Breakdown: Michigan football vs. Ohio State

Michigan rushing offense vs. Ohio State rushing defense
Junior running back Brandon Minor said Monday he would play regardless of his injuries. With Minor in the backfield and junior running back Carlos Brown coming off a good game against Northwestern, the Wolverines appear to be in good position — until the Ohio State defense is accounted for.

The Buckeyes held Michigan State running back Javon Ringer to just 67 yards in a win earlier this season. Ohio State linebackers James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman have dominated all year, and that won't change Saturday.

Edge: Ohio State

Michigan passing offense vs. Ohio State passing defense
It's only fitting that Michigan's quarterback situation will end the season as precariously as it started. Redshirt sophomore Nick Sheridan will start, but freshman Justin Feagin and injured redshirt freshman Steven Threet could also play. Sheridan played well against Minnesota, but poorly against Northwestern, and he'll be coming into an extremely hostile road environment.

The Ohio State secondary is led by cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, a Thorpe Award semifinalist. Last week, Jenkins blocked an Illinois punt for a safety and had three pass breakups and two tackles. The Buckeye passing defense is ranked 13th in the nation.

Edge: Ohio State

Ohio State rushing offense vs. Michigan rushing defense
Let’s put the obvious out there from the start: Beanie Wells is a beast. The Ohio State junior is the best running back Michigan has faced this season, and his combination of size and speed present a huge challenge for the Wolverines’ front seven. Wells has rushed for more than 140 yards in each of his last two games and is 43 yards away from 1,000 for the season. He’ll probably crash through that mark in the first half Saturday.

Michigan’s run defense has held opponents under 100 yards the past two weeks, following a miserable three-game stretch against Penn State, Michigan State and Purdue in which it allowed 218 yards per game. The Wolverines' veteran front four will have an impact in what could be each of their last games, but the Buckeyes will still move the ball well, especially the duo of Wells and freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Edge: Ohio State

Ohio State passing offense vs. Michigan passing defense
Pryor is a runner first and a passer second, but he’s shown he can make the key throw when his team needs it. Pryor went 6-for-10 with a touchdown in the Buckeyes’ 30-20 win over Illinois last Saturday. He has thrown more than 20 passes just once this season (a 13-6 loss to Penn State last month), but Pryor is still the most efficient passer in the Big Ten.

Michigan’s secondary was a bright spot against Minnesota and in the first half of the Northwestern game, but it was victimized in the final two quarters against the Wildcats. Ohio State passes very little unless it’s behind in the game, so the secondary’s biggest impact could be its ability to tackle runners who break into the defensive backfield. Michigan has struggled with open-field tackling all season, and it’ll need to improve on that this week.

Edge: Ohio State

Special teams
Both teams have punters who are semifinalists for the Ray Guy award, given to the best punter in college football. Michigan redshirt junior Zoltan Mesko had a tough time last week against Northwestern, but his performance the rest of the season suggests last week's game was an anomaly. Ohio State fifth-year senior punter A.J. Trapasso is averaging 41.7 yards per punt, and Mesko averages 44.1 yards.

Michigan is still prone to fumbling on kick returns, and the Buckeyes are a team that will capitalize on those mistakes.

Edge: Ohio State

Intangibles
Ohio State actually has something to play for Saturday. A win gives the Buckeyes a share of the Big Ten title. A win and a Penn State loss sends Ohio State to the Rose Bowl.

Michigan has already clinched its most losses in program history (that’s 129 years, folks) and all it has to play for is the abstract and overused term, “pride.” Shouldn’t the team always be playing for pride? It’s unclear why that would make a difference this week.

Edge: Ohio State

Ohio State will win 35-13.