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As the University of Utah gets set to play the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, 3 PM MST in the Rose Bowl, anticipation is high for the 2021 Pac-12 champions. Ute Nation publisher Alex Markham and Scarlet and Gray Report managing editor Colin Gay discuss how Utah wins on Saturday.
Alex Markham — Ute Nation
A lot has been made about the Buckeyes having four key players opt out, but they’ll have four and five star guys ready to step up, so I could care less about that topic. Utah won’t really have good film on those backups, so that’s an advantage for the Buckeyes.
Utah wins this game if they control the line of scrimmage. Utah’s offensive line has been downright dominant ever since they got relatively healthy and had consistency with reps. The Utes have twice made Kayvon Thibodeaux—a likely top-three NFL Draft pick—completely irrelevant. It wasn't like they were sending the whole team at him, either.
Tavion Thomas is a load to bring down at a listed 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. I’d venture to guess that he’s still near his fall camp weight of 230+. Once he hits that second level of the Ohio State defense, the Buckeyes will have a difficult time bringing him down. He’s not just a bruiser; he shows great vision, patience, and an uncommon burst for someone his size. He’s not someone that this defense wants to face.
If Utah’s defense controls their side of the trenches, that means Mika Tafua and Van Fillinger are making life uncomfortable for CJ Stroud. He should be able to hit some sizable plays regardless, but they’ll be looking to disrupt his timing. Look for Utah to dial up the pressure and be relentless with it knowing that Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell have the second level of the field locked down. Utah has mostly been able to survive an abnormal amount of injuries to its secondary because of the pressure the defensive line can get on opposing quarterbacks.
Ultimately what should win it for Utah will be if their three-headed monster at tight end wins against a struggling and vulnerable Ohio State linebacker group.
Colin Gay — Scarlet and Gray Report
It watched Ohio State’s film against Michigan and replicates it to a tee.
The similarities between Utah and the Wolverines are scary: the run-based offensive attack, the emphasis on pressure and first-round NFL-Draft talent on the defensive side of the ball. And when the Buckeyes faced Michigan, they were gashed for 297 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 41 carries, while generating a respectable 458 offensive yards, but falling victim to eight tackles-for-loss and four sacks.
For the Utes, that’s the formula. Michigan was kind enough to write it for them.
And it’s something Utah can replicate in its own way.
While the Utes may not have the two-headed monster of Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum at their disposal, it has a talent-filled running back room, headlined by a redshirt sophomore looking for revenge.
Tavion Thomas: a former Ohio State target in the 2018 class, someone who was ready to commit to the Buckeyes, but was told no, generating a “love/hate relationship” with the team from his home state. Instead, after two seasons in Cincinnati and a year in junior college, Thomas was one of five 1,000-yard rushers in the Pac-12, leading the conference in rushing touchdowns.
Add T.J Pledger and Micah Bernard along with quarterback Cameron Rising to the mix, and you have a dynamic running game for the Buckeyes to face.
Defensively, instead of Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, it’s Utah outside linebacker Devin Lloyd, bringing in his 21.5 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks against an offensive line that will be playing without one of its starters.
The Buckeyes’ offensive line isn’t broken: plugging in a veteran at left tackle in Thayer Munford instead of Nicholas Petit-Frere, who opted out of the bowl game. But despite more than 2,000 snaps at tackle between 2018-20, Munford played only 79 snaps at tackle this season, starting at left guard.
The move could work, but it seems to be an advantage for a Utah rushing attack that doesn’t seem to be much help.
There is a talent differential, sure. But there seems to be a way for Utah to get around it.
