The Game - osu @ M, 11/28/15, Noon, ABC National.

[SeattleLionsFan]

I liked the legends idea because there are too many guys on the team to retire numbers and because it was neat to hear the stories behind the numbers.

If I ran the world, they would be in a ring of honor and have very small patches of an embroidered name on the jersey. They would then be issued to freshman as any other number.

[WingsFan]

Since the best players wore that so called Legend Jersey, there would never another. Say Peppers started wearing one this year wich he would be under Branddon/Hoke. There is no number for him.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Looks like the bettors, almost across the board, have osu at -1 this morning. Not likely to change. At one time it was as high as -13 (when lines first came out in late summer) to + 2.5 immediately following the MSU debacle.

Might as well throw in the towel if history is to be believed.

One site I checked has the predicted score as osu 32.2, M 31.2. I don't think either team will score that many points unless it goes into OT. The computer pick is M at + 1.5 with over under at 45, pick the over.

[Jeff Buchanan]

So, yeah, analysis is fine, to a point. I'll add these key points:

M's DL has to be disruptive in osu's backfield to have hope of keeping elliott under 100y and Barrett from looking like Denard. They're not going to do that rushing 4 like they did against PSU. Playing gap sound when running the base defensive set on run plays is more important in this game than any others. M is vulnerable here. Durkin has to be very aggressive and take the risk. I think he will.

barrett is going to have to continue his poor passing record considering M has to bring it to keep pressure on those two. That's because the screens and slants are going to be open. My sense is that barrett hasn't been particularly good at making his reads.

I like the matchup between M's DBs and osu's receivers deep. I also like DJD's scheme. I don't think jtb can make those deep throws given his skill set v. coverage and scheme.

Rudock has to continue his trend. What I like about him in this game is that he looks to have gotten comfortable with his reads. No question, he's going to have to be accurate as osu's coverage is pretty good ...... when those guys read their keys and don't get lost. That's happened. I like Jake to Butt and Darboh with an opportunity to attack the edge with Darboh and Butt, well, anywhere as he runs very good routes, in the passing game.

That is something I love about Harbaugh - play design and the coaching staff's apparent ability to coach this stuff into on filed success. None of the coaches on Hoke's offensive staff could do this ("we practiced well."). Huge improvement.

I do think ufm will advantage the emotion of his players in this game. They'll be up to prove something like MSU was against osu. But I think Harbaugh's steady hand is going to prevail.

[Jeff Buchanan]

If you want to plow though this, Brian does a great job of previewing osu:

Cliff notes - keep Rudock clean, get pressure on jtb mostly out of M's base D and via osu's Right Tackle and hold elliott under 100y, M wins.

http://mgoblog.com/content/preview-ohio-state-2015#more

[*JD*]

``Should we send out a terribly coached QB wearing a very ridiculous look-at-me number that offends much of the fan base?''

I always thought maybe just for the bowl game. But man did it get annoying. I recall being at the game where suddenly Kovacs was switched to #11. All day it was confusing.

If they had to do it for one game, I would've voted for Homecoming. Maybe even have the current players have HARMON, FORD, etc. on the back instead of their name. Make it a real tribute, instead of a marketing ploy.

[Pasadena Blue]

If they had to do it for one game, I would've voted for Homecoming. Maybe even have the current players have HARMON, FORD, etc. on the back instead of their name. Make it a real tribute, instead of a marketing ploy.

I like that idea. Honor the names of the jerseys on special days. As others have said, wearing a legends jersey number means no option create a legendary number of your own.

I look forward to seeing the #5 retired some day.

[Tom W]

I never liked the legends jerseys. Bad idea, worse execution.

Yep- the only legends that I care about are the ones that destroy ohio and make their fans cry.

[Rocky Bleier]

Urban Meyer is taking over the offense this week, and Greg Mattison doesn't know how to stop him. D.J. Durkin might, but he doesn't have the athletes. I know this is just "wild ass predictions on what will happen based on nothing but feelings and subjectivity" according to JB, but I believe the outcome will simply come down to who gains more yardage via the run. Michigan can't run, so Rudock will be forced to throw 35 - 45 times. He'll pass for over 250 yds., but an INT and a repentant Ezekiel Elliott will be the difference. Final score prediction: osu 31, M 23.

[Mike]

Sounds about right.

[Jeff Buchanan]

...... Urban Meyer is taking over the offense this week, and Greg Mattison doesn't know how to stop him. D.J. Durkin might, but he doesn't have the athletes.

Well, Mattison and Durkin, as JH is fond of saying, aren't doing the blocking and tackling so, there is that.

Hurst and Wormley will play a part in the middle doing that and so will whoever happens to be out there edge rushing (probably Taco). RJS at WDE (Buck) and Williams and Henry at SDE will do their part. The matchups here, at worst, are even. Maybe a slight edge to M given osu's RT, chase ferris is, according to osu reports a "turnstile."

I think I have this down now with respect to how ufm likes to run to the perimeter. Inverted veer among others. The trick to hold this attack down is to force elliott outside where he has to deal with Peppers, et.al. Doom if he or barrett at the mesh successfully run inside. I think M can do this.

Michigan can't run, so Rudock will be forced to throw 35 - 45 times. He'll pass for over 250 yds., but an INT and a repentant Ezekiel Elliott will be the difference. Final score prediction: osu 31, M 23

Smith ran well enough to pose a threat v. PSU. He didn't rack up a lot of yards but he got some crucial ones against Franklin's D which is pretty much a mirror image of osu's with osu having a bunch more talent.

M's play, which is really a long handoff if it works out that way, is the IZ/WR Screen. Rudock has to make his read on this play based on where the S aligns. Inside, go outside to to the WR; outside, run the IZ with Smith. Rudock did a ton of this v. PSU mainly because the CB played loose conceding that part of the field to make sure there were 7 potentially 8 guys in the box. Pick your poison. M is good at this. They don't have to rack up huge numbers on the ground just move the chains. Osu may be ready for this. We'll see.

Doubters are being overly pessimistic. I appreciate it based on past results but this is a WAYYYY different M team osu, in all its championship glory, is facing tomorrow. Like I said. No one is going to be comfortable in this game, on both sides. It'll be fun.

[Ghengis Jon]

Fuck ohio state. Its time for The Game.

[Rocky Bleier]

What's the scoop on Drake Johnson? He put up a lot of yardage v.s. osu last year. I know he's had "something he's working on" or whatever it is that Harbaugh says, but, man, I'd love to see him healthy tomorrow. He could make a difference.

Another thing: Do you think the staff goes back to the tape from two years ago to see what Gorgeous Borges pulled out of his big fat fanny? I mean, it's worth a look isn't it? Offense gained about 600 yds. that day.

[Rocky Bleier]

Damn, this game has meant a lot to me:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PK3jQElZTY"]LEGACY -- From Bo to Harbaugh (Michigan Football Hype Video) - YouTube[/ame]

[Jeff Buchanan]

Jon ....... Exactly.

Rocky ....... The thing about Borges, who called the same kinds of plays the Harbaugh rolls out, both of them being sort of WCO guys, involves several elements. One, it never looked like what he was trying to do made sense. He'd run a screen into defenses that ran a lot zone. It would get hammered. When the opportunity presented itself to get a play off in man coverage, he'd call in a run play with 8 guys in the box. Negative play. Two, all of this could have been due to Denard and Gardner not getting it. But that's on Borges because he was the QB coach. Big FAIL.

DG nearly won the osu game on his own. I don't remember the stats at all. I have blocked out all of that but he was a one man show in that near win. It's a shame he didn't get that two point conversion. There's speculation that the call itself, running th same play as the the one before it that got stuffed, came from Brandon. Anyway .......

Borges has zero to offer regarding beating osu. Zero.