COLUMBUS, Ohio — Training camp hasn’t even started yet. After that grueling month, there’s still almost an entire season to be played before “The Game” that matters most.
But it’s never too early to set the table for the feud between Ohio State and Michigan, and at BuckeyeNation and WolverineNation, we’re doing it all week.
We looked back on Monday at some heroes and villains on both sides of the rivalry. Today we’re looking ahead at the strengths and weaknesses that could decide the latest edition in the storied series, which is just more than four short months away.
STRENGTHS
Ground and pound:
The Ohio State rushing attack was potent enough a year ago, but it’s only added more experience and weapons to the mix now. By November, it might be almost impossible to slow down the Buckeyes on the ground as they incorporate the new pieces to the attack and potentially get more support from the passing game. Braxton Miller is obviously a threat to score from anywhere on the field, and if Carlos Hyde makes the kind of improvement he’s targeted in terms of making defenders miss at the second level, that one-two combination will continue to rank among the best in the country, particularly with four seniors back on the offensive line.
But it might be the added dimension of a healthy Jordan Hall or a true freshman such as Dontre Wilson or Jalin Marshall at the hybrid, Pivot position that gives opponents even more fits. Or maybe it’s a backfield that can be loaded up with as many as three talented rushers, rolling out Rod Smith or Bri’onte Dunn in a diamond formation with Hyde and Miller. Either way, the Buckeyes have the personnel to give Michigan a workout in the front seven.
Continue reading this article at ESPN: The Game: OSU strengths and weaknesses
