Ohio State 2020 Virtual Season: Michigan Week!

The 2020 Ohio State Virtual Season will close out its conference schedule this week with the greatest rivalry in all of college football, as the Michigan Wolverines travel to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes in the latest installment of The Game. Be sure to follow LandGrantHolyLand on Twitch in order not to miss any of the action!

Last week, Penn State took an early 14-0 lead over Ohio State in Happy Valley... and then we suspiciously had our first software crash of the season on the ensuing kickoff. When we got the game going again, we simmed the first quarter to get back to the same point the game was at when it went down... and it was Ohio State that now had a 14-0 lead. Get your claims of “rigged” in now!

The rest of the game was pretty much one-way traffic, as Ohio State cruised to a 34-10 victory. Justin Fields and Chris Olave combined for one of the best plays of the season when the latter made an incredible contested touchdown catch after Fields avoided pressure to deliver a strike in the corner of the endzone:

And the real Buckeyes are starting to take notice! Although Jameson Williams doesn’t seem satisfied with his performance against Buffalo to open the season, he’d be delighted to know he’s the leading receiver on this virtual Ohio State squad:

But there remains one regular season game to be played, and of course it comes against the evil empire we all know and hate as That Team Up North. Here’s what to expect when the stream kicks off tomorrow at 3:15 PM ET:

What to Watch: Ohio State Offense vs. Michigan Defense

Although Justin Fields somehow threw two interceptions in the first quarter against Penn State last week after previously throwing only one all season, the Ohio State passing attack is clicking down the home stretch. Chris Olave is finally starting to make big plays all over the field, while Jameson Williams continues his strong campaign as the team’s slot receiver. Luke Farrell and Jeremy Ruckert are still having their own breakout campaigns as well.

Though its recently been announced that Garrett Wilson will occupy Williams’ slot role in real life, Wilson himself remains a threat for huge plays over the top and in goal-to-go situations. Look no further than the picture above for proof.

Michigan’s defense is stout up front, but as has been the case the last two years, their secondary simply doesn’t measure up with Ohio State’s receiver room. As the Buckeyes are finally getting a big game in their own stadium this year, expect Fields and the rest of the Ohio State offense to come out swinging.

What to Watch: Michigan Offense vs. Ohio State Defense

When we implemented the 2020 roster, Dylan McCaffery was still listed as the starting quarterback for the Wolverines. CMC’s younger brother has since sought a transfer out of the program, going further than merely opting out, and so Joe Milton will lead the Wolverine offense alongside running back Zach Charbonnet and wide receivers Nico Collins and Ronnie Bell.

Ohio State’s bend-don’t-break defense has been one of the biggest stories of the college football season. They boast the #1 points-allowed rating on a per game basis and additionally surrender the fewest rushing yards per game in college football this season. That means Michigan is probably going to have to rely on Milton’s arm if they want to pull out a victory. Good luck to the Wolverines with that.

If the Buckeyes take an early lead and force Michigan to start throwing the ball more often than they’d like, things could get out of hand quickly. If Ohio State’s pass rush shows up before the fourth quarter, as has not always been the case this year, it may be over for Michigan quite early on.

Follow LandGrantHolyLand on Twitch and Tune in Tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. ET to watch Ohio State vs. Michigan!

We’ll get the stream going around 3:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to tune in before the game starts! I’ll be using the time before kickoff to provide updates on Ohio State’s games against Maryland, Michigan St, and Illinois; as well as other news from around the virtual college football universe.

Go Bucks! We can’t wait to watch with you!