The Inadequate Michigan - Ohio State Preview

If you have watched any sports channel this week, you've been drowned in Michigan/Ohio St. pre-game hype. It's difficult to get away and it's with good reason. Even after the inception of the Bowl Championship Series, which purportedly places the two best teams in a final game to decide the ultimate victor in college football. This makes this game so unique. These are the two best teams in the nation and they get to play each other. This, by itself, is a beautiful thing.

This preview, which does no justice to the countless hours spent reviewing the Xs and Os, key players, and other elements, includes a position-by-position breakdown.

Quarterback: Solid edge to Ohio State
Troy Smith is the best quarterback nation this season. Barring a major lapse in this game, he'll be the Heisman Trophy winner. Meanwhile, Chad Henne (18 TD, 7 INT) is no slouch. He's struggled in big games though and 0-2 versus the Buckeyes.

Running Back: Edge to Michigan
Some people might call this a push, but Mike Hart (1373 yds, 11 TD) is a big-game running back. He is also a leader and rarely fumbles. Pittman and Wells are very good backs, but in the game, you want the horse.

Offensive Line: Push
Michigan tackle Jake Long gets a lot of publicity, but the OSU line is probably more productive on the whole.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Edge to Ohio State
I know that Mario Manningham has played since coming off of injury, but he was a non-factor. Adrian Arrington has stepped up and Steve Breaston has been sighted. On the other side, Ted Ginn Jr. (8 TD receiving, 1 TD punt return) is a playmaker and Anthony Gonzalez is an underappreciated stud who has very sure hands. Watch out for Brian Robiskie as well, as the Buckeyes look for mismatches. We'll see if Kirk Herbstreit's off-colour remarks about Steve Breaston have any effect on his performance.

Defensive Line: Solid edge to Michigan
Quinn Pitcock is one of the best defensive tackles. Too bad, because UM's Alan Branch is better. If you don't agree, just ask Brady Quinn what he thinks. LaMarr Woodley is a force. Remember this: Michigan has 41 sacks and allows less than 30 ypg on the ground. Scary.

Linebackers: Edge to Ohio State
James Laurinaitis is the nation's best linebacker, barring possibly Ole Miss' Patrick Willis. Marcus Freeman is also excellent for a linebacking unit that is capable of making big plays. Nevertheless, Prescott Burgess is no stranger to big plays. He was in the right place at the right time on two picks against Notre Dame.

Defensive Backs: Edge to Michigan
Leon Hall is the best cornerback but it will be the performance of Morgan Trent that will be heavily scrutinized. Malcolm Jenkins is solid, but will be heavily challenged if Michigan can run the ball with effectiveness, as the playaction can prove lethal.

Kicking: Solid Edge to Michigan
If the game comes down to a kick, I'll take Rivas over Pettrey. Pettrey has a strong leg though, as he kicked a 50-yarder two weeks ago Illinois.

Punting: Push
If both teams are smart, they'll do directional punts all game. Both starting punters average 41 yards per punt.

Punt and Kick Coverage: Push
This could very well decide this game. Ted Ginn Jr. and Steve Breaston can decide games with either a huge return or a fumble. They're both excellent but I don't think the punters will take chances, especially late on in this contest.

Intangibles: Slight Edge to Michigan
As we know, the Horseshoe is an intimidating place to play. Not to mention, they are a great team and have a coach who is 4-1 against Michigan. Meanwhile, Michigan remembers two years ago when they had bomb-sniffing dogs search them as they arrived at the stadium in a security ploy concocted by former athletic director Andy Geiger. In his last public comments, the late Bo Schembechler spoke publicly about this because he cared about the kids. They'll play this one for themselves, but they'll play just a little bit harder for the man who made Michigan a national power.

Final Score Prediction [bound to go wrong]
Michigan 20
Ohio St. 17