"Beat Ohio Drill" Described As Battle Scene From Movie "300"
Not long ago, Ohio State had Michigan's number. Now, the tables have turned and the "Beat Ohio Drill" is a big reason why. Jim Harbaugh and Michigan started putting a lot more focus on the Buckeyes and decided to dedicate and extremely physical drill to their rivals from Ohio. After beating Ohio State a few times, the drill has evolved a bit. After the loss to Georgia in the 2021 College Football Playoff, the Wolverines started focusing on the Bulldogs a little bit. This year, Alabama is part of the picture as well. It's a commonly used drill, but Harbaugh and the Wolverines started treating it differently in order to get ready for the toughest teams in the country.
"Everybody does 9 on 7, but I think the big piece for us was making it live tackle," Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore. "It was a big decision -- actually you find from a safety standpoint it's actually better than doing what people call the thud just because you have less injuries. People know they are going to tackle, they are going to run harder, they're not going to be hesitant. Guys are going to be more physical at the point of attack
"It's a lot of pads popping, a lot of noise, loud music, a lot of violence. Sometimes there's people on the ground; sometimes there's not. But it's physicality at its finest, and the players love it, the coaches love it, and I think it's kind of molded us and built us to what we've been the past couple years and what we need to be going forward."
Michigan senior offensive guard Trevor Keegan spoke about the drill and compared it to one of the most violent, aggressive movies ever made. Of course, if the point is to beat up on a very tough opponent, the analogy fits.
"It's a physical period," Keegan said. "It's really not as much about technique. It's about beating the man in front of you. I feel like that has been a culmination of where our toughness came from.
Those periods, it's damn near not even football. It's smashmouth. It's my guy in front of me isn't tackling the ball carrier. It's really cool. I feel like it's a huge thing for our success. I remember our first beat Ohio drill in spring ball 2021. It was like I couldn't even describe to you. It was like Battle 300 or something, like Sparta. I'm telling you it was insane.
"I feel that's really trickled down. That drill has been a huge thing for our success."
It has obviously worked against Ohio State, now Michigan needs it to work against Alabama.
