Like many OSU fans, I am eagerly looking forward to the new football season, and gladly read each dribble of new information. (obviously, with the bias of a Michigan fan.)
I recently read a piece highlighting PFF (Pro Football Focus, evaluating how current college players are projected to do in 2023, and how each group is ranked.) This highlighted Michigan and OSU in different ways:
- Looking at the top 10 offensive lines overall in college for 2023, PFF put Michigan at number 1. (Interestingly, Georgia came in at number 2, and Alabama at number 4.) No other Big 10 teams ranked in the top 10. LINK: https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-top-10-offensive-lines-2023
- In a list of top 10 returning interior linemen, Michigan had two (Zak Zinter at OG and Drake Nugent at C.) LINK: https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-top-10-returning-interior-offensive-linemen-in-college-football-for-the-2023-season
- In a list of top 10 RB, Michigan RB Blake Corum headed the list, with Donovan Edwards coming in at number 9. LINK: https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-top-returning-running-backs-2023
- OSU not only has the top 2 WR returning in the Big 10, they have the top 2 WR in the ENTIRE COUNTRY, in Harrison (Duh) and Egbuka. LINK: https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-top-returning-wide-receivers-2023
- Imhe, it is too soon to know too much definitively about the incoming QB at OSU, being unproven starters. However, we all know they were very highly ranked coming out of high school. Michigan QB JJ McCarthy is ranked, but I'm waiting to see if he throws more accurate bullets, like Stroud, and am not convinced yet.
While I think you would want to have the BEST group at Every. Single. Position., this is improbable, if not impossible. However, it definitely seems that Ryan Day has chosen to have the best receivers and the best passing QB possible. Jim Harbaugh has chosen to have the best OL and RB corps possible. That's not to say that Michigan can't pass (witness JJ McCarthy and Cornelius Johnson vs. OSU last year,) nor is it to say that OSU can't run (See Mayan Williams, ranked no. 8 in PFF returning RB's.) This also doesn't rank the various position groups on defense, most notably the DL and secondary.
So this leads to my questions:
- Do you agree or disagree with this analysis? That OSU is best in the Big 10 with the passing game, and Michigan is best in the Big 10 with the running game?
- If you agree, are you good with that?
- Lastly, choose one, and only one: EITHER Be best on the OL and thus the running game, OR Be best with the passing game? (Note that this isn't the real world, and oversimplifies things. Maybe it would be better to be second best at both OL/running game and QB/passing game than to be the best at one of the other. But I don't want to get bogged down and overcomplicate the question.)
To put my own cards on the table, I'm kind of an old fart, who believes in the power and importance of the trenches. QB and WR and even RB often get all the glory and adulation and publicity. But I think the battle is won up front, on both sides of the ball. You can have and keep your fancy dancy passing stats. I'm with Woody and Bo in wanting to have a solid OL and DL. Of course, I want everything, but to me, it all starts with line play.
