Moore breaks down 'elite' Ohio State as Wolverines brace for The Game

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Ohio State is coming to Ann Arbor as the No. 1 team in the country, with one of the top-rated offenses and the No. 1 defense. The Buckeyes are always among the best teams in the nation every year, and OSU has been the No. 2 team each of the past four years that Michigan football has won The Game.

Even so, on paper, Ohio State will be overmatching the Wolverines in all phases, but as we've seen, they play The Game for a reason.

On Monday, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore discussed the challenges that OSU presents the maize and blue, first discussing the offensive side of the ball.

"Yeah, it’s potent, man. It’s one of the best in the country," Moore said. "Obviously, the best team in the country. The receivers are elite. (No. 4) Jeremiah’s elite, Carnell Tate is elite. They got Brandon Inniss; he’s elite. Tight end Max Klare is a really good player as well, and the quarterback is elite. They’ve got elite players everywhere on the field from a skill position standpoint. Running back’s really good. O-line’s good. So it’s a challenge I know our defense is ready to go take on."

Though the Buckeyes have improved greatly on defense starting in 2022 when they hired Jim Knowles to coordinate that side of the ball, it hasn't exactly mattered in The Game, as Michigan has managed to get the better of the scarlet and gray. Ryan Day is hopeful that that trend changes with the hire of former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia. Thus far, the improvement has been evident, as OSU appears to be producing on a generational level.

Ohio State is allowing just 206 yards per game, not that far off from 2011 Alabama, which allowed 183.7 yards per game. So, what makes them so good? Moore says that Patricia changes things up on a game-by-game basis, so it's difficult to get a beat on the scheme.

"I think one, those guys play together. They play really good together," Moore said. "There’s so many different coverages, fronts, front variation, blitz variation, and it’s game by game. There’s a story in each game of how he calls the game. It’s not just this game is doing this. It’s not just by formation. It’s just not just by personnel. It’s by game. So we’ve got to do a good job of identifying that early in the game and figuring out how to play that through all four quarters because I think it changes as you go half to half."

On that side of the ball, the Buckeyes have numerous players who could be first-round draft picks, but beyond safety Caleb Downs, outside linebacker Arvell Reese particularly stands out.

Much like how Jaishawn Barham has moved up from the middle of the defense to the edge rusher position, Reese made the same move this year, and it's paid off handsomely for OSU. Moore says that Michigan is on high alert for both, given what both are capable of.

"Reese and Downs are excellent players," Moore said. "Arvell is as elite as an edge rusher, as an edge player as we’ve seen all year. Caleb Downs is probably one of the smartest football players in college football. Just from seeing a lot of football, played a lot of football, and both those players are elite players that we’ve got to deal with."

Michigan and Ohio State will kick off at 12:14 p.m. EST at The Big House, with The Game set to be broadcast by Fox.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Sherrone Moore analyzes challenge Ohio State presents Michigan