line is solid and especially good at pass protection. The TE's are also good at both blocking and being check off receivers.

Michigan needs to force Boeckman to beat them. This what Illinois did successfully. They held Wells to around 80 yards and made Boeckman be the focus of OSUs offense. No disrespect to Boeckman, he is having a good year. But he is not as tested as some of other QB's Michigan has faced and not as big a threat as Wells and the running game.

Again key to Michigan this week is fixing those things they control.

Coming Thursday night, Coaches Corner: Ohio State at Michigan Preview - When Michigan has the Football