WR Mario Manningham -- Steve Breaston has done well lately, but he's not on Manningham's level offensively. If Manningham returns to the form he had against Notre Dame, Ohio State's secondary won't have an answer for him.
DE LaMarr Woodley -- His 11 sacks this year have Ohio State's attention. QB Troy Smith was hit hard by Illinois' defense, but it was the only time this year he was under duress for much of the day. Michigan needs to pressure Smith, and that task begins with Woodley.
LB Shawn Crable -- With Prescott Burgess still recovering from an ankle injury, Crable could be the spy Michigan puts on Smith. The Wolverines have to have someone watching every move he makes, especially after the damage he's done the last two years.
Ohio State
QB Troy Smith -- Plays his best in big games, including two big wins over Michigan. Another big performance will most likely earn him the Heisman Trophy.
DT Quinn Pitcock -- Michigan's zone blocking scheme relies on space. Pitcock is great at eating up space. If Pitcock and DEs Jay Richardson and Vernon Gholston win the battle at the line of scrimmage, Mike Hart's room to run diminishes greatly.
WR Ted Ginn -- Games like this are generally decided on big plays, and Ginn has a history of some of the biggest. His punt return against Michigan at home two years ago is a big reason why Ohio State won. Expect at least one game-changing play out of No. 7 on Saturday.
WR Mario Manningham (knee) is still doing rehab but is available.
Ohio State
LB Alex Boone (knee) should return after missing two games.
KICKOFF: Saturday, 3:30 ET (ABC)
SERIES: Michigan leads 57-39-6
2006 RANKINGS:
Wolverines: offense 34th (4th), pass 82nd (9th), run 12th (1st), defense 3rd (1st), pass 11th (3rd), run 1st (1st);
Buckeyes: offense 19th (2nd), pass 37th (3rd), run 20th (4th), defense 8th (3rd), pass 6th (2nd), run 11th (2nd)
POLLS: Michigan (2nd AP, 2nd coaches); Ohio State (1st AP, 1st coaches)
THE BREAKDOWN:
The keys for Ohio State start with QB Troy Smith, who has abused Michigan's defense for 780 yards of total offense in his two games against the Wolverines. The Buckeyes and TB Antonio Pittman aren't likely to run wild against Michigan's staunch front seven, so Smith will have to make some plays with his arm and his legs and make good use of WRs Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez.
On defense, the key will be the Buckeyes' ability to get pressure on Michigan QB Chad Henne and slow down TB Mike Hart. Ohio State's defense has been at its best in the fourth quarter this season, wearing down opposing quarterbacks with a relentless pass rush. CB Antonio Smith will be tested by Michigan's receivers.
The Wolverines must continue to get plays out WRs Steve Breaston and Adrian Arrington with leading WR Mario Manningham still working his way back to full health. His health is a big key for Michigan. He has just two catches in two games since returning from knee surgery, but the Wolverines could be waiting to spring him on the Buckeyes.
No one has run on the Michigan defense this year and Ohio State isn't likely to change that, so the Wolverines have to find a way to contain Smith and prevent him from controlling the game. Look for Michigan to use a spy on Smith --either Shawn Crable or Prescott Burgess.
FAST FACTS:
Wolverines -- The Wolverines' 34-3 win over Indiana last week was their 11th straight, the second-longest active winning streak in the nation. The Wolverines are 6-4 in the last 10 meetings between the two schools and own a 27-21-2 record in Columbus, 21-20-1 at Ohio Stadium. ... The Wolverines are 6-5 against the Buckeyes, including a 2-3 mark in Columbus, under coach Lloyd Carr. ... Michigan is 4-0 record on the road this season and has won seven consecutive road games.
Buckeyes -- This will be the second time this year that the Buckeyes have been involved in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 clash. Ohio State was No. 1 and Texas No. 2 when the two teams met in Austin on Sept. 9. The Buckeyes won that game 24-7 and haven't looked back since. ... Ohio State has won 18 consecutive games, the nation's longest active winning streak. ... The Ohio State defense has limited its past six opponents to a total of 37 points and has given up just two touchdowns in the past 16 quarters.
Information provided by The Sports Xchange
