I know that Ryan Day wants this game. You can hear it in his raspy voice and see it in his tired eyes. He has put in his 10,000 hours this year to get it, which is amazing when you consider that there are only 8,760 hours in a calendar year. Losing a rivalry game is one thing, but the lack of fight in last year’s game put a label on the entire program. Even worse, it lifted Michigan up. “Ohio State is soft, Michigan is tough.” An entire narrative was created from one game, and the only way to change the narrative is to change everything about how last year was able to happen.
I think the Buckeyes have an opportunity to prove to everyone that last year was just a blip. The “soft” label could be ripped away after Saturday because nobody will want to hear about 2021 if Ohio State wins in 2022. But if you lose in a similar manner, it’s no longer a narrative, it’s now a name that has been legally changed.
I wonder how long it will take Ohio State to loosen up in this one. If they win the toss, they need to defer. Let the defense get out there first. Give everyone a chance to breathe. Then attack.
I know this running game is better with Miyan Williams and Dallan Hayden right now than it is with TreVeyon Henderson in the mix. I don’t expect that to always be the case, but those two must be at the forefront of the running game moving forward.
I think Michigan may end up dealing with what Ohio State dealt with last week when they were running the ball with TreVeyon Henderson for an entire half. They wanted to see if he was good enough to go, but it took them an entire half before they decided he wasn’t the answer. How long does Michigan give Blake Corum to find out if he can’t go? Does he get two drives? Are those wasted drives? How many drives can Michigan afford to throw away?
I wonder how quickly I’ll delete all of this if Blake Corum starts the first drive with six carries for 75 yards.
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