Ohio State-Michigan is still considered a rivalry, competitive balance be damned. The Buckeyes have won all but two of the meetings between the two schools since 2001 and Michigan’s current coach, Jim Harbaugh, has yet to beat Ohio State in his six years since taking over at his alma mater.
But this could finally be his chance to get over that hump. The Wolverines are 10-1 and currently sit ranked No. 5 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. Much of that has been on the back of strong quarterback play from Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy as well has running back Hassan Haskins, who ranks third in the Big Ten in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
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BENDER: Odds, betting trends, predictions for “The Game”
The maize and blue have also gotten help from their defense when they’ve needed it. They rank in the top-10 in scoring defense (7th, 16.27 points per game), total defense (9th, 306.6 yards per game) and are one of the best teams defending on third down (10th, 31.7 percent conversion rate allowed).
Even if it’s Harbaugh’s and Michigan’s best chance to get over the hump, it still won’t be easy. Ohio State has one of the nation’s most prolific offenses ranking first in total offense (559.9 yards per game), first in scoring offense (47.2 points per game) while converting on 53.9 percent of third down attempts and scoring on 92 percent of their trips to the red zone.
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The Buckeyes can also win in myriad ways, with receivers Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba as well as running back TreVeyon Henderson all having the ability to serve as focal points and catalysts of the offense.
Both Ohio State and Michigan are 10-1 this season, though Michigan’s loss was to conference foe Michigan State. That means if the Wolverines want to play for their first Big Ten title under Jim Harbaugh, they’ll need to beat Ohio State, whose one loss is to Pac-12 powerhouse Oregon.
This iteration of “The Game” has some of the biggest implications of any in recent memory and could go a long way toward solidifying Jim Harbaugh’s job security.
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