Big Ten Power Rankings, Week 6: Michigan passes Ohio State
By David Rouben
Ohio State’s game against Rutgers was a bloodbath, but Michigan made it look like a nail-biter. Their 78-0 win was a massacre of Red Wedding proportions, and a clear message by Jim Harbaugh that they are not going to coast. The scoreline was a historic one for the Wolverines, given that it was their largest margin of victory since 1939, when they beat the Chicago Maroons 85-0.
Not only was the total yards a merciless 600 to 39, the Wolverines only allowed two first downs. That’s bad enough as it is, but it looks even worse compared to Michigan’s total touchdown count:
Michigan had five times as many touchdowns as Rutgers had first downs. pic.twitter.com/JKwwMujdtJ
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 9, 2016
There were meaningful contributions all across the board. Eleven players combined for 481 yards on the ground, and because of that, Wilton Speight didn’t need to do much. But he still managed to throw a 30-yard touchdown to Jehu Chesson. And while all of Michigan’s rushers were impressive, none of them had as noteworthy of a performance as Jabrill Peppers.
As a New Jersey native, Peppers probably had this game circled on his calendar. And while we’ve already seen him score special teams touchdowns, he got his first two offensive touchdowns of the season, both as a wildcat quarterback. His other carry was a 63-yard run to set up the opening score.
The worst thing Buckeyes fans could’ve done was try to compare Malik Hooker to him. Ever since that tweet, Peppers has averaged 4.75 tackles, 67.5 return yards, and has scored three touchdowns, and you can bet that nobody is more fired up to face the Buckeyes than him.
He is one of the best athletes ever to grace college football, and he continues to defy logic each and every week. After his performance, where he equaled his offensive touchdown output from last year, all Harbaugh had to say was “you’re looking at a Heisman trophy winner.”
Next: Ranking The 25 Best Rivalries In College Football
On the field, it was a statement win, but off the field, it helped drive promotion for Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse through the roof. It’s easy to brush it off as “it was against Rutgers”, but what Michigan did was impressive no matter how you cut it. Some may lament their easy schedule from here on out, but it’ll only serve to increase the anticipation for The Game. Week 13 can’t come soon enough.