Five reasons No. 10 Ohio State football will surprise No. 4 Michigan

4. The Buckeyes’ offense matches up well against Michigan’s defense

This game will feature some of the best the Big Ten has to offer. More specifically, it will feature two of the best offenses as these teams are at the top of the Big Ten in scoring offense. Between the two, the Buckeyes are still better than TTUN offensively by a decent margin.

The advantage the Buckeyes have on offense is their ability to pass. They have the best passing offense in the Big Ten and the second best in the nation. Unfortunately, this may not be the most explosive day for the Bucks through the air as the Wolverines have the best passing defense in the conference and the best in the nation.

Considering this information, it may actually be a win for the Buckeyes because if their opponent is great in one area then they may as well have a unit who can play just as well on the other side. The production may not be there but the ability to keep the ball moving will.

The Wolverines have actually struggled against teams with good passing offenses despite their great passing defense. These teams include Northwestern and just last week it was Indiana. Northwestern and Indiana are in the top four in the Big Ten in passing offense.

Michigan ranks third last in the nation in red zone defense. Scoring in the red zone has been a problem for the Buckeyes this season as they are just 118th in the nation in that area. This will make it that much easier to score when it counts as the Buckeyes have done their best work in the center of the field.

One thing to note though is that the Wolverines were also the best passing defense in the nation last year before their match up with the Buckeyes. Haskins may not have been asked to do much in that game but he still made enough plays through the air in his first game to make a difference. He finished the game completing 6/7 passing attempts for 94 yards. J.T. Barrett added a passing touchdown in that game.

Though running the ball will be a necessary kick starter, the Buckeyes must be efficient passing the ball against the Wolverines or they will almost certainly be in trouble. A lot has been asked of Haskins especially as of recent so it won’t be anything new for him to get involved early and often. Expect the Buckeyes to stay aggressive through the air regardless of what the statistics say.