Saturday’s Michigan-Ohio State Showdown Biggest Ever In Rivalry’s History?
There have been some incredible Michigan-Ohio State games over the rivalry’s 118th-year history, but could Saturday’s be the biggest yet? Hard to believe, but that’s what a lot of talking heads are saying.
No. 2 Ohio State (11-0 overall, 8-0 in the Big Ten) hosts No. 3 Michigan (11-0, 8-0) in a game that has national championship playoff implications big time.
Some believe the Buckeyes could lose a close one and still be one of the four teams selected into the College Football Playoffs depending what happens in the SEC, Big 12 and Pac 12.
To get into the final four, Michigan more than likely has to win in Columbus, although a close loss would certainly keep them in the conversation.
An incredibly soft nonconference schedule may come back to really haunt the Wolverines and have them on the outside looking in when all is said and done and the final CFP is announced.
The winner Saturday in Columbus will win the Big Ten East Division and face the West Division winner next month in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.
Winning in Columbus has been anything but easy recently for Michigan. It has won there once this century, losing the last nine (its last win in enemy territory came in 2000.
So we enter the showdown in the Shoe with some believing this is the biggest game in college football’s greatest rivalry. Now, that’s certainly a mouthful.
Consider this, since 1935 when the game was moved to the last week of the regular season, Michigan and Ohio State have entered the game undefeated just four times, including this year (the others were 1970, 1973 and 2006).
Michigan leads the all-time series 59-52-6, having snapped an eight-game losing streak to Ohio State with a 42-27 victory last season in Ann Arbor.
Can the Wolverines end their losing ways in Columbus? Sure, but it won’t be easy.
Michigan has had just two of its 11 games decided by a touchdown or less – Maryland and Illinois.
Ohio State, on the other hand, has won every game this season by at least double digits. Its closest game was a 21-10 victory over visiting Notre Dame in the season opener.
The Wolverines and Buckeyes are the only two FBS teams in the country with top-10 rankings in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Wolverines rank second defensively (11.7 points per game) and ninth offensively (39.4 points per game), while the Buckeyes rank second offensively (46.5 points per game) and 10th defensively (16.9 points per game).
What’s concerning if you’re a Michigan fan is, the Wolverines rely heavily on their running attack, but they may have to alter their game plan since their two primary backs are banged up and their status for Saturday’s noon kickoff is unknown (Fox will televise the game live).
That is a big-time problem when you consider only three other teams in the country have more rushing yards than the Big Blue and only Minnesota in the Big Ten has carried the ball more. Michigan runs the ball more than 61 percent of the time.
Michigan’s Blake Corum, who has rushed for nearly 1,500 yards this season with 18 touchdowns, left last week’s game against the Illini with a knee injury.
Corum’s backup – Donovan Edwards – has been slowed recently, too.
“We’ve got guys that are going to carry the torch, and we’ve got guys we can rely on in there,” Wolverine quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. “We’ll see with the running back situation, but we’re going to be ready.”
If its No. 1 and No. 2 options in the backfield are unable to go, would Michigan be able to function being forced to throw the football?
McCarthy is very accurate, but a lot of his throws are short range.
Conversely Ohio State’s passing game is lethal.
The Buckeyes, who have also been banged up this season in the backfield, too, have the best receiving corps around.
The guy under center throwing to that ultra-talented group of wideouts for Ohio State is special. Quarterback C.J. Stroud might be the best player in college football. The Heisman Trophy frontrunner has thrown 35 TD passes and been picked off just four times this season.
Helping Stroud immensely is he gets to throw to the nation’s best receiver in sophomore Marvin Harrison Jr. – yes, the son of the former Indianapolis Colts’ great.
You can bet Stroud and his teammates are sick and tired of hearing about last year’s embarrassment at the Big House, which afterwards the Buckeyes were criticized as being too soft.
In the end, you have to go with Ohio State, which is an eight-point favorite. The Buckeyes are more tested. Michigan is banged up at its bread and butter position – running back. The game is in Columbus. Ohio State has the much more potent offense and the revenge factor will be quite a driving force for the Scarlet and Gray. Ohio State 28, Michigan 17
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SCENARIOS
In case you are wondering what teams have a shot at qualifying for next month’s Big Ten Championship Game in Indy, I sort it all out for you below.
It’s a two-team race in the East Division – Ohio State and Michigan.
It’s a three-team race in the West Division – Iowa, Purdue and Illinois.
Here are the remaining scenarios for all five teams:
East Division
Michigan
• Clinches the East Division title outright AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Championship Game with a win over Ohio State
Ohio State
• Clinches the East Division title outright AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Championship Game with a win over Michigan
West Division
Illinois
• Clinches a share of the West Division title AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Championship Game with a win, AND losses by Iowa AND Purdue
Iowa
• Clinches at least a share of the West Division title AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Championship Game with a win
• Clinches a share of the West Division title AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Championship Game with a loss, AND losses by Illinois AND Purdue
Purdue
• Clinches a share of the West Division title AND earns a berth into the Big Ten Championship Game with a win, AND a loss by Iowa
• Minnesota and Wisconsin have officially been eliminated from contention for a berth into the Big Ten Championship Game, but can still clinch a share of the West Division title.
BIG TEN TIDBITS
* Nine Big Ten schools – Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin – have clinched bowl berths by reaching six victories on the season.
Michigan State is the only other Big Ten team that can become bowl eligible Saturday. The Spartans must beat Penn State in Happy Valley in order to be bowl eligible.
* Surprisingly Ohio State is just 28-27-2 versus Michigan in Columbus. The series is tied at 24-24-1 at Ohio Stadium.
* Illini running back Chase Brown leads the nation with 1,582 rushing yards this season, with 903 of those yards coming after contact. He also leads the nation in all-purpose yards (1,779) without having return duties. Against a defensive unit leading the nation in rushing defense (72.7 yards per game), Brown ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns at No. 3 Michigan.
* Purdue ended its home schedule with its highest average attendance in Ross-Ade Stadium since 2007. The six Boilermaker home games were at 99.7 percent capacity (an average of 57,129 fans per game).
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