osu 63, Michigan 39

[AlabamAlum]

The McRib is trash.

[WM Wolverine]

Brown is still blitzing, he's just blitzing less often and not bringing 2, 3 at a time as often. Gary looks healthy and Paye, Uche are good rushers; they'll miss Winovich if he can't go but the drop off shouldn't be devastating.

[THE_WIZARD_]

The McRib is trash.

BLASPHEMY!!!

[Jeff Buchanan]

An observers analysis posted at mgo:

An analysis of like opponents UM vs. OSU, which includes MSU, PSU, Maryland, Indiana, Nebraska and Rutger.

Against the 6 like opponents, OSU has averaged the following on offense

• 329 passing (92% of their avg.)
• 180 Rushing (99% of avg.)
• 510 total yards (94% of avg.)
• 40 points per game. (100%)

All of these are below their average for the year, except points scored.

Opponents have averaged against OSU:

• 387 total yards (102% of season avg)
• 223 passing (111% of avg)
• 164 rushing (91% of avg)
• 24 points (91% avg)

• 228 passing (108% of season avg.)
• 225 Rushing (103% of avg.)
• 452 total yards (105% of avg.)
• 39 points per game. (107%)

All of these are above their average for the year.

Opponents have averaged against UM

• 212 total yards (56% of season avg)
• 103 passing (51% of avg)
• 109 rushing (61% of avg)
• 12 points (46% avg)

• 255 Passing
• 205 Rushing
• 460 Total Yards
• 36 Points

• 169 Passing
• 110 Rushing
• 279 Total Yards
• 19 Points

• Passing: 144 yards vs. PSU (69% of avg.) UM gets 160 yards
• Rushing: 171 yards vs. MD (78% of avg.) UM gets 128 yards.
• Total Yards: 395 yards @ MSU (92% of avg.) UM gets 356 yards.
• Points: 21 @ MSU (57% of avg.) UM gets 14 Points

Michigan would have to have half of its offense output and have its WORST defensive game to lose. Oh, and Michigan still held Indiana and MSU (their worst offensive and defensive games) to less total yards and only allowed 1 more point to MSU than the buckeyes.

Food for thought.

[WM Wolverine]

Your saying M might have a chance?

[iam416]

Sounds more like Ohio State has zero chance.

[drok]

Sounds more like Ohio State has zero chance.

Let's be realistic here. Ohio State has a much better chance of beating M this year than we had at beating you last year. And even then, last year's game was surprisingly close.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Dredging for stats to support the prediction that M will win The Game is pretty easy this season. The last decade it's been a stretch with 2006 and 2016 being close based on numbers.

This season, the numbers are pretty much all in favor of an M win. The problem as anyone who understands the limitations of Fancy Stats as a method of predicting outcomes is that were talking about 11 games of data per team. There's over 100 games per team in baseball and more in the pro than college football game with that data based on rosters that are more or less stable for years at a time.

Here your talking about kids playing football on teams with vastly varying degrees of talent and proficiency; these are kids that make anomalous mistakes or great plays that impact the outcome. You're also talking about officiating that is more likely to include outcome changing derps in close games that matter - both ways - than in pro sports. You're talking about the impact of weather on teams that almost always play outdoors. Bottom line, stats as a predictive tool have significant limitations in CFB. I just want to make it perfectly clear that I understand that.

Fuck osu.

[Jeff Buchanan]

BTW, weather is not going to be particularly good in c-bus on Saturday with temps in the low 50s, cloudy skies and an 80% chance of precitp before 2pm. That decreases late afternoon. It could also be windy. It's the typical unpredictable patterns this time of year that say one thing on pre-game day 5 and another on game-day. So, stand by. However, the weather pattern that is setting up in the mid-west appears to me to be pretty stable with regard to ease of prediction. I don't think it is going to change much between now and game day..

[maxreturn]

Dredging for stats to support the prediction that M will win The Game is pretty easy this season. The last decade it's been a stretch with 2006 and 2016 being close based on numbers.

This season, the numbers are pretty much all in favor of an M win. The problem as anyone who understands the limitations of Fancy Stats as a method of predicting outcomes is that were talking about 11 games of data per team. There's over 100 games per team in baseball and more in the pro than college football game with that data based on rosters that are more or less stable for years at a time.

Here your talking about kids playing football on teams with vastly varying degrees of talent and proficiency; these are kids that make anomalous mistakes or great plays that impact the outcome. You're also talking about officiating that is more likely to include outcome changing derps in close games that matter - both ways - than in pro sports. You're talking about the impact of weather on teams that almost always play outdoors. Bottom line, stats as a predictive tool have significant limitations in CFB. I just want to make it perfectly clear that I understand that.

Fuck osu.

I would add that having Urban Meyer as the coach and home field advantage will make it closer than it should be. 31 - 27 Michigan.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Max ...... look, ufm is afflicted with headaches. He's not at his best. He's been rode hard and put away wet this season. He hates losing but he better prepare himself with a golf cart and pizza delivery post game.

Home field? Screw that. Not in this game, this season and this team. Revenge tour concludes with a resounding thumping of the bucknutz.

[maxreturn]

Max ...... look, ufm is afflicted with headaches. He's not at his best. He's been rode hard and put away wet this season. He hates losing but he better prepare himself with a golf cart and pizza delivery post game.

Home field? Screw that. Not in this game, this season and this team. Revenge tour concludes with a resounding thumping of the bucknutz.

Ha Jeff...I love the emotion. Fire up! I agree he's showing the strain but he's still an elite coach and unbeaten against Harbaugh. Believe me there's nothing I would like better either than a good ole fashion beat down. We shall see.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Patterson after today's practice on Winovich:

"(You'd) have to kill him to take him out," Patterson said. We're not really sure his progress yet. He's a tough guy."

"I've talked to him, he says he's feeling better. I'd assume he'd play, but you never know the severity of it. Knowing him, I think he'll play."

Gary:

"I was just talking with Chase earlier, he is pumped up, he is ready, getting ready," Gary said. "I really couldn't tell you, but hopefully he does play. But most importantly, he has to take care of his body."

https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/ind...rt_river_index

[maxreturn]

If this video doesn't get your juices flowing for "the game" I don't know what will. The inimitable Bob Ufer

[Niffla]

Max ...... look, ufm is afflicted with headaches. He's not at his best. He's been rode hard and put away wet this season. He hates losing but he better prepare himself with a golf cart and pizza delivery post game.

Home field? Screw that. Not in this game, this season and this team. Revenge tour concludes with a resounding thumping of the bucknutz.

I do wonder how the rumors about this possibly being Meyer's final days at Ohio State affects the psyche of their players. Especially with where their confidence level is currently at (it's funny saying that considering they're 10-1, but it's clear that their 2018 squad is light years off from their traditionally normal swagger).

If they think that Urban truly has one foot out the door already then it may not be that difficult to get them to quit and start pointing fingers if UM is able to jump on them early. That said, and I hate using cliches -- but obviously Michigan is just going to have to prepare and assume that they're going to get the best version of Ohio State this Saturday. Regardless of Ohio State's unusual struggles this season, they're still Ohio State, and they're still very talented.