The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 65 L ast season, Michigan football put on a defensive masterpiece when it stunned Ohio State in one of the biggest upsets in the ri- valry's history. The Wolverines put the clamps on the Buckeyes, limit- ing them to 10 points and 4.27 yards per play. No other school held Ohio State to fewer than 20 points or 5.5 yards per play in 2024. Thanks to star defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, who wreaked havoc in the middle of the line of scrimmage despite lighter numbers in the box, Michigan held on just enough for its offense to eke out 13 victorious points. This season, while U-M's offense has improved, the Maize and Blue need another elite defensive effort if they want to extend their series win- ning streak to five and potentially earn a Big Ten Championship Game berth and College Football Playoff invita- tion. However, such effort most likely would not be ignited by the defensive line like last year. Rather, it probably must start with junior cornerback Jyaire Hill. Hill saw sparse snaps as a true fresh- man and experienced an up-and-down sophomore campaign, but his star has be- gun to glow as a junior. His overall defen- sive grade according to Pro Football Focus is 79.0, which is sixth-best in the Big Ten and tied for 26th in the Power Four among qualified corners. Hill has graded out well because, in part, he is proficient at keep- ing the play in front of him. He is tied for ninth in yards allowed per reception at 7.3 among Power Four corners who have been targeted at least 20 times, and he has not surrendered a completion longer than 24 yards. He also has a knack for knocking the football away in the air. His 6 pass breakups are tied for 16th in the Power Four among qualified cornerbacks, and although he has not snagged an intercep- tion yet this season, he leads the country with four dropped interceptions accord- ing to PFF. He's been on the verge of at least one pick six, and maybe with a little Stickum on his hands, he'd have had it. For Hill, this will need to culminate into the game of his life when the Buckeyes come to town. Like clockwork, despite significant turnover at quarterback, running back, and the offensive line, Ohio State's of- fense is a machine this season. The Buck- eyes rank seventh in Offensive SP+ (39.8) and only a point away from the top (Texas Tech's 40.8) of the leaderboard. They are also first in offensive success rate (50.5 percent) and fifth in expected points added (EPA) per play (0.22). Ohio State, though, is not an offensive juggernaut this season because it is bal- anced. Whereas the Buckeyes are only 47th in offensive rushing success rate (42.2 percent) and 62nd in EPA per play when rushing (0.02), they are the best in the nation in both categories when pass- ing (59.2 percent success rate and 0.43 EPA per play). OSU quarterback Julian Sayin (80.1 completion percentage, 9.5 yards per attempt and a 25:4 TD-to-INT ratio) and wideouts Jeremiah Smith (69 receptions, 902 yards, 10 TDs) and Car- nell Tate (39, 711 yards, 7 TDs) have left opposing defenses in ruins week after week this year. In addition to having scary talent at quarterback and receiver, the Scarlet and Gray are also excellent at passing because they are better at protect- ing their signal-caller. The Buckeyes are fourth overall in sack rate allowed (2.2 percent) and have allowed Sayin to be pressured on only 70 of his 302 drop-backs. This is critical because Sayin has posted elite numbers when he is blitzed or not blitzed. There is only a drop-off for Sayin, albeit not a significant one, when the pressure gets to him. However, since OSU has walled off opposing pressure well, it doesn't happen often. As such, it is unlikely that, even with senior edge Derrick Moore and his 8.5 sacks, Michigan's defensive line will win this game at the line of scrimmage like Graham and Grant did last November. Rather, the Wol- verines will need their cornerbacks to stick in coverage with two of the best non-professional receivers on the planet — in Smith's case, he may already be up there with the best professionals — although Smith and Tate have missed time recently with injuries and may not be 100 percent. Hill, the Kankakee, Ill., native, needs to lead that charge in The Game. With his size (6-foot-2, 190 pounds), athleticism and skill set, he has the best chance to put the clamps on Smith and/or Tate. If he can do it, and if the rest of Michigan's secondary, such as Zeke Berry, TJ Met- calf, Brandyn Hillman and of course Rod Moore if he is healthy, can keep contain long enough to give the U-M front seven time to hurry Sayin into mistakes, the Wolverines' defense could harass Ohio State into another offensive spiral. But to set the stage for Michigan to pull off another shocking upset with the sea- son on the line, Hill must be the party- starter. ❑ INSIDE THE NUMBERS ❱ DREW HALLETT Beating OSU: An Up-Hill Battle Junior cornerback Jyaire Hill has an overall defensive grade of 79.0 according to Pro Football Focus, which ranks sixth- best in the Big Ten and tied for 26th in the Power Four. His 6 pass breakups are tied for 16th in the Power Four. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Staff writer Drew Hallett has covered Michigan athletics since 2013. Contact him at drew.c.hallett@gmail.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @DrewCHallett.