The Ohio State Buckeyes suffered an unfortunate road loss to Penn State over the weekend but, at the very least, the door remains wide open when it comes to Urban Meyer's team reaching the College Football Playoff. Standing in Ohio State's way, though, is a late November match-up against Michigan and FS1's Jason Whitlock sees that game going in the direction of the Wolverines.
As part of his daily show on Monday, Whitlock made this emphatic prediction (seen above):
"That Michigan defense is ridiculous and it shows up every freakin' game. Jabrill Peppers, that corner (Jourdan Lewis) they got that makes the incredible interceptions and may be even better than Jabrill Peppers, their front four. He [Jim Harbaugh] has a defensive machine that will show up and mow down Ohio State. That unit is the best unit in college football. Michigan will beat Ohio State, Ohio State will not make the playoffs. Michigan will represent the Big Ten."
To be somewhat fair, Whitlock isn't exactly known for his in-depth analysis of X's and O's, but this stance is becoming more and more common after Ohio State displayed some weakness in Happy Valley. Michigan's defense currently ranks as the best in the country and, with just how poor the offensive line play was for the Buckeyes on Saturday, it seems accurate to project a field day up front for the Wolverines.
A lot can happen between now and "The Game" at the end of the regular season, but popular opinion might be shifting toward Michigan.
