Ohio State win 'was a movie,' but Michigan Wolverines know they have 'everything in front' of them
Michigan football is in uncharted territory, in a way, since it’s set to play in the program’s first Big Ten championship game. Since the event began in 2011, the Wolverines have ended their regular season with a finale against Ohio State, then waited for their bowl-game fate.
The Wolverines celebrated their 42-27 domination of Ohio State “long into the night” Saturday, with redshirt junior linebacker Josh Ross calling the entire weekend “a movie.” However, they got back to work Sunday and Monday, and while they weren’t favored to beat Ohio State and advance to Indianapolis, the Wolverines in the building aren’t surprised they’re in this position.
“Now, we’re on an even bigger stage this week going against Iowa,” Ross said. “Everything is in front of us, and we’re just ready to go attack the week and have a great week of preparation.”
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A win over the Big Ten West champion Hawkeyes would place the Maize and Blue in the College Football Playoff semifinals in either the Orange Bowl or Cotton Bowl. It would be the program’s first conference title in 17 years. Ross scoffed at the notion that it would be challenging to match the intensity he and his teammates had against the Buckeyes this week in Indianapolis.
“We haven’t won a Big Ten championship since 2004,” he snapped back. “This is huge for our program, this is huge for our team. And, let’s get it.; let’s ride. There isn’t too much more to be said. This is a great opportunity in front of us, and we’re ready to go get it.”
It’s fair that Ross is doing the scoffing now. Some media and college football fans were the ones skeptical of Michigan’s comments at Big Ten Media Days in July, when Ross, head coach Jim Harbaugh, redshirt sophomore running back Hassan Haskins and junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson expressed their confidence in their team that had just come off a 2-4 season in 2020. But here they are, headed back to Lucas Oil Stadium to play, not talk.
“Everything that’s happened is how we envisioned it,” Ross said. “Not only when I said that at Big Ten [Media Days], but most importantly how we envisioned it as players, as a team, in real life on a day to day, coming to workouts, grinding it out.
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“Going to January from 2020 and saying, no, that wasn’t good enough, and attacking every day, having a great spring ball, continuing to get better and have an even better camp leading into the season. Everything we envisioned, all the goals as a team we envisioned, we’re accomplishing those. Everything is in front of us, and now it’s so exciting to be in this opportunity.”
Ross, Hutchinson and others have led a resurgent defense that just held Ohio State, the nation’s No. 1 offense, to its lowest point total of the season. The Wolverines are allowing just 17.2 points per game, which slots eighth in the country, and 319.3 yards per outing, which checks in 15th.
While the players deserve their share of the credit, at the center of the improved defense is first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald, who joined the staff from the Baltimore Ravens. He and three new assistants, along with defensive line coach Shaun Nua, the lone holdover from last year’s staff, built the unit around its strengths and in a way that allowed it to win the division.
“Coach Mike Macdonald, he’s a great coach and I love him,” Ross said. I’m so thankful and grateful that he’s my coach and a part of this team. On a week-to-week basis, we do a great job game planning. Our coaches do a great job working together, and our players do a great job of preparing well.
“And it’s gotten us to this point, so we’re just looking to keep pushing forward, have a great week of preparation this weekend.”
