The Ohio State defense has overpowered every team it has faced. Early on, there were doubts surrounding the transition to a Matt Patricia system, but when you don’t even let your opponents get field goals, even the naysayers accept your dominance. In their final game of the regular season, they are going against Michigan’s freshman QB, Bryce Underwood. The Buckeyes have a plan, as they see some similarities in Bryce with a QB they saw last year.

OSU linebacker Sonny Styles talked to the press on November 27, where he was asked about the challenge of a dual-threat QB like Underwood.

“You know, I think he’s kind of similar to, like, Nico in a way,” Styles said. “Obviously, we didn’t get to play him, but we played him last year. You’ve got to see that he’s tall, maybe not as tall as Nico, kind of a similar speed. He’s got a great arm, with arm talent. So, you gotta just be aware of him at all times. You’ve got to keep him in the pocket. Got to be aware of 3rd downs. Seeing him QB runs, scrambling, and stuff like that. So it’s got to be 11 to 1 on the defensive side of the ball,” the LB added.

Ryan Day’s team encountered Nico Iamaleava in the playoffs against Tennessee last year. Coming into the matchup, the $2.4 million QB had impressive rushing numbers. But Jim Knowles’ defense limited him to just 47 yards on 20 carries. Ohio State deployed hybrid schemes, blending man and zone coverage to limit Nico’s mobility.

Moreover, the Buckeyes employed inside-out leverage, hunted on contact first, and finished plays in phase, containing scrambles and RPOs on which Tennessee had thrived in previous games. Not just that, Ohio State ran a ‘pyramid’ against Tennessee’s back 3 set, where the middle safety traveled with the tight ends in countering gap schemes. Nico was struggling throughout the game. He managed just 104 passing yards on 14 out of 31 completions.

“We blocked much better in this game, and they have a good front … They played with confidence. They played with energy. The Big Ten has great football. We play nine conference games, so we beat each other up sometimes … We know how important that (beating an SEC team) is for the conference,” said Ryan Day after the Tennessee game last year.

However, compared to Nico, Sherrone Moore hasn’t fully utilized Bryce Underwood’s dual-threat ability. The number of designed runs has decreased as the season progressed. When Justice Haynes was ruled out, many analysts presumed that Underwood would see more involvement in the run game. However, the carries have remained consistent. That could also be limiting the film that the Buckeyes can access when they prepare for Michigan’s QB1.

Can Michigan counter Ohio State’s threat in the absence of Justice Haynes?

Bryce Underwood has passed for 2,166 yards and has accumulated 322 rushing yards for five touchdowns. That’s the reason Michigan ranks 16th nationally in third-down conversions with 67 conversions out of 138. The Wolverines have largely been a run-first offense this season. In the games where the running game struggled, the passing game couldn’t take the lead. That’s what happened in their loss to USC. But Ohio State defenders are not taking anything lightly.

“Bryce has played at an elite level the whole year, so I mean, he’s a really good quarterback. He does what he does really well, so I think it’s gonna be a challenge either way. But Coach P (Matt Patricia) does have a lot of experience, especially playing against like rookie quarterbacks and stuff like that,” said Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.

The strategy? We can see OSU’s secondary, led by Caleb Downs, baiting RPOs and forcing checkdowns in stacked boxes. Conversely, the defensive ends will implement aggressive coverage schemes to curtail Underwood’s deep-passing threat. That alone will force the Michigan QB to run, where linebackers like Sonny Styles (63 tackles) and Arvell Reese will be ready to give those helmet-cracking blows. We’re not predicting a repeat of last year. This time around, the Buckeyes are going to blow out the team up North.