Ohio State vs. Michigan Preview and Predictions

11/22/23 • 67 min

It’s all about The Game on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.

Typically, we start each week’s episode of RPW by breaking down the previous week’s game before previewing the next opponent. This week, however, we jump right into previewing Ohio State’s season-defining rivalry game with Michigan, weaving in a few takeaways from the Buckeyes’ 37-3 win over Minnesota but otherwise focusing fully on the impending clash of titans in Ann Arbor.

With the College Football Playoff set to expand to 12 teams next year, it’s not hyperbole to say that there might never be another regular-season game in college football as big as the one the Buckeyes and Wolverines will play this Saturday. Next year, Ohio State and Michigan would already be locks to make the CFP with their respective 11-0 records, but everything is on the line for both teams this week as they play for the Big Ten East title.

Of course, this game would be highly anticipated even without those stakes as the Buckeyes look to earn their first win over their rivals in four years. And the hatred between the two sides has only grown hotter amid the revelations of Michigan’s impermissible sign-stealing scandal that may have helped the Wolverines beat Ohio State in the last two meetings.

But even without Jim Harbaugh and Connor Stalions, Michigan presents the toughest test of the regular season for Ohio State. What do the Buckeyes need to do to beat the Wolverines, and do we think the Buckeyes will make it happen? We break all of that down in our hourlong lookahead to Saturday’s No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup.

The full rundown for this week’s show:

0:11: There might never be another regular-season college football game as big as this one
2:37: Ohio State or Michigan making the CFP with a loss looks much less likely than last year
4:18: Biggest positives from Minnesota: Ohio State’s run game, Jack Sawyer and no major injuries
9:16: Ohio State’s pass defense should have edge vs. Michigan, but stopping the run will be crucial
19:15: Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau could exploit Michigan’s offensive tackles as pass rushers
23:16: Ohio State’s defensive tackles face their biggest challenge of the year vs. Michigan guards
24:36: Ohio State’s run defense has shown improvement and ability to adjust over the season
29:04: How many points does Ohio State need to score to beat Michigan?
35:44: Kyle McCord, offensive line must rise to the occasion
41:25: TreVeyon Henderson, OSU’s other game-breaking playmakers can make the difference
47:31: Ohio State needs to avoid unforced errors on special teams, penalties and turnovers
51:46: A reason for confidence: Ohio State has shown it will find a way to win close games
54:31: Why we’re both picking Ohio State to win a close, low-scoring game
1:00:29: Fair or not, this game will be a referendum on Ryan Day as Ohio State’s coach
1:02:45: Whether you’re for or against CFP expansion, appreciate this game while you can

It’s all about The Game on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.

The full rundown for this week’s show:

0:11: There might never be another regular-season college football game as big as this one
2:37: Ohio State or Michigan making the CFP with a loss looks much less likely than last year
4:18: Biggest positives from Minnesota: Ohio State’s run game, Jack Sawyer and no major injuries
9:16: Ohio State’s pass defense should have edge vs. Michigan, but stopping the run will be crucial
19:15: Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau could exploit Michigan’s offensive tackles as pass rushers
23:16: Ohio State’s defensive tackles face their biggest challenge of the year vs. Michigan guards
24:36: Ohio State’s run defense has shown improvement and ability to adjust over the season
29:04: How many points does Ohio State need to score to beat Michigan?
35:44: Kyle McCord, offensive line must rise to the occasion
41:25: TreVeyon Henderson, OSU’s other game-breaking playmakers can make the difference
47:31: Ohio State needs to avoid unforced errors on special teams, penalties and turnovers
51:46: A reason for confidence: Ohio State has shown it will find a way to win close games
54:31: Why we’re both picking Ohio State to win a close, low-scoring game
1:00:29: Fair or not, this game will be a referendum on Ryan Day as Ohio State’s coach
1:02:45: Whether you’re for or against CFP expansion, appreciate this game while you can

Previous Episode

Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Heisman Chances, How Michigan Looked Against Penn State and Jim Harbaugh’s Suspension

Ohio State still has to beat Minnesota this week, but we’re already looking ahead to The Game.

While the Buckeyes are keeping their focus on the task at hand of beating the Golden Gophers, we aren’t expecting Ohio State to face much resistance from Minnesota in the final home game of the season. Next week’s game at Michigan, however, will make or break the Buckeyes’ season – and we get our best look before The Game at the Wolverines’ strengths and weaknesses in their 24-15 win over Penn State on Saturday.

Ohio State played its own game on Saturday night, a 38-3 win over Michigan State, and we begin this week’s show as usual by breaking down our biggest takeaways from that game. Specifically, we discuss why we think Marvin Harrison Jr. has a legitimate chance to win the Heisman Trophy, why we see Kyle McCord’s career game against Michigan State as more than just beating up on a bad opponent and which freshmen impressed us in the blowout win, among other takeaways.

Then, we turn our sights toward the team up north and break down what we saw from the Wolverines against the Nittany Lions – both in terms of where they could pose the biggest threat to Ohio State next week and where the Buckeyes may be able to exploit them. We also share our thoughts on whether the Big Ten made the right decision by suspending Jim Harbaugh (but only for games), why we personally want to see Harbaugh on the sideline next week and why we expect stronger punishments to come from the NCAA.

In the final few minutes of the show, we refocus our attention back on this week’s game and share our expectations for how Ohio State vs. Minnesota will play out.

The full rundown for this week’s show:

0:27: The storylines surrounding Ohio State vs. Michigan just keep getting bigger, including CFP stakes
3:38: Marvin Harrison Jr. has a real shot to win the Heisman (with a Heisman Moment vs. Michigan)
13:15: Appreciate the opportunity to watch Marvin Harrison Jr. play for Ohio State while you still can
15:51: Kyle McCord’s performance vs. Michigan State gives us more confidence he can beat Michigan
21:15: The first half against Michigan State showed the potential of Ohio State’s offense at full strength
27:33: Malik Hartford’s play vs. MSU gives OSU more reason to feel good about its secondary
32:05: Injuries up the middle of the defense are a concern, but depth is showing up at all three levels
35:05: Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Jermaine Mathews, Jelani Thurman among freshman standouts vs. MSU
38:17: Michigan’s offense vs. Penn State shows stopping the run will be key for Ohio State in Ann Arbor
44:10: Being able to run will be equally important for Ohio State’s offense against Michigan
47:32: Why our confidence in OSU’s chances against Michigan increased on Saturday
53:52: We don‘t know if Jim Harbaugh will coach in The Game, but we want to see him on the sideline
1:00:24: Harbaugh’s suspension is a half-measure, but more punishment likely comes from NCAA
1:09:19: Minnesota is better than Michigan State, but not by much
1:14:51: Ohio State-Minnesota score predictions

Next Episode

What Went Wrong Against Michigan (Again) and Where Ohio State Goes from Here

It’s not quite as easy to pinpoint what went wrong against Michigan this time around.

In 2021, Ohio State lost because it couldn’t run the ball or stop the run. In 2022, Ohio State lost because it gave up five touchdowns of 45 yards or more. This year, the Buckeyes needed to be just a little bit better across the board.

Unfortunately for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, there’s no moral victories in The Game. Ohio State was more competitive against Michigan this year than it was the last two years, but that doesn’t change the result nor does it lessen the scrutiny Ohio State’s head coach is currently facing.

We start this week’s episode by scrutinizing the loss ourselves and looking at why the Buckeyes came up short in Ann Arbor. Then, we look at where the Buckeyes could go from here in terms of coaching staff changes, transfer portal moves and more as they pick up the pieces.

Since the Buckeyes still have a slim possibility of making the College Football Playoff, we also take a look at this weekend’s conference championship games and make our predictions for what will happen in each one. Finally, we end the show on a more positive note as we look at the rising stock of Ohio State men’s basketball after its impressive performance in the Emerald Coast Classic.

The full rundown for this week’s show:

0:20: Four years ago, it seemed unfathomable Michigan would become this dominant in The Game
3:54: Ohio State’s defensive dominance in the first 11 games didn’t translate to the Michigan game
9:49: There wasn’t one singular reason why Ohio State lost, and that makes it tougher to swallow
15:57: Ryan Day coached too conservatively in The Game for the third year in a row
23:08: Ryan Day isn’t getting fired because of this loss, but it’s fair to question his big-game record
28:52: Ohio State’s special teams did nothing to take the heat off Parker Fleming
32:04: Beating Michigan will always matter, but the current conversation would be different next year
36:14: Promoting James Laurinaitis, adding a veteran offensive coach among potential staff moves
43:57: Ohio State isn’t likely to add a transfer quarterback, but it should have a QB competition
49:36: Offensive line, defensive line among positions where Ohio State could pursue transfers
52:56: Orange Bowl vs. Louisville isn’t the most exciting matchup, but it’s the most likely
58:56: What needs to happen this weekend for Ohio State to make the College Football Playoff
1:06:22: Our predictions for Power 5 conference championship games and who makes CFP
1:09:43: Growth of Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr. a reason to believe in Ohio State basketball
1:13:57: Transfer additions off to a stronger start than Chris Holtmann’s previous transfer classes
1:16:21: Felix Okpara’s emergence as a consistent rebounder must continue