In The Game against the Michigan Wolverines, the Ohio State Buckeyes aim to rebuild their defensive line after a difficult campaign last year.
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The quarterback battle has drawn a lot of attention as the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines get ready for one of the biggest meetings in the rivalry’s history.
What about the defenses, though?
Stopped the run was the main issue Ohio State faced in ‘The Game’ the previous season. Even with their best rusher Blake Corum carrying the ball just twice, they still gave up 252 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to their opponents.
But behind a strong offensive line, backup Donovan Edwards carried the load.
The two Wolverine backs have continued to divide the carries this season, helping Michigan rank third in the Big Ten in terms of rushing offense. Corum and Edwards have demolished defenses all season long together.
But Ohio State has a strong front that can stop the run on its own. With their top-20 rushing defense in the nation, the Buckeyes rank third in the nation after limiting opponents to just 108.5 yards per game and three touchdowns overall.
Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, two junior defensive ends, have performed admirably at stopping big plays and keeping quarterbacks in the pocket.
The Ohio State secondary has been outstanding despite injuries to Josh Proctor, a junior cornerback, and senior safeties Lathan Ransom and Denzel Burke. The Buckeyes’ pass defense has also been excellent.
sophmore security When the veterans have been absent, Sonny Styles has led the secondary. Styles has experience playing in all secondary positions, including cornerback, safety, linebacker, and even frequently rushing the passer.
The Michigan pass rush has been a significant contributor, even though their secondary has been almost as good as the Buckeyes’. Jaylen Harrell, a senior edge rusher, leads the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
The Michigan defense has racked up an incredible 66 tackles for loss and 27 sacks as a unit.
The two best scoring defenses in the country will now test both offenses in their hardest games of the season, and quarterbacks Kyle McCord and J.J. McCarthy will be looking for any vulnerabilities they can find.
Michigan takes on Ohio State on Saturday at noon ET.
