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Maturity impresses Simon
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Ohio State’s Braxton Miller is in action against Penn State during an NCAA college football game last week in Columbus. The Buckeyes continue their storied rivalry against Michigan on Saturday.
McClatchy Newspapers
COLUMBUS
Ohio State junior defensive tackle John Simon (Cardinal Mooney High) can see it in Denard Robinson’s demeanor — before he has a chance to make a play, even before his hands touch the ball.
Ask for the difference between Michigan’s dual-threat quarterback this season compared to a year ago, Simon offers one word: “maturity.”
“He makes smart decisions,” Simon said. “He doesn’t give up the ball very easily.”
The Wolverines (9-2, 5-2 Big Ten) are undefeated at home at 7-0 heading into Saturday’s noon game against Ohio State (6-5, 3-4) at Michigan Stadium.
They’ll be facing a Buckeye defense that has surrendered 20 and 26 points the last two games, both losses (to Penn State last weekend, and in overtime at Purdue).
A year ago, the Buckeyes held Michigan to 30 points under its scoring average in their 37-7 victory in Columbus.
But under new head coach Brady Hoke, this is a much-improved Michigan team — and it’s led by a quarterback who has become more poised as the season’s progressed.
“It seems like they have a lot more confidence in what they’re doing, a lot more enthusiasm,” Simon said. “They’re making the plays when they need to. It’s going to be a challenge to stop them.”
For certain, Ohio State doesn’t want to suffer a similar fate as Nebraska last week, when Robinson and the Michigan offense hit their stride in the Wolverines’ 45-17 rout.
The Wolverines outscored the Cornhuskers, 28-7, in the second half, and outgained them, 418-260, for the game.
Robinson threw two touchdown passes and ran for two other scores.
Sophomore running back Fitzgerald Toussaint (Liberty High) rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries.
Michigan dominated time of possession: 41:13 to Nebraska’s 18:47.
“He’s the nucleus of their offense — and how Denard goes, their offense goes,” said OSU linebacker Andrew Sweat, who has been held out of the last two games because of a concussion. “Obviously they have a lot of players that complement him, but if you can stop Denard, you have a better opportunity to stop their offense.”
That Michigan is playing its best football in a long time doesn’t surprise Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. Conversely, neither does the fact that his defense has struggled at times this season.
The Buckeyes have fallen behind, 10-0, in each of the past three games — slow starts that Heacock noted says as much about their defense as the offense.
Ohio State lost seven senior starters on defense from last year and suffered a setback early this season when defensive end Nathan Williams went down with a knee injury.
“We just don’t have a real confident group right now,” Heacock said. “This one doesn’t really remind me of any I’ve been a part of. Losing all those seniors, and then Nate — Nate threw a wrench in the thing, basically.
“That group we lost last year was special, from the standpoint of on the field, off the field, graduation — everything. They did it the right way. There was a bunch of playmakers. To me, to be a good defense, you better have seven or eight playmakers, guys who can go out and make that big play — a sack, an interception.”
Heacock said it’s paramount for his young defense to play with confidence against Michigan. Seven defenders had more than 20 career starts entering the Michigan game a year ago. This season, it’s just Simon — with 24.
“I hope everything’s better,” Heacock said. “Our guys are excited. It’s a big game, it’s huge. And I hope that emotion, energy — those are the things you’re looking for. And like we talked about earlier, a lot of it is confidence and believing that you can do it — not being hesitant, not worrying about making mistakes. I think a lot of times we all have a little fear of failure, and sometimes you’re a little cautious.”
The Buckeyes have won their last seven games over Michigan.