Unranked Michigan hopes to play the spoiler at No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday in the latest installment of one of college football’s tradition-steeped rivalries.
The Buckeyes (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) are a three-touchdown favorite to clinch a berth in the Big Ten title game at The Horseshoe but its the Wolverines (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) holding the psychological advantage. Michigan won the past three games in the bare-knuckles rivalry known as “The Game.”
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore, who as the interim head coach last season for the suspended Jim Harbaugh defeated the Buckeyes 30-24 in Ann Arbor, said the losses this season are precursor to playing Ohio State.
“I think we’re not going to forget about what’s happened. But I think we’re going to use it as motivation for this game,” said Moore. “This game means a lot. Every year it means that much. Each team could be 0-11 or 11-0 and the records go out the window in this game and you really just care about winning the game.”
The pressure is squarely on the Buckeyes. A win helps Ohio State attain the first of their three goals for the season: beating Michigan, winning the Big Ten and claiming the national title for the first time since the inaugural College Football Playoff in 2014.
“To say that this team and those leaders and those seniors want to win this game, it would be one of the biggest understatements of all-time,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “They don’t need any extra motivation. They have to do a great job of preparing themselves – their mind, their body and soul to go play the game – and then trust their training.”
A victory over the Wolverines guarantees a rematch with Oregon next week in Indianapolis in the conference championship game. The Ducks, by virtue of a 32-31 home win over the Buckeyes on Oct. 12, have been ranked No. 1 in all four CFP rankings released with Ohio State maintaining the runner-up spot each week as of the most recent committee reveal on Tuesday.
Ohio State has been in the pressure cooker before. By downing then-No. 5 Indiana 38-15 last Saturday, the Buckeyes moved to 2-1 in top-5 matchups this season with a 20-13 win at Penn State on their résumé.
“There’s nothing quite like this game or this stage, but it has been good for us to get tested this year and to work through some of those issues,” Day said. “All of that adds to the character and resilience of your team that no matter what comes at us on Saturday, we’ll know how to react. But this one’s different.”
Day helped Ohio State beat Michigan in 2019, but the Buckeyes haven’t defeated the Wolverines since; the 2020 game was canceled due to COVID-19.
The Wolverines are dealing with injuries to tight end Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson. Loveland sat the second half of the 50-6 win over Northwestern last Saturday while Johnson did not dress.
Moore said Loveland is “trending in a good direction” to play but he was unsure about Johnson.
Day said the Buckeyes will be ready for all situations.
“We’re going to really focus on the process,” he said. “The same process that we’ve been working on all year, everything that we do in the off season, every decision that’s made in terms of the coaching staff, the roster, how we practice schematics, is all working towards this moment right here.”
Moore said this week is like no other.
“You can feel the energy. It’s not something you can really describe,” he said. “It’s just different. It’s a different energy. It’s a different moment. We all understand what it’s about and what it feels like to be in The Game.”
–Field Level Media
