You're Punching a One Way Ticket to the National Championship? Not so Fast my Friend!

It's pretty clear who the majority of sports writers, analysts and fans think we will see play for the National Championship in early 2014. The team who seems to always play for that Crystal Ball, the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the team who went undefeated last season but due to a post season ban wasn't allowed to play for the National title, the Ohio State Buckeyes. A few people may disagree, but if they make predictions of the National title game they will most likely at least have Alabama or Ohio State in the game.

It makes sense right? The Crimson Tide have won two straight National titles. They've been dominant. And players such as quarterback AJ McCarron, running back TJ Yeldon and wide receiver Amari Cooper are just three of Bama's star players. Their defense was ranked first in the Nation in points allowed per game, only allowing an average of 10.9 points, first in rush defense, only allowing 76.4 yards a game, and first in total defense, allowing only an average of 250.0 yards per game.

Alabama only lost one game. A close one against Heisman Trophy winner (and 2012 Project CFB QB of the Year as well as Freshman of the Year) Johnny Manziel and his Texas A&M Aggies. A&M only defeated the Crimson Tide by five points, but a loss is a loss.

But let's look into Alabama's 2012 year a little more shall we? They went 13-1, 7-1 in the SEC. They beat teams such as LSU, Georgia (in the SEC Championship Game) and Notre Dame (by 28 points in the National Championship Game). However, if you look more into this you will see that Alabama only defeated Les Miles' LSU Tigers by four points. They also defeated the Bulldogs for the SEC title by the same amount, four points. One or two small mistakes could have been the difference between winning and losing in those two games. The same that could be said about this year.
Alabama plays seven games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, four away games and one game at a neutral site. They begin their year taking on Virginia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. On paper Bama looks like the clear cut winner, but if Logan Thomas and company can find their rhythm against the Crimson Tide and stay on top, they could pull the upset. But even if Alabama gets by Virginia Tech, they open their SEC schedule in week two against Johnny Manziel and his Texas A&M Aggies, this time at College Station. The Aggies could very well make it two straight victories against Bama, especially playing on their home field this time around.

Alabama's schedule is sprinkled in with a couple more tough opponents. After A&M they will play against Colorado State, Ole Miss and Georgia State. All three should be easily won. After that they play Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee, three teams with first year head coaches, and although it's their first years at their respective schools, they have been improving their schools from day one. After those three games Alabama will battle LSU in what's sure to be a tough one, followed by Mississippi State and Chattanooga. They will wrap the season up on November 30 with the Iron Bowl, at Auburn. This heated rivalry game favors Alabama this year, but with a rivalry game like this, you just never know.

So if you counted, there are four games on Bama's schedule that could possibly ruin their National Title hopes. Will Alabama be defeated in 2013? I can't say for certain. They are arguably the best team in college football this year, but to say that they will most definitely run the table this fall is just not wise.

Now, onto the other team that seems oh so certain to play for a National Title. Urban Meyer's Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are stacked with some amazing playmakers. Quarterback Braxton Miller is an impressive dual threat QB perfect for an Urban Meyer style offense. Philly Brown is a reliable wide receiver for Miller, and as long as Carlos Hyde plays this season (he was a person of interest in an assault at a bar that may or may not have happened), Hyde could possibly rush for 1,000 yards. Ryan Shazier is also a big playmaker on the other side of the ball. He recorded 70 tackles and five sacks last season.

Unlike Bama, OSU went undefeated last season. However, they played their fair share of very close games. OSU won two games in OT (beating Purdue and Wisconsin by seven). They also survived against Cal by seven, Michigan State by one, Indiana by only three and Michigan by just five.

Many of these games could have been a loss for the Buckeyes if just one mistake was made. With Braxton Miller only completing 58.3% of his passes, I can say with confidence that they are lucky they didn't lose one of these close games.

The Bucks start their 2013 season off fairly easily. Playing against Buffalo and San Diego State followed by an away game against Cal. After that they take on Florida A&M and should go into their Big Ten opener undefeated. Ohio State's first B1G game is a home game against Gary Andersen's Wisconsin Badgers. A game that if the Buckeyes take lightly they could find themselves on the short end of the stick.

After the Badgers, OSU travels to Ryan Field to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. This is another game that I feel if Ohio State looks past, Kain Colter and his Wildcats could pull the upset. Next OSU battles Iowa before hosting Penn State in Columbus. Penn State, led by 2012 Project CFB Coach of the Year Bill O'Brien is yet another team on the Buckeyes' schedule that if they take lightly they can wind up defeated.

After the Nittany Lions, Ohio State wraps their season up with road games against Purdue and Illinois, a home game against Indiana and The Game against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. Michigan is definitely on an upswing. Devin Gardner has taken the starting QB position, and although his pass percentage is only slightly better than Braxton Miller's, he will be ready and willing to take the Buckeyes down.

Just like Alabama, Ohio State has four games that seem to be games of interest, and if they don't prepare or if they take them lightly, they can see their hopes of a National Championship dwindle away.

Will Alabama and/or Ohio State play in the National Championship game? They absolutely could. They have the talent to do just that. But is it a lock? Absolutely not. Both teams play a few teams that they could lose to. But as long as they keep their heads in the game and stick to their game plan, they very well could face off for the National Championship in 2014.

- Matt Lytle
@mattlytle
matt.projectcfb@gmail.com

2013 Big Ten Preview

The Big Ten is a conference that was one of the toughest conferences to be in. Some argue that it still is. With the SEC running wild down South, many don't believe that the Big Ten is a power conference anymore. But teams like the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines and Wisconsin Badgers have something to say about that. Granted, the SEC has won the National Championship seven of the last nine times. And the Big Ten hasn't won the National Title since the Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes in 2002. But the Big Ten have a couple of contenders this year, that very well could find themselves battling for the National Championship this winter.

We all know that Maryland and Rutgers will be joining the Big Ten next season, and with that change in 2014 we will see the Leaders and Legends Division go away for a more common East and West division. We will see Michigan and Ohio State playing in the same division, along side Maryland and Rutgers as well as Indiana, Michigan State and Penn State. They will obviously make up the East Division while the West Division will consist of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin. But we will save the 2014 Big Ten for 2014. Let's see how the Big Ten very well could play out in this final season of the Leaders and Legends Division.
This is a preview and my own predictions for the Big Ten conference in 2013.

Leaders Division

1. Ohio State Buckeyes
After a 12-0 season last season, Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes will look to not only recreate the magic of an undefeated season. They will not only look to win a Big Ten Championship. They will look to go on to win the first National Championship that the Big Ten has won since 2002 (when Jim Tressel led the Bucks to an undefeated season and National Championship). Junior quarterback Braxton Miller will lead the Buckeyes on offense. Last year he threw for 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. He also scored a total of 28 touchdowns. Depending on if Carlos Hyde plays for the team this year (he found himself a person of interest in an incident in a bar about a week ago) he will be a reliable back for Miller on offense. Hyde ran for 970 yards last season and 16 touchdowns. Braxton will also have a couple of reliable wide receivers such as senior Philly Brown and Jordan Hall. Junior linebacker Ryan Shazier is coming off of a 115 tackle season and will be a big leader on defense.

2. Wisconsin Badgers
The Badgers lost Bret Bielema but gained Gary Andersen as their new head coach. The quarterback spot will either go to junior college transfer Tanner McEvoy or sophomore Joel Stave. The running backs will consist of senior James White and sophomore Melvin Gordon. White rushed for a little over 800 yards last season behind Montee Ball and hit paydirt 12 times. Senior receiver Jared Abbrederis returns after an 837 yard and 5 touchdown season in 2012. All of Wisconsin's defensive stats ranked fifth or higher in the Big Ten. Attacking the QB with blitz packages is what their defense will look to consistently do this year. Their defensive coordinator Dave Aranda was quoted saying, "I'm a big advocate of attacking protections."

3. Penn State Nittany Lions
The Nittany Lions come back for head coach Bill O'Brien's second season as head coach. O'Brien started the season rocky as Penn State's coach, but came back leading the team to an 8-4 season. O'Brien won the Project CFB Coach of the Year last year. This year he will look to true freshman Christian Hackenberg to lead his team to victory. Tyler Ferguson, a junior college transfer will be Christian's backup just in case. Running back Zach Zwinak lead the team in rushing with 1,000 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2012. He will look to have another year like last year if not better. Five wideouts return from last season, led by junior Allen Robinson. Penn State's offensive line is solid. Their defense returns quite a few starters as well. Sophomore defensive end Deion Barnes and senior DaQuan Jones will look to disrupt the pocket while cornerback Adrian Amos and safety Stephen Obeng-Agyapong will look to defend the pass.

4. Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana sophomore quarterback Tre Robinson will return this season after suffering a broken leg in the second game of the season last year. Robinson is a dual-threat quarterback who is an impressive QB and will look to prove it on the field. He will have wide receivers Shane Wynn, Cody Latimer and Kofi Hughes as great options. Indiana also has two reliable running backs in Stephen Houston, who rushed for 749 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, and Tevin Coleman, who is a full sized back with power. Indiana gave up a ton of points in their last three games last year. And their top two defensive tackles are gone. Linebacker David Cooper and safety Greg Heban are the returning lead tacklers. Also lineback Zack Shaw is moving to defensive end to assist in pass rush.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois went 2-10 last season without a win in the Big Ten. Senior quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase returns after a 1,300 passing yard season. He only threw four touchdowns, and threw eight interceptions. He also rushed for four touchdowns. Illinois running back Donovonn Young returns. He rushed for 571 yards and three touchdowns last season and also was the Fighting Illini's leading receiver with 38 receptions, 172 yards and one receiving touchdown. Defense is young, but they welcomed 10 mid-year enrollees including five junior college transfers in an attempt to stack the defense.

6. Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue looks to new head coach Darrell Hazell who is going to get rid of the spread style offense Purdue fans are used to seeing for a pro-style type offense. Senior Rob Henry should be the Boilermaker's quarterback this season. He has the most experience and can make plays with his feet. Hazell has two other options at QB if he needs it. "We've got three capable guys at that position," he said. Running back Hakeem Hunt returns after rushing for 134 yards in the spring game. He had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Ohio State last season. Purdue's defense returns eight starters.

Legends Division

1. Michigan Wolverines
Michigan looks to junior quarterback Devin Gardner to lead the team this year in the post-Denard Robinson era. Offensive coordinator Al Borges will finally get to run his pro-style offense that he had a hard time running with the playmaker Denard Robinson on the field. Behind Gardner is a pool of running backs. Thomas Rawls, Derrick Green and Justice Hayes are just a few names you may see at running back, as well as Fitzgerald Toussaint who suffered a broken leg last season playing against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Gardner will have reliable receivers such as Jeremy Gallon and Drew Dileo to throw to. Michigan suffered a blow on defense when Jake Ryan tore his ACL in practice. He likely will not play in 2013, but that doesn't mean he won't work his butt off trying to return. Michigan will look for Brennen Byer, Jibreel Black, Taco Charlton, Desmond Morgan and Courtney Avery to step up on defense and make plays.

2. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Bo Pelini and the Cornhuskers are coming off of a couple of tough losses in the Big Ten Championship Game and the Capital One Bowl. Nebraska has returning quarterback senior Taylor Martinez who threw for 2,871 yards, 1,000 rushing yards and a total of 23 touchdowns. Behind him is junior running back Ameer Abdullah who is a playmaker himself. He rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and eight touchdowns. Junior receiver Kenny Bell will be Martinez's go-to guy on offense. Bell reeled in 50 receptions last season for 863 yards and eight touchdowns. Nebraska ranked first in the Big Ten for rushing yards per game and also ranked first in the Big Ten for passing defense (fourth Nationally). All their cornerbacks return. However their linebackers are all new, and their defensive line only returns two with experience.

3. Northwestern Wildcats
Pat Fitzgerald has done good things in Northwestern. He will has two quarterbacks this season just like last. Senior Kain Colter, who is a dual-threat quarterback able to make plays returns as well as junior Trevor Siemian. Northwestern has Venric Mark at running back this season, who rushed for 1,366 yards last year. The Wildcats also have three reliable receivers for their QB duo to pass to. Juniors Christian Jones and Tony Jones, as well as senior Rashad Lawrence. Northwestern has all three level of defense. Tyler Scott anchors the d-line. They will also have two linebackers in Damien Proby and Chi Chi Ariguzo who will make plays. Northwestern ranked first in the Big Ten in turnovers. A trend that Pat Fitzgerald will look to continue.

4. Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State has senior quarterback Andrew Maxwell returning under center this season. He will have a trio of wide receivers to toss the ball to. One being senior Bennie Fowler, junior Keith Murphy and sophomore Aaron Burbridge. Michigan State's new running back is freshman Riley Bullough, who is a former linebacker. The Spartan's defense looks to have potential, but they will have to step up and play hard against the big offensive lines from the Big Ten and the playmakers they'll face against Notre Dame.

5. Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa will look to quarterback Jake Rudock to lead the offense this year. Rudock threw for over 5,000 yards at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Iowa also has two junior running backs in Mark Weisman and Damen Bullock returns after combining for 1,300 yards last season. The offensive line looks solid and will be able to open holes for the running back duo. Receivers struggled to get yards after catch last season. Junior Kevonte Martin-Manley had 52 receptions but only two touchdowns. Iowa was lowest in the Big Ten for sacks last season. They have to replace cornerback Micah Hyde and looks to do so with sophomore Jordan Lomax. Their defense will struggle against the schedule this season.

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota’s quarterback Philip Nelson had his red-shirt taken off in the middle of last season. He threw for over 800 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2012. The Golden Gophers have question marks at wide receivers. Issac Fruechte and Devin Crawford-Tufts look to assist in the passing game. Junior running back Donnell Kirkwood rushed for 926 yards last season. Sophomore running back Rodrick Williams is available too. Minnesota gave up an average of 197.1 rushing yards per game in Big Ten play last season. They will struggle this season as well unfortunately. Minnesota hasn’t won a Big Ten Title in 46 years. It looks as if they’ll at least go one more.

- Matt Lytle
@mattlytle
matt.projectcfb@gmail.com

Project CFB Top Ten: #2 Ohio State Buckeyes

Could I simply wrap this article up in just two words, Braxton Miller? It would be easier. It would make reading this article and writing this article a lot faster. However, I don't think Braxton Miller will be able to get it done all by himself. I mean he's got an all-star coach in UrbanMeyer on his sideline. He has not only some playmakers on his side of the ball, but on defense as well.

Miller's offensive line looks as strong as it has been in years. And Miller has a reliable 1,000 yard rusher in the backfield in Carlos Hyde.

Speaking of rushing, Miller ran for over 1,200 yards and hit pay dirt 13 times with his legs. Braxton definitely deserves to be in the Heisman conversation this season, and will look to stay in that conversation throughout the year.

Miller has a couple of reliable receivers in junior Devin Smith and senior Philly Brown. Brown reeled in 60 receptions for 669 yards and three touchdowns last season.

But enough of this very talented, speedy offense. Lets discuss the Buckeyes defense.

Linebacker Ryan Shazier is coming off of a season where he accumulated 115 tackles, including five sacks. He will be lining up with fellow playmakers Curtis Grant and Joshua Perry.

The cornerbacks are led by junior Bradley Roby who reeled in two interceptions last season. And the safeties are strong with seniors CJ Barnett and Christian Bryant taking the field.

Last season the Buckeyes unfortunately had a post-season bowl ban, however that ban is out the window.
The Buckeyes went 12-0 last season with their closest game being a one-point victory over Michigan State in Spartan Stadium. Can the Buckeyes go undefeated again in 2013?

A few key games that they will need to be ready for include two away games, and a handful of games being played in Columbus.

The Bucks first test comes on September 28th against the Wisconsin Badgers, who have a brand new head coach, but still a few playmakers on the roster.
The next week OSU will travel to Ryan Field to take on main Colter and the Northwestern Wildcats. I believe that this is the type of game that if the Buckeyes go into too confident, it could prove deadly for their undefeated hopes.

On October 26 the Buckeyes will take in Penn State, who is coached by last year's Project CFB Coach of the Year Bill O'Brien.

The month f November doesn't seem to bring too many road blocks, OSU will face off against Purdue and Illinois at their respective stadiums, followed by a game against Indiana at Ohio Stadium.

Then, November 30th we will be treated to THE Game. Ohio State will travel to Ann Arbor to take on their most hated rival, the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines have improved vastly since the Rich Rodriguez era, and the Wolverines will look to stop any kind of momentum the Buckeyes have stirred up in weeks prior. But Braxton Miller and company will be looking to not only go undefeated and play in the Big Ten Title game, but they will be looking for their first National Championship since 2002. As long as Braxton Miller can stay healthy, and he gets the right support from his pool of running backs, wide receivers and offensive line, the Buckeyes should be able to at least wind up 12-1, with the hopes of going 13-0. Even if their defense has trouble with a couple of the high offense teams on their schedule, no one in the Big Ten ranked higher in scoring than the Buckeyes. I'm not sure if there is anyone in the country that can top OSU when it comes to putting points on the board.

The Buckeyes have a very impressive team this season. 2013 could very well be the year of the Ohio State Buckeyes, but we will just have to wait and see if they can do what they need to do to make it to the National Title.

- Matt Lytle
@mattlytle
matt.projectcfb@gmail.com

Jackson's Top Five Big Ten Quarterbacks

I can honestly say that coming up with this list was actually a little tougher than I anticipated. The Big Ten has a few quarterbacks who are solid at their position and can not only make a play, but lead their team to victory.

1. Braxton Miller, OSU

2. Devin Gardner, MICH

3. Taylor Martinez, NEB

4. Kain Colter, NU

5. Tre Roberson, IND

I honestly think that there are quite a few ways you could rank the top five quarterbacks in the Big Ten. In my opinion I wouldn't be surprised to see anyone put Braxton Miller, Devin Gardner or Taylor Martinez as the number one QB, and honestly, I wouldn't argue with them. Miller and Martinez are proven to be solid QBs, and Devin Gardner proved he has great abilities at the position as well.

Kain Colter has been an impressive QB at Northwestern, and although Northwestern had a tough schedule this year, I could see him making a difference in a few games.

I have had high hopes for Tre Roberson the past couple of years. He was the first true freshman to start at QB for the Hoosiers. Unfortunately last season in Indiana's game vs UMass, Roberson broke his leg. Indiana fans will be looking for him to make a big difference in their offense this season.

- Jackson McNamara

@jacksonmcnamara

jackson.projectcfb@gmail.com

Can Anyone Stop Ohio State from Winning the Big Ten Championship?

After an undefeated 2012 campaign under new heard coach Urban Meyer, expectations are sky high in Columbus. No longer held back by NCAA post season sanctions, Ohio State sets their eyes on the Big Ten championship and are hopeful they can at the very least be in the discussion for the BCS Championship as well.

Braxton Miller scored 28 total touchdowns last season.

Leading the charge offensively for the Buckeyes is Heisman hopeful quarterback Braxton Miller. Miller was nothing short of dynamic last season accounting for over 3,300 yards of total offense and 28 total touchdowns (15 passing, 13 rushing) in 2012. The Buckeyes also have running back Carlos Hyde returning for his senior season. Hyde had a very solid season in 2012 rushing for close to 1,000 yards and scored 16 touchdowns on the ground. Miller and Hyde should prove to be a very scary 1-2 punch on the ground this season. But that does not mean they do not return talent at the wide receiver position either. They return both of their returning receivers in Philly Brown and Devin Smith. They both caught over 60 passes in 2012 and combined for 9 touchdown catches, Brown also chipped in two more scores on special teams. The Buckeyes have to be very happy that they return the nucleus of an offense that scored close to 40 points a game last season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Buckeyes are losing a few key contributors along the defensive line to the NFL draft and graduation, most prominently  Johnathan Hankins who amassed 55 total tackles in 2012, including 4 tackles for loss, defensive end John Simon and his 9 sacks in 2012 are also going to need to be replaced. Linebackers Etienne Sabino and Nathan Williams who combined for over 80 tackles are also leaving for the NFL draft. Fortunately, the Buckeyes still return their leading tackler in senior linebacker Ryan Shazier. Shazier had over 100 tackles in 2012 with 17 tackles for loss, including 5 sacks, and he also had an interception to boot. The secondary will be lead by senior cornerback Christian Bryant and safety CJ Barnett.

From a personnel standpoint, Buckeyes fans have to be excited to have not only the core of the offense but also their two leading tacklers in Shazier and Bryant. Despite losing two key contributors on the defensive line in Hankins and John Simon, the Buckeyes still have tons of depth and young players ready to step up along the defensive line. However, you can have all the talent in the world but if you cant put it together on Saturdays you have no shot to contend for a Big Ten Championship.

Urban Meyer began his coaching career at Ohio State
with an undefeated season.

Looking at their schedule, the Buckeyes are set up very nicely for a run at not only a Leaders division championship, but the Big Ten crown as well. The Buckeyes open with two non conference home games in Buffalo and San Diego State before heading to the west coast to take on the California Golden Bears before heading home to take on Florida A&M before the first real test in my eyes on the schedule and that is a September 28th showdown in Columbus with the Wisconsin Badgers. If Ohio State can survive the Badgers they are set up for a very nice October home slate with the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions after a trip to Ryan Field to take on the Northwestern Wildcats.The Buckeyes will then start November with back to back road trips to Purdue and Illinois before hosting the Indiana Hooisers in the final home game of the season before finishing the regular season in the Big House to take on the hated Michigan Wolverines on November 30th.

In college football, a favorable schedule is at times the most important aspect to a successful season. I think that a 10+ win season is very possible, and may be expected by the Buckeye faithful in Columbus. With the biggest obstacles coming in Wisconsin and Michigan and both teams graduating their most dangerous offensive weapons in running back Montee Ball and quarterback Denard Robinson respectively. I do not see any team in the Big Ten that can match the offensive firepower of Braxton Miller and the Buckeyes. It should be an exciting season for you if you are Buckeye fan in 2013 and beyond.

- Josh Gamez

@itsjoshgamez

josh.projectcfb@gmail.com

#19 Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes Preview

I have always said that one of the things that makes college football better than the National Football League is the rivalry games, and I will stand by that statement until I'm long gone. This game, "The Game" is one of those rivalry games.

Growing up about an hour from Columbus, I got to experience the rivalry. I've seen die-hard Ohio State fans. I've seen die-hard Michigan fans. I've seen the competition and the hatred.



Since before Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes, these two teams have hated each other, although Bo and Woody faced off in the 10 Year War, and really took this rivalry to a whole new level.



Bo went 5-4-1 against Woody in the 10 Year War.

Both teams have had off-seasons. Both teams have had their fair share of struggling against the other. Ohio State fans had to live through the John Cooper era, while Michigan fans had to endure the Rich Rodriguez era.

Michigan leads the rivalry with an overall record of 58-43-6. This is the 109th meeting between these two teams, and I have to say, this is one of the toughest to pick a winner. Both teams seem very much similar, despite what any Michigan or OSU fan would say.

Both teams have struggled this year throwing the ball. Michigan is ranked 97th in the NCAA averaging about 200 yards per game, while OSU is ranked 103rd, with an average of 180.8 passing yards per game.

Ohio State has the lead in rushing, being ranked 9th and averaging 245.5 yards per game. Michigan is only ranked 36th in the nation, and is averaging 194.5 yards per game.

Both teams average close to the same amount of points per game, Michigan averaging 30.8 (ranking 48th in the nation for points scored), while Ohio State scores an average of 38.2 (ranking 18th in the nation).

Defense could very well be the key here. Michigan's defense is allowing only 18.1 points per game, while OSU is giving up 23.0. That's a ranking of 17th for points allowed for Michigan, and a ranking of 34 for Ohio State.

Let's dig deeper shall we?

Michigan used to be led by quarterback Denard Robinson, and in some ways, they still are. Denard was injured earlier this season, and just stepped back onto the field last Saturday in Michigan's victory against Iowa. And although he did take some snaps at QB, Robinson's role was very much a running back and wide receiver, something that some Michigan fans have been asking Brady Hoke and Al Borges for for some time.



Devin Gardner has proven to be quite the QB for Michigan.



Michigan's man under center now is junior Devin Gardner, who has been quite impressive as QB. In his only three starts for Michigan as a QB, Gardner has thrown for over 800 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions. He has also punched the ball into the endzone six times in those three starts.

Denard also looks to be a huge weapon as a running back/wide receiver. He has rushed for over 1,000 yards this season and hit pay dirt six times as well.

Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint was unfortunately injured last Saturday and doesn't look to play for the rest of this season, but since he is a junior, he'll be back next year. It's still sad that he'll miss a game as important as this.

Gardner also has two reliable receivers in Jeremy Gallon and Roy Roundtree, who have combined for over 1,000 yards and four receiving touchdowns. Gardner definitely has a lot more accuracy than Denard, and is just as much a threat to be able to tuck the ball and run. With his 6'4" frame, he can stretch for those yards a little easier than Denard could.

Does this seem like it'll be the battle of two quarterbacks yet?!



Braxton Miller has been an impressive QB for OSU.

Braxton Miller will look to lead the Buckeyes to victory. The Buckeyes should somewhat be used to beating the Wolverines, having only lost two games in the last 10 years to their rival (that's if you count Ohio State's vacated 2010 victory over Michigan.

Miller has had quite the year, gaining Heisman talk with stats of 134/236, 1,850 yards, 14 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Miller has also scored 13 rushing touchdowns.

Miller's running back, junior Carlos Hyde will look to ad on to his 824 total rushing yards for this season. He also has 15 rushing touchdowns to his name as well.

Braxton also finds help in his wide receivers. Two of which, Devin Smith and Philly Brown, have combined for a total of over 1,000 yards rushing and eight touchdowns.

Their offenses have been rather impressive this season, but have also had their struggles. The same story is with their defenses. Both teams have defenses that can shut out teams, but also give up many points, and put their team in jeopardy of losing.

Michigan's defensive coordinator is none other than Ravens' former defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. With a defensive coach of that magnitude, you'd have to think that he'll have them ready and willing to flatten that Ohio State offense come Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. But obviously Luke Fickell will look to have his defense ready as well.



Urban Meyer looks to beat Michigan in his 1st year as OSU coach.



And let's not forget the coaches! Jim Tressel resigned as Ohio State's head football coach on May 30, 2011 due to NCAA trouble. Luke Fickell was named interim-head coach for the 2011 season, and since then, Urban Meyer was hired as the head coach of the Buckeyes. Meyer has ties to Ohio State and obviously the state of Ohio, and will be looking to gain a victory over Michigan in his first season as Buckeyes head coach.

Michigan head coach Brady Hoke has ties to Michigan as well, being a defensive coach for the Wolverines when they won the National Championship in 1997. Hoke dislikes Ohio State so much, he won't even say "Ohio State". He will only refer to their team as "Ohio". Just as well, many OSU fans and coaches refer to Michigan as "that team up north".

  

Brady Hoke is 1-0 against the Buckeyes as Michigan head coach.

Brady Hoke gained a victory over Ohio State in his first year as head coach of the Wolverines (last year - 2011), and like I said before, Urban Meyer will look to do the same thing this season.



I have followed this rivalry since I was a kid, and I can say that with Brady Hoke at Michigan and Urban Meyer at Ohio State, I really could see this being the start of the "new" 10 Year War. Woody and Bo did it in the late 60's and 70's. Will Brady and Urban do it in the 2010's and 2020's? Only time will tell.

"The Game" will start at noon ET and air on ABC. It'll take place at Ohio Stadium, "The Horseshoe" in Columbus, Ohio. Pick who you think will win if you must (or if you can), but it is lined up to be quite an entertaining game!

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle