The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524451
58 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2024 F or two of the last three sea- sons, media overwhelmingly picked Ohio State to win the Big Ten championship over Michi- gan and others. The annual poll, in fact, has been lopsided in favor of the Buckeyes for the last few decades — deservedly so, frankly, given U-M's struggles during that period. Now, though, the Wolverines are the defending champion for the third straight year, having won three in a row. They thrashed the heavily favored Buckeyes in 2021 and '22, and beat them again last year. However, the Big Ten media predict Michigan to finish behind not only Ohio State, but Oregon and Penn State (yes, Penn State) this season. We get it with the Buckeyes. They have the most talented roster they've ever had, according to Ur- ban Meyer, who added to the pres- sure on coach Ryan Day with his recent comments. "As of now this is one of the most tal- ented rosters in the last decade, maybe ever," the former Buckeye coach told Adam King of 10TV in Columbus. "That's a big statement. They've still got to play. But you look at the quality of athlete at every position. … I've never seen anything like it." Ohio State boosters started contrib- uting crazy amounts of money after the Wolverines beat their beloved Buckeyes for a third straight year and captured a national championship. "If you can't beat 'em, buy a team that can" is the new mantra, and there's plenty of excitement in Columbus heading into the season. Yes, OSU would be our pick, too. But we're old enough to remember the 1990s and the Buckeyes coach John Cooper years, too, when those teams were also loaded at every position. Michigan had talent, too, of course — the 1997 national champions had 25 players who started at least one game that year go on to play in the NFL — but for the most part, OSU had more. Before the 1996 contest in Columbus, one in which the Wolverines limped in with a 7-3 record to play undefeated OSU, their fans were … well, even more obnoxious than they are now, predicting 42-0 scores, etc., on Columbus radio shows. Michigan won, 13-9, and local radio on the ride home was glorious. It made a funeral march feel like the Franklin County (Ohio) fair. Eventually, the tide turned, as it does in this rivalry. One thing that hasn't, though — the offseason rhetoric. Three straight losses to "The Team Up North" hasn't done anything to humble what many would call the most ignorant fan base in college football. And if you lis- ten to them now, you'd think Michigan didn't stand a chance. The best part about this is the Wol- verines will get their chance to prove they do in November, and they return a lot of talent from a national cham- pionship team. The culture is intact, the defense is elite (and defense trav- els), and the offense is filled with four- star and NFL talent at many positions. Those comparing the Wolverines to Iowa, for example, haven't taken a close enough look at the roster. There are question marks, sure, but high ceilings at every position —all of them —and in some cases, the best players at their positions in the conference. "We're being creative with pack- ages," offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell said in late July. "[Run- ning backs] Donovan Edwards, Kalel Mullings — [tight ends] Colston Loveland and Marlin Klein, [wide receivers] Semaj Morgan, Tyler Morris. "We've got so many playmak- ers on offense. We've just got to make sure we utilize them in the right manner. That's being creative in the packaging, and it's being in- tentional in fall camp, giving them the opportunity to go do that." We scoff, meanwhile, at the Penn State ranking, knowing they'll fold in any game of consequence under head coach James Franklin (prove us wrong, James). That means they'll probably lose at USC, maybe at Wisconsin, and at home to Ohio State. Oregon needs to prove it can compete in the trenches in the Big Ten — Wash- ington exposed them a bit last year — and has to come to Ann Arbor, but the Ducks will be formidable. And the Buckeyes? According to the OSU fans, even Ryan Day can't screw this team up. But there are never any guarantees, and the pressure is at an all-time high. Win or lose we'll be hearing all about the "world famous offseason champion Ohio State Buckeyes" next year, the year after, and the years after that. It's up to Sherrone Moore, now, to do everyone a favor and keep the Buckeyes where they rightfully belong — a step behind the best program in the history of the conference. ❏ Former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer (above) called this year's Ohio State team "one of the most talented rosters in the last decade, maybe ever," further amplifying the pressure on his successor, Ryan Day, to get a win against Michigan in The Game, Nov. 30 in Columbus. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Chris Balas has been with The Wolverine since 1997. Contact him at cbalas @thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @Balas _ Wolverine. INSIDE MICHIGAN ❱ CHRIS BALAS Don't Sleep On Michigan