Meyer, Harbaugh will put rivalry back in Ohio State-Michigan
Adversity and Urban Meyer cross paths about as often as it snows in the desert. This is one of those rare weeks. Meyer is coming off an ugly loss, and the chill in the air makes Las Vegas feel like Big Ten country.
Hatred also is in the air because this is college football’s rivalry week. Alabama-Auburn, UCLA-Southern California and Ohio State-Michigan top the list.
The battle between the Buckeyes and Wolverines is ready to take back the No. 1 spot for two reasons — Meyer and Jim Harbaugh, polarizing coaches who want to beat the stuffing out of each other.
“It’s a great game, and we will write a phenomenal handle on the game,” Sunset Station sports book director Chuck Esposito said. “I think the public is going to be on Michigan. I agree. It’s a good spot for Michigan.”
The public usually is on Ohio State. But the Buckeyes’ bandwagon swerved to miss a deer, veered into a ditch and exploded in a ball of fire last week, burning every bettor who was riding it. And that’s what makes this weekend even more intriguing.
In four years at Ohio State, Meyer has a record of 48-4. But his 23-game winning streak was just stopped cold in Columbus in a 17-14 loss to Michigan State. His star running back, Ezekiel Elliott, publicly ripped the coaches for poor play-calling.
Meyer calmly handled the adversity, Elliott apologized, and the Buckeyes are on to Michigan. This is going to be a great rivalry again, recalling the days of Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler.
Most of the so-called experts predicted Harbaugh would be lucky to win eight games in his first season on the sideline in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines are 9-2, including a ridiculously fluky loss to Michigan State on the game’s final play.
In August, Ohio State was forecast as about a two-touchdown favorite over Michigan. A lot of things changed, and now the line is pick’em at the Westgate and Buckeyes minus-1 at Station Casinos and most other books.
“Ohio State lost last week, and you wonder about their off-field distractions now. It seems like another hurdle for Meyer,” Esposito said. “The Buckeyes have not played great all season, so it raises some question marks. Are they really that good?”
Before getting exposed by the Spartans, Ohio State managed to stay undefeated while not looking very good. Meyer never was able to flip the switch he found last year, when the Buckeyes got hot late and obliterated Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon en route to the national championship.
Elliott, who tore through the defenses of the Crimson Tide and Ducks, carried 12 times for 33 yards last week against Michigan State. J.T. Barrett passed for 46 yards, and backup quarterback Cardale Jones did not play. Elliott was right — the play-calling was pathetic — and he’ll probably get at least 20 carries this week.
Bruce Marshall, a handicapper for The Gold Sheet, said the departure of Tom Herman, the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was a major loss. Herman has had a successful first season as Houston’s coach.
“Ohio State has had season-long issues with its play-calling, suggesting Meyer really misses Herman more than most realized,” Marshall said. “Elliott’s outburst might not mean much, but it’s hard to see it as a positive.”
Harbaugh has been winning with a game manager, Jake Rudock, at quarterback. When he finds a star quarterback, and he will find one, watch out.
“Michigan has momentum, defense and Harbaugh,” Marshall said. “Rudock has turned into a very serviceable QB.
“I was going to write something this week about the similarities between Schembechler’s first Michigan team in 1969 to this one, and how the Wolverines upset the Buckeyes in the final game of that season to get to the Rose Bowl. But last week’s loss to Michigan State scuttled that unbeaten Ohio State angle.”
The rivalry has been lopsided in recent years — Meyer is 3-0 and the Buckeyes have won 10 of the past 11 — and lost its luster because of that.
If The Gold Sheet’s forecast is correct — a Michigan win, 28-17 — the rivalry will get red-hot again. No matter what happens Saturday in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh and Meyer will make things much more interesting.
Harbaugh is showing life can be good if you leave the NFL. Considering the Philadelphia Eagles’ implosion, Chip Kelly could be going back to school soon too.
x CLOSING NUMBERS — Michigan State’s upset was one of my four winners last week. But I also had four losers. At 36-30-2 for the season, here are 10 plays for rivalry weekend (home team in CAPS):
TEXAS CHRISTIAN (-1½) over Baylor; MICHIGAN (+1) over Ohio State; Indiana (-6½) over PURDUE; Unlv (-3) over WYOMING; FLORIDA (+2½) over Florida State; SOUTH CAROLINA (+17) over Clemson; Wisconsin (-2½) over MINNESOTA; Oklahoma-OKLAHOMA STATE (Under 68½); STANFORD (-4) over Notre Dame; Ucla (+3) over USC.
— Las Vegas Review-Journal sports betting columnist Matt Youmans can be reached at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts “The Las Vegas Sportsline” weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247