ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Pushed to the side in all the, will-Michigan-running-back-Blake-Corum-be-able-to-play handwringing this week is the fact first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be making his first start in the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry in hostile, raucous Ohio Stadium.
Both teams are 11-0, with Ohio State and its high-scoring offense and No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and Michigan with run-first offense and No. 3 heading into the 118th edition of The Game on Saturday in Columbus. The winner takes the Big Ten East Division title and will play for the league championship and likely a spot in the four-team national playoff.
McCarthy won the starting job after his performance in the second game of the season and has directed the offense, which is No. 9 nationally in scoring an average of 39.4 points a game. But everyone knows Corum has carried the workload and the offense, leads the nation with 19 total touchdowns, including 18 rushing, and has made enormous contributions to Michigan as the No. 4 team nationally in rushing (243.8 yards per game).
