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On3 Roundtable: Reaction to Michigan drills named after Georgia, Ohio State

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•07/09/23•

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The Michigan offensive line will have a few new faces in 2023. Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

College football Twitter was abuzz when it came out that Michigan has a “Beat Georgia” drill in practice. It’s different than the well-documented 9-on-7 “Beat Ohio” drills that the Wolverines credit for beating Ohio State in two straight years, and the Georgia drill comes two years after the Bulldogs knocked UM out of the College Football Playoff.

As for the reaction in Columbus, Lettermen Row beat reporter Tim May said it doesn’t seem so much like a slight at Georgia. Instead, it looks directed toward Ohio State, which fell to Georgia in the 2022 CFP.

Not many teams have beaten Georgia over the last two seasons. In fact, Alabama is the only team to do so in the 2021 SEC Championship. But considering Georgia knocked out two Big Ten teams in as many seasons, May told On3’s Andy Staples “Beat Georgia” might wind up being a league-wide mantra.

“Michigan never misses a beat when it comes to sticking it to Ohio State in one form or fashion,” May said on On3 Roundtable. “And now that they’ve reinvented football up there and have beaten Ohio State two years in a row, they’re large and in charge in their book. It’s no big surprise to Ohio State fans.

“Now, I’m just giving you the objective look at it because that is clearly what’s going on there. But let’s face it, Andy. Georgia eliminated Michigan two years ago and Georgia eliminated Ohio State last year, so maybe that’s the credo of the Big Ten: ‘Beat Georgia.'”

May also joked about how seriously Michigan takes Ohio State. After all, Harbaugh has made it a year-round commitment to beating the Buckeyes. It’s a stark contrast to a comment made by former Wolverines coach Gary Moeller when he was at the helm. At the time, John Cooper was in charge at Ohio State and only beat Michigan twice in his 13 matchups against the Buckeyes’ fierce rivals.

“I think it was Gary Moeller long ago who said their primary rival was Michigan State at one point,” May said. “That was back when they were large and in charge during the John Cooper era — 2-10-1 was what John Cooper’s record was.”

How things change. Michigan is now looking to beat Ohio State for a third consecutive season, which hasn’t been done since 1995-97 in the middle of Cooper’s tenure in Columbus. The 2023 installment of The Game is set for Nov. 25 in Ann Arbor.