There are still three days left until Michigan and Ohio State square off, but that's plenty of time to hype this game through the roof.

Yesterday, we looked at the Michigan offense verses the Ohio State defense, with the Buckeyes getting the nod.

Today, the Michigan defense and the Ohio State offense take center stage in part two of our three-part breakdown.

Michigan defense: Two plays stand out from the previous two years. Texas quarterback Vince Young scrambling 23 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter of the 2004 Rose Bowl and Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith running 14 yards for a crucial first down in the Buckeyes' game-winning drive last season.

Traditionally, the Wolverines have struggled to contain running quarterbacks, but with coordinator Ron English now manning the controls, this year's Michigan team has looked like a Southeastern Conference defense - hard-hitting, big and fast.

Already, the stingy Michigan defense has held mobile quarterbacks - Vanderbilt's Chris Nickson, Michigan State's Drew Stanton and Indiana's Kellen Lewis - to a combined 51 yards on the ground.

The Wolverine front four is arguably the best in the nation. Defensive end LaMarr Woodley, who is two sacks shy of breaking the Michigan's single-season record for sacks, is a force to be reckoned with coming off the edge. And defensive tackle Alan Branch has anchored the middle of a unit that ranks first in the nation against the run. This season, the Wolverines held both Northwestern and Penn State to negative rushing yards.

The secondary has been exposed as the supposed weakness of the defense. The unit struggled at times, surrendering several big plays when the opposition challenges them with the deep ball. The defense ranks sixth in the conference against the pass.

Still, cornerback Leon Hall continually discourages opposing quarterbacks to throw his way. And fellow corner Morgan Trent brings much-needed speed to the secondary and improved technique. He outran Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., in the 200-meter dash at the Don Mitchell Roosevelt Memorial track meet in 2004.

Ohio State offense: The Buckeyes' gameplan starts and ends with their signal caller: Heisman frontrunner Troy Smith. The quarterback has greatly improved his accuracy, and he leads the Big Ten in pass efficiency, completing 66.4 percent of his throws. With his ability to scramble and turn broken plays into positive gains, Smith is the spark for the Ohio State offense.

The fifth-year senior has thrown for 2,191 yards, 26 touchdowns and just four interceptions. On the ground, he's tallied 221 yards and one score.

But Smith doesn't have to do it all by himself. Wide receivers Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez form one of the best wideout combinations in the nation. Each has racked up over 600 receiving yards, with Ginn doing much of his damage deep and Gonzalez performing more as a possession receiver.

On the ground, running back Antonio Pittman remains a strong part of Ohio State's ball-control offense. Gaining over 1,000 yards on the season, Pittman averages 93.8 yards on the ground per game.

The Ohio State offense packs more of a punch with Smith calling the shots, but Michigan's defense may just be good enough to keep the Buckeyes dual-powered attack under control. Michigan boasts a talented linebacking corps that is technically sound and fast enough to contain Smith's scrambling. Even though the secondary has been shaky at times, Hall should be able to lock down Ginn and Trent can handle Gonzalez, especially with the way he silenced Notre Dame's Jeff Samardzija. The Wolverines defense will be the key to Michigan staying close and having a chance to win in this game.

Edge: Michigan