Some early grades after Saturday's win.
View full sizeDenard Robinson gained 105 rushing yards despite playing less than a half following a hand injury, but Nathan Williams and the OSU defense were pleased with how they dealt with Michigan's sophomore star.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Some early grades after Saturday's win.
A -- Ohio State's defense
Michigan entered the game averaging 37 points and 515 yards per game. The Buckeyes held the Wolverines to seven points and 351 yards, and applied pressure in the second half with a good push from their front four.
"They're very good on the run, so a lot of teams keep playing that run and never get back into the pass and get after them, and that was very key for us to try to get pressure on them," defensive lineman Dexter Larimore said.
After not getting much pressure in the first half, OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock couldn't have been happier with the defense, its shutout in the second half and the way the Buckeyes contained Michigan star quarterback Denard Robinson, who didn't play much after halftime because of dislocated fingers on his left hand.
"You can have a guy or two on him, but he's such a great talent with such great speed that you're never certain," Heacock said. "You have to be able to tackle in space. We have played the spread fairly well and I think our guys have confidence in playing the spread over the last couple year. I think we've got some speed and some quickness, and the guys played well."
A defense that has been balanced all season ended, appropriately, with four leading tacklers. Chimdi Chekwa, Ross Homan, Brian Rolle and Jermale Hines all had eight tackles.
A -- Ohio State battling through injuries
The two stars in Ohio State's backfield weren't quite themselves on Saturday, and neither of them let on much. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor was dealing with a shoulder injury that was more serious than anyone knew and running back Dan Herron had an ankle issue, both of them lingering from big hits in the Iowa game.
But Pryor was 18-of-27 for 220 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, as you could almost see his shoulder warm up during the game. Herron ran 22 times for 175 yards after rushing three times for one yard in the first quarter.
"I was a little hanged up, but it was Michigan week, so I had to fix it up quick," Herron said. "It did hurt a little bit at first, but I ran it off and started feeling better."
As for Pryor's right shoulder, offensive coordinator Jim Bollman said it didn't affect the game plan, but it was an issue, no doubt. Pryor said he took a break from throwing for two or three days during the week and only watched film.
"After you get a little tiny injury, it doesn't go away right away," Pryor said.
Now they'll both have plenty of time to rest.
INC -- Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson
The quarterback matchup between Robinson and Terrelle Pryor never quite developed because Robinson dislocated several fingers on his left hand in the second quarter and ended up playing only about half the game.
"It wouldn't have been much of a problem, but he likes to grip it with that hand and he couldn't get any feeling back," Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. "He tried to go back in the second half, but he just couldn't do it. It's unfortunate because he was playing well today."
In the seven series Robinson did play, he led the Wolverines on drives of 45, 73, -5, 80, 20, 18 and two yards. The drives ended with a failed fourth-down conversion, a fumble, a punt, a touchdown, another failed fourth down and two more punts.
Robinson finished with 18 carries for 105 yards and completed 8-of-18 passes for 87 yards.
"He's faster than he is on film," linebacker Brian Rolle said. "But our guys hung in there and were able to contain him."