What Michigan is focusing on ahead of the season's biggest game

For Jim Harbaugh there’s something about this game, The Game, that distills football down to it’s very essence, to the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object, to blocking and tackling.

Harbaugh first brought it up when discussing Ohio State’s defensive line. “The defensive front is long, athletic. Very physical. Really good at taking on blocks, defeating blocks, taking on blocks, condensing holes with their athleticism and length and their physicality. Blocking is gonna be at a paramount. Again, it will be channeling Bo and Woody, blocking and tackling. The game will in large part come down to it.”

He then returned to the importance of fundamentals when asked why Michigan renamed a 9-on-7 rushing drill the “Beat Ohio” drill at the start of spring practice. “Like I explained a couple times, this is a game you’ve gotta channel Bo, you’ve gotta channel the blocking and the tackling, sustaining blocks, getting off blocks and making tackles. Blocking and tackling.”

Michigan’s staff and players may be focused on fundamentals, but that doesn’t mean they are blind to Ohio State’s stars and the difficulty that brings to game planning. Harbaugh was asked about Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud, who has thrown for nearly 3,500 yards and 36 touchdowns this season. “Phenomenal. C.J. is a fantastic player. He’s doing—we saw it in high school when he played. Knew he was gonna be really good and he’s bringing it all to life. Playing great.”

He also had praise for their receiving corps. When asked what stood out about them, Harbaugh replied “Just how good they are. How dynamic. Their route-running ability, their catching ability. Their speed to all parts of the field, horizontally, vertically. Really outstanding.”

Linebacker Josh Ross sees something similar when he watches Ohio State’s offense on film. “They have a good receiving corps. They have great playmakers on the outside that can do great things and have a lot of speed, so they present some stuff we have to deal with, for sure. But at the end of the day it’s about us executing, it’s about us winning our one-on-ones, and it’s about us attacking it the right way every single play.”

This team has talked ad nauseum about their togetherness, and that shows in how they discuss their approach to this game. As veteran center Andrew Vastardis said, “The key is just play our ball, and that’s through execution and knowing our assignments on offense and really just doing everything we can, playing fundamentally sound, playing no turnovers and just doing the little things on offense to ensure that we’re succeeding on our part of the ball because we know special teams and defense, they’ve got our back and we’ve got theirs.”

To focus on details doesn’t mean Michigan is overly simplifying the complex. Proper execution implies perfection, and the players know it’s going to take execution across all areas to win. “We’re gonna need everything this week: dramatic plays, discipline, good technique, good fundamentals,” wide receiver Mike Sainristil said. “Whatever it takes is what we need this week.”

“It’s probably one of the best offenses in football. If we’re going to win this game it’s gonna be on us, the defense, and it’s a matter of our execution,” edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson said to Jon Jansen on last evening’s Inside Michigan Football radio show. “You said it: they’re stacked at wide receiver, running back, o-line. I mean, you name it, they got it. That makes me excited because I’m just so ready to go out there and I’m gonna lay it all on the line, and I know every single guy on this team will.”

Michigan’s approach--emphasizing the little things, focusing on fundamentals, studying to simplifying the complex—is a reminder that contending with a team as skilled as any it has faced requires perfection and nothing less, and perfection starts simple: with blocking and tackling.

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