TheWolverine.com - Instant Analysis of the OSU Loss

November 21, 2009

Jonathan Chait

The game was there for the taking. It was there, all day, and Michigan tried desperately to grasp it. It was an inspired, gritty effort from a young, undersized team. They fought their hearts out, even after the most ominous beginning. They should feel proud and confident of their future.

The game turned on red zone production and turnovers. Brandon Graham put on a one-man goalline stand from the two yard line, slicing into the backfield to stuff a tailback dive on first down and bringing down Terrelle Pryor in open space on second. But nobody guarded Dan Herron on a third down screen pass that turned into a touchdown.

On Michigan's first drive into scoring position, Vincent Smith was grabbed around the waist on a pass that, had interference been called, would have given Michigan a first down at the five yard line. Instead, Jason Olesnavage missed a short field goal. On the third, Michigan had first down on the 35 yard line, and Tate Forcier threw an interception on a streak pattern to a covered Greg Matthews. Junior Hemmingway had broken open down the opposite sideline. It was that close. And then the interception from the five yard line, just when Michigan was about to make Jim Tressel sweat bullets.

Of course, Forcier dominated the game for Michigan, for better or worse - mostly for worse. He moved his team down the field with precision passing and brilliant improvisation, but gave back what he had won, five times in all. It was to be expected that Forcier would have a true freshman quarterback game at some point, single-handedly giving away the game with boneheaded mistakes. It hadn't happened all year, and he picked the worst time.

Yet he has shown the potential to become a spectacular college player. With some young players, you might worry that a high-profile meltdown would destroy his confidence. For Forcier, a dose of humility could do him good. He has been lectured about ball security and not trying to do too much since spring practice. Some students require a hands-on demonstration.

The defense rolled out a vastly improved new lineup. J.T. Floyd, finally healthy, retruned to the lineup at cornerback, Troy Woolfolk moved to strong safety, Jordan Kovacs to his natural position at free safety, and Mike Leach played at middle linebacker for Obi Ezeh. (Ezeh's performance last week may have convinced the coaches, eleven games too late, that he does not fit at inside linebacker.)

The defense hung in admirably all game - an inspired effort with two walkons in the starting lineup and a third rotating in. Mouton and Leach combined for 21 tackles and generally gave the best inside linebacking performance of the season, though still not one that would qualify as good.

The third key to the game was Ohio State's switch to a spread offense midway through the second quarter. The Buckeyes do not want to be a spread team. They recruited Terrelle Pryor by persuading him that the spread offense would retard his development into an NFL quarterback. Their coaches have been publicly sneering at the spread. "The evolution of this quarterback off the line of scrimmage kind of football, where backs are running laterally and they're reading things, and [the quarterback is figuring out] when to give it to him and when not to, the defenses have caught up to that, bottom line," blustered running backs coach Dick Tressel last April. "They know where you're going just like that."

The Buckeyes desperately want to pound the ball from the I formation, but like most teams these days, they can't do it. It was the switch to spread running that produced OSU's two touchdown drives. Michigan fans who want to return to the old ways should take note. In an era of 8-man fronts, it is very, very hard to run consistently without a quarterback to account for the extra defender.

On offense, the efforts of the true freshman quarterback and tailback overcame an offensive line that was generally overpowered. Freshmen accounted for 91% of Michigan's rushing yards, 63% of its receiving yards, and, obviously, 100% of its passing yards. The depth chart is stacked with talented underclassmen on offense. Rich Rodriguez's tenure will hinge on his ability to settle his defensive coaching staff and stock that side of the ball with recruits.

But the question should not be whether Rodriguez gets the rivalry or if he's lost his team. The gutsy, scrappy effort on display should put those questions to rest.

Michigan NEWS

[More]

Latest Headlines:

Resources:

Font Size:

FEATURED PRODUCT