On Saturday at 12:00 pm on FOX, the No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-2, 7-1) take the field in Ann Arbor to do battle with the Michigan Wolverines (8-3, 5-3). Ohio State is a 12-point favorite and has won five-consecutive games in this rivalry.
Will that winning streak continue for another year? Maybe.
Do we think it will? Possibly.
Here’s how we see things.
Tom Orr
I feel like I end up saying basically the same thing before every game, but I’m going to say it again this week anyway.
First, combine your dry ingredients. Then you mix in… oh, wait, sorry. That was last week.
The Game always comes down to line play. If you can run the ball and stop your opponent from running it, you win the game.
Really. That’s it. In 2012, both teams rushed for exactly 4.0 yards per carry and the Buckeyes won a 26-21 nail-biter.
In every single other year since 2002, one team that has run the ball for more yards per carry than its opponent, and every single time that team has won the game. Every. Single. Year.
I’ll give you a moment to formulate a guess about what this year is going to come down to.
Ohio State has a very solid offensive line. Michigan has a very solid to quite good defensive line. Ohio State has an otherworldly defensive line. Michigan’s offensive line is… okay-ish.
Sure, there are questions about which quarterback is going to start for Michigan. Sure, a Michigan team playing with nothing to lose against an OSU team with its playoff hopes on the line could be dangerous. Sure, it’s on the road. Sure, you can throw the records out in this rivalry. Sure, sure, sure.
It’s all window dressing. Run the ball and stop them from running the ball, and you win The Game.
Ohio State 24, Michigan 13
Brandon Zimmerman
As I mentioned on the Sons of Schmidt Podcast, I really appreciate the defensive line of the Wolverines. I believe they will give the Buckeyes running game a lot of problems in the first half. With that said, I don’t think they have the depth like the Ohio State defensive line has. If Ohio State sticks with the combination of Dobbins and Weber (NOT JTB!!), they will be able to pull away in the second half.
I know the common theme is that I am supposed to be afraid because the 90’s sucked, but screw all that noise.
Ohio State 45, TTUN 17
Caroline Rice
The Buckeyes are facing the typical Michigan offense, no matter who the quarterback is. But, the Michigan offense just isn’t enough to compete with Ohio State’s Rushmen. The Buckeyes have allowed under 100 yards rushing in five of the last six games. I don’t think this game will be any different if the Buckeyes play their best.
The Ohio State offense has really been kicking it into gear and even though they are facing a good defense, I think they will get it done. This is a season-defining game.
The Buckeyes are the more talented team, they just can’t underestimate the Wolverines here because this is always a tough game.
Ohio State 35, Michigan 17
Shannon Sommers
It doesn’t matter who is under center for Michigan because they will end up being buried under the center a lot. Michigan has an offensive line that only is successful against teams that are below .500. That being said, I have personally witnessed great Ohio State football teams that should have been dynasties get shellacked by sub-par Maize and Blue players who somehow turn into Superheroes.
I want to see Mike Weber become an Ohio State superhero and do to his home-state team what Charles Woodson and Desmond Howard have done to the Buckeyes. I want to see him for the rest of his life hear “Screw you Weber” and “Traitor!”
Ohio State 21, Michigan 14
Kyle Morgan
This is a classic matchup of offense versus defense, but if you dig a little deeper you will see that Michigan’s defense has struggled versus ranked opponents. But let’s not muddy this with football facts, there are more pressing matters to attend to.
If a couple from Ann Arbor get a divorce, are they still brother and sister?
Why do women from Michigan wear high heels? To keep their knuckles from dragging on the ground.
What do you call a football player in Michigan who has talent? An Ohio product
Maybe you’ve heard, Jim Harbaugh has lost the playbook for the game this weekend… Unfortunately, he wasn’t done coloring it yet.
But enough of the jokes. It’s time to get serious.
Also, the spot was good.
Ohio State 27, Michigan 13
Chip Minnich
I freely admit that this game has me nervous. A stretch of 2-10-1 will do that to you. Ohio State has the better talent; Michigan can play spoiler to the Buckeyes’ playoff hopes. I see it close until the fourth quarter, and Ohio State pulls away with the victory.
Ohio State 28, Michigan 17
Mike Meihls
My hatred for Michigan is only matched by my hatred for ranch and pickles on pizza. Their front 7 is good, everything else about that team is bad. The Ohio State rushing attack is better.
Ohio State 41, Michigan 10
Tony Gerdeman
Regardless of the quarterback situation, Michigan’s offense is still limited by its offensive line. If Brandon Peters can go, that only means the passing game will be a little more protective of the ball. That doesn’t mean it will be a more explosive or dynamic offense. If Peters can’t go, John O’Korn gives Michigan a more mobile option, but he has been ineffective for a while now.
The Ohio State offense — especially with tempo — is the kind of offense that gives this Michigan defense trouble. The Buckeyes have the ability to run the ball with any number of players — each of whom can be on the field at any point. The Wolverines can be attacked with misdirection, and their safeties are susceptible to big plays down the middle. Ohio State’s offense will eventually wear down the Michigan defense, and I don’t see the Wolverines being able to outscore the Buckeyes.
Ohio State 31, Michigan 17
I’m still shell-shocked by the 90’s but I think OSU wins big. The team we see tomorrow will be the team that beat MSU 48-3. Weber is healthy. The kid looks like he’s being shot from a cannon. The linebacking corps, a weakness for much of the season, is suddenly rock solid. The last time UM saw offensive firepower like this they got their doors blown off. Their offense is worse now than it was then. Things could get ugly. Buckeyes 38-10 and that might be generous…
All week I have been saying it and i still believe it. OSU offense will play not to lose and then will start making mistakes. Mich 27 OSU 20. Prove me wrong Buckeyes. Make Harbaugh cry again
I think it boils down to which CEO Meyer shows up in the whore. If the CEO who has lost his will and desire makes the trip, we’ll witness another game where inexplicably the Buckeyes look like they haven’t got a clue and JT Barrett will carry the ball 40 times for less than 100 yards and the Buckeyes either eek out a win, or lose in the closing seconds.
If on the other hand the CEO shows up once again engaged in the team concepts with killer instinct, this game will be over before halftime. The weasels offense is next to the most pathetic collection of offensive minds meets the bad news bears, but, without the talent of the bad news bears.
The Buckeyes will be battling more than just a collection of cast-a-way clown show talent. They’ll be faced with their own demons of lack of focus, complete with horrible execution, a discarding of discipline at the dumbest times and, awful calls from the worst collection of doltish referee’s in the history of American football. Seriously! Has anyone seen a more obvious litany of intentional bad calls from any other groupings of refs in College Football? No, I didn’t think so. I can foresee Johnnie Dixon scoring a touchdown but the clowns in stripes awarding the points to the weasels. They really ARE that bad. We can also count on an ejection or 2 or 3 for phantom targeting by the Buckeyes. Rest assured, the Big 10 refs will once again make this game about themselves. Many stupid reviews and even worse calling.
It shouldn’t matter, the weasels are an atrocious football team and not even the refs of the Buckeyes can prevent this game from being a Buckeye win.
44 Buckeyes
10 Weasels
Score predictions are like playing the lottery. Tom’s comments were close to hitting on the main point- OSU’s offensive game plan must be proper BEFORE it comes down to line play. If OSU plays like a 70s/80s OSU team and goes straight at UM with success, OSU is in good shape. If OSU calls a game plan like Tim Tebow is our QB, we are giving UM hope they shouldn’t have. After PSU, OU, and Iowa, who knows? GO BUCKS!!!
Before I read this i had the same score as Tony..31-17 good guys…I think this will be tight through halftime and OSU and the run game wear down the scUM D and pull away in the 2nd half…..and although theyve sucked passing for some reason I have feeling scUM will look better than they have—-somewhat… the OSU D seems to give up some yardage and make average qbs look pretty good….but they won’t give up tons of points and will make it 15 wins in the last 17–GO BUCKEYES!!!!
The Game comes down to….Aliens! It was CLEARLY aliens who abducted the Buckeyes for the Iowa game. I’d guess the Hawkeyes confused them as to which team ending in ‘eyes’ was grossly incompetent and merited further study.
For TTUN to have a chance they must somehow dupe the aliens again.
I think that Mike Weber (who I’ve often dogged) has the game of his life against his home State team.
I also think that Buckeye receivers, including TEs drop at least 2 passes.
In the end I’m not sure how the Wolverines get much past 10 points and that’s WITH Buckeye miscues.
Bosa gets pressures and maybe even a couple sacks and causes a pick-six.
Buckeyes 52
TTUN 14
I think either Tony or Caroline will be closest. I’m thinking 31-24. I have a nagging feeling that Xichigan will score some easy TD’s on a broken play or stupid penalties against Ohio State (I’m looking at you Targeting Penalty) which will allow the skunk badgers to take easy trips to the red zone.