Beat writer Dave Birkett offers his 3 keys to victory for Michigan and Ohio State in Saturday's rivalry football game (noon, ABC). The Buckeyes (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) have won five straight in the series, and Michigan (5-6, 1-6) needs one win to be bowl eligible.

3 keys for Michigan

• Replace Minor - Brandon Minor is out with a bum shoulder. That’s a big blow - no one runs as hard as him - but Michigan has the bodies to patch together a viable running game. If Vincent Smith, Mike Shaw or Carlos Brown can have a big day - heck, if all 3 can - Michigan could be in business.

• Control tempo - Rich Rodriguez says he doesn’t care much about time of possession, but the Wolverines have to do something to keep their atrocious defense off the field. Michigan has been outscored in the second halves of its last four games, 99-19, and the defense has worn down in recent games against Penn State and Wisconsin. An early lead is essential to a victory.

• Field goals, not touchdowns - On defense, that is. Ohio State ranks 10th in the Big Ten in red zone offense (ahead of only Michigan) and starting kicker Aaron Pettrey is out for the year with a torn MCL. The Buckeyes will move the ball, but keeping scoring opportunities to a minimum is critical. Make Devin Barclay beat you.

3 keys for Ohio State • No turnovers - Ohio State is the better team and should win, but giving the ball away is always a recipe for disaster. The Buckeyes had five turnovers in their only Big Ten loss to Purdue, and USC returned an interception to the 2-yard line to set up a touchdown in its win early this year. Jim Tressel is conservative for a reason.

• Pryor engagement - Terrelle Pryor wants to be a complete quarterback, we all understand that. And in time maybe he’ll be a decent passer. But his most deadly weapon now is his legs, and Ohio State can’t forget that. Remember what Juice Williams did to Michigan’s defense the last two years? Pryor is better.

• Crowd control - It's not happy time in Ann Arbor right now with Michigan on the brink of its second straight losing season and vultures circling over Rich Rodriguez's head. But this is senior day, it is a rivalry game and Michigan's magical 1969 team is back in town. The last thing Ohio State needs is to give the reeling Wolverines momentum. A couple of early touchdowns, on the other hand, and the Buckeyes could be on the verge of another 42-7 beatdown.

Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.