MSU playing this weekend to secure Michigan spot in the B1G Championship Game

Submitted by Gerald Ford on November 5th, 2018 at 8:03 AM

Mentioned earlier in an update on B1G standings, but deserves a little more of a spotlight/discussion I think.

Assuming the Wolverines dispatch Rutgers and Indiana (In Brown Winovich We Trust), there is the delightful possibility that this weekend in East Landfill:

(1) OSU loses again and we all enjoy the ensuing meltdown in Columbus

and

(2) Sparty gets to enjoy handing us our ticket to the B1G Championship Game. Even when they win, they lose. Perhaps they can lock arms and walk across the field in the Big House to hand us the ticket.

I've seen comments about wanting OSU to win out to enhance the quality of our (inevitable) win over the Bucknuts. I can't see where that is at all necessary if we run the table and win the B1G. 12-1 definitely gets us into the playoff.

I also think that if OSU is NOT playing for a spot in the B1G CG, they will Bosa the remainder of the season and players will focus on not playing school and Urbz will realize he really needs to spend more time with the family.  

LeCheezus

November 5th, 2018 at 9:53 AM ^

So true.  Slightly off topic, but I think as a whole (with Wisconsin being our "locked" B10W opponent) the years with MSU/OSU on the road might actually be easier schedules.  Those years coincide with having only 4 B1G road games.  The years we have OSU/MSU at home we have 5 B1G road games - including a fixture of @PSU (and @Wisconsin for now).  OSU/MSU is never going to be a trap game for Michigan, but 5 B1G road games is a lot of opportunities for letdowns.  What really tipped the schedule this year was ND away in game 1, but nothing can be done about that now.

Catchafire

November 5th, 2018 at 8:54 AM ^

I hate when people use this excuse.  I hate it because these are the type of fans who prognosticate the entire season based on one game and give up all hope, trash the team, call for firings, when you lose a game at the beginning of the year like we did to ND.

Enjoy the season, one game at a time.  Instead of looking toward OSU and beyond, lets enjoy the game we currently have against Rutgers.

 

Der Alte

November 5th, 2018 at 9:57 AM ^

Exactly right. We are fans --- meaningless, irrelevant fans. We can do or say whatever we want to, without concern that we will influence the team's destiny. I can game-plan today for Alabama or Clemson (or even for a rematch with that Catholic college in Indiana) in the BCS playoffs, and the cosmos, the fates, even the actual outcome of each remaining game, will remain wholly unaffected. Go Blue. 

MH20

November 5th, 2018 at 9:36 AM ^

I fail to see how what I said was an "excuse." Also, who said I'm not enjoying the season? I was at the game on Saturday and I enjoyed the hell out of myself during all parts of that beatdown and loved every second of the players rubbing it in Franklin's dumb face. But hey, thanks for the free life advice!

(And for the record I generally do not like looking ahead to games but I think it's beyond silly for people to admonish those who do.)

Rabbit21

November 5th, 2018 at 11:27 AM ^

More a suggestion for our own mental health.  There have been so many let downs that I know for me personally it's easier to think about the next game and what is guaranteed to happen than get too far in the future as so much has yet to be decided.

But that's just me, do whatever you like, for me it's more about not trying to get out over my skis.

LickReach

November 5th, 2018 at 8:42 AM ^

Yep.  It's a rivalry game so all I am worried about is turnovers, big plays, BPONE.  I do trust our defense and JH to already be game planning here.  tOSU has the more talented athletes, but we appear to have a mental toughness unseen since the 90s.  

What would cause me fury would be cheap, shitty ref calls that destroy drives.  Mentally, I will never move on from 2016, rather I concluded that we lost because we did not put the game away and the refs and that stupid team just hung around long enough.  2018 team just does not appear to let that happen and even if they get down they just seem like their fight is *never* over for them. 

Urbz has lost rivalry games (something the TV commentators got wrong in 2012 and I clung to since).  That  gives me hope as well as the confidence of the team right now.    

So, in conclusion, may that team rot an unending, painful loss at our hands regardless of record on Nov. 24.  

Hard-Baughlls

November 5th, 2018 at 9:04 AM ^

I'm not buying the more talented athletes narrative anymore.  

Our defense is stacked with All American players that will play in the NFL...these are not Don Brown's Boston College teams. His scheme is amazing, but Winovich, Gary, Bush, Solomon, Long, Hill, and Hudson are all straight up elite, and Uche, Paye, Dwumfour, Watson, Metullus and Gil are not far behind.

On offense...Does OSU have a better trio of receivers than DPJ, Black and Collins?  Do they have our depth at tight end?

Dobbins and Weber is probably a better combo than Higdon and Evans, but not by much.

And with our O-line playing at this level and Patterson managing the games, I'm just not buying the talent argument here.

Bama, Clemson...yes...I think they are more talented than us across the board.  OSU...simply looks like the recruits had a few more starz in aggregate, but our guys have developed into dudes.

charblue.

November 5th, 2018 at 9:51 AM ^

Whatever. Michigan is just better than Ohio State, period. For the first time, maybe since we last beat those guys in Columbus, we are flat out better than them, with a more complete team. Don't care about their athletes if they can't execute outside the passing game. And that is the case. Michigan is just better. And we will prove it.

 

McSomething

November 6th, 2018 at 5:32 AM ^

I used to feel the same. In the past I wanted every season to be a #1 vs #2 battle of unbeatens. But wandering the wasteland the last 10+ years, alone, with everyone else in the conference dancing on the proverbial grave the entire time has changed my perspective. Now I believe in one thing only with everyone else;

Fuck 'em.

I want Ohio State to suffer through 10 years of suck. Losing to us every season, and struggling to beat even the lowliest of teams on their schedule.