“It Takes Two” In THE GAME

“It Takes Two” was released back in 1988 by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock. It is widely considered one of the best hip-hop songs of all time, according to music publications like Spin and Rolling Stone.

Now that I have unintentionally planted an earworm in all of you reading this, it is my contention that the concept of “It Takes Two” is something that both Ohio State and Michigan recognize as they prepare for THE GAME, specifically within both teams’ running games.

Let’s turn our attention first to the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines’ offensive issues in the passing game have been well-chronicled, and Michigan has identified that their only best way of putting points on the board is by running the ball. RB Kalel Mullings leads the team in rushing, with 832 yards, averages 5.4 yards per carry, and has scored 11 touchdowns on the ground. Listed at 6’2″, 233 pounds, you might say that he is the thunder of the group.

The lightning for the Wolverines would be RB Donovan Edwards, a player who made his indelible mark versus the Buckeyes in 2022. Listed at 6’1″, 212 pounds, Edwards has demonstrated his ability to take it the distance, as Ohio State fans can painfully lament.

Turning our attention to Ohio State, the Buckeyes also have a pair of running backs who might be characterized as thunder and lightning. While not as tall or heavy as his counterpart in Kalel Mullings, RB Quinshon Judkins is listed at 6’0″, 212 pounds. Judkins has rushed for 759 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and has scored 8 touchdowns on the ground.

TreVeyon Henderson would be the lightning, averaging 7.4 yards per carry, while rushing for 730 yards and 6 touchdowns this season. Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s strategy is one of using both backs throughout the game, knowing that both are capable of big plays at any given moment. Unlike Michigan, Chip Kelly also has a very talented arsenal of wide receivers at his disposal, so the Ohio State offensive attack is much more versatile than the Wolverines.

No matter the approach by either Michigan or Ohio State, it has been well established over the years that whichever team is able to successfully run the ball is the team most likely to win THE GAME. Look for both teams to continually trying to establish the running game throughout this contest.

Even if one player on Michigan, such as Kalel Mullings, or Quinshon Judkins in the case of Ohio State, gets the ball more than their teammate, a commitment to running the ball well has usually resulted in one team winning THE GAME.

One might actually say that the strategy of using two players to carry the respective rushing load was well documented by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, as they wrote, “It Takes Two to make a thing go right…”.