It won’t be long before Ohio State pays Ann Arbor a visit. Naturally, Wolverines fans want Sherrone Moore to upset Ohio State once more. A victory over the Buckeyes will undoubtedly boost UM’s spirits. But Moore and his staff currently have different priorities.

Michigan’s game against Ohio State, scheduled for November 29, is just on the horizon. But even with all the excitement surrounding the big one, defensive coordinator Wink Martindale isn’t interested in what’s beyond their next game against Maryland.  He dismissively shook his head at the November 19 availability before a reporter could even complete the question regarding the prep for Ohio State.

“I’m focused on Maryland. You can’t afford to do anything else,” Martindale said. “We’re in playoff football mode.

“And that part’s getting closer to the NFL than anything else. So, we know what’s ahead, and it’s still all out in front of us. So we gotta have a great Tuesday, a great Wednesday, a great Thursday, a great Friday before we go down to Maryland.”

Ohio State remains unbeaten, while Michigan has already dropped twice this season. The Buckeyes are pretty much guaranteed to make a return to the playoffs, even if they lose the Michigan game. Sherrone Moore and Co., however, have to continue their current winning streak to hope for a spot in the playoffs.

They’ll have to defeat Ryan Day’s OSU for that, but they also have to post a commanding win over the Terrapins to make their playoff fight strong.

Maryland is the clear underdog in this clash, but Michigan can’t afford to let its guard down. After all, the Terrapins have a great QB in Malik Washington. And Maryland put up a tough fight in their losses against Washington and UCLA, only proving Martindale’s point.

The Wolverines, on the other hand, just managed to escape losing to Northwestern last weekend. If that wasn’t enough, Michigan has also lost Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall to injuries, who make up the lead of the rushing attack. So yes, Martindale first has to restrict the Maryland offense and emerge unscathed before even thinking about OSU.

Winning the rivalry, as important as it may be, is not what will get Michigan into the playoffs. Defeating Ohio State is a goal, but it is not the only one. No wonder Moore, too, is zeroing in on the Terrapins, showing that they are not counting their chickens before they have hatched.

Sherrone Moore ends talk of Maryland being a ‘trap game’

Unlike the team, Michigan fans are already in the OSU mood. The game is still around at a distance, and Michigan still has just one more opponent to get through. Though Maryland is a far easier game on paper, Moore dismissed all talks about this penultimate game being a “trap game.” It’s a moniker that’s become associated with this game in particular, and Moore was having none of it.

“Don’t even talk about the final game,” the HC said at a November 17 presser. “This is not a trap game. There’s nothing about this game that is a trap game. There’s zero trap game on this. This is about a really good team that, if you don’t play well, you will get beaten.

“Everybody knows what’s ahead, but we got to go execute. We got to go prepare for this one like our lives depend on it. It’s a playoff game for us in this building.”

That’s a strong message coming from a coach who is determined to make sure his players focus on what’s important.

Michigan, at 8-2, will have to bolster its record so much that it outshines other Big 10 playoff contenders. All in all, it’s Michigan’s battle to lose if they trip up here.