It’s the last week of the regular season, which can only mean one thing in the rust belt: It’s Ohio State-Michigan week. And in Ohio, that means no “M” is safe.
How to watch Michigan vs. Ohio State: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Can the Wolverines pull off the massive upset this year?
Other than the Iron Bowl, no rivalry in college football comes close to matching the intensity of Ohio State-Michigan, which is a big game every year, no matter how good the teams are. That applies this year, as there isn’t a lot of juice regarding the actual play on the field. Ohio State is 10-1 and a College Football Playoff contender. Michigan is 5-6. Such has been the case in recent years, and the Wolverines have just one win in the series since 2004.
But there is plenty of intrigue going on off the playing field. Brady Hoke has all but been fired as Michigan’s coach, and if the Wolverines lose this game, they could be looking for a new coach at this time next week, since they won’t have made a bowl game. But even though these teams are miles apart both on and off the field, you never know what can happen in this game — last year, OSU won 42-41 in a thriller. It wouldn’t be too surprising if this once found a way to be exciting, too.
Our blogs on these schools
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: Noon ET
TV: ABC
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Vegas: Ohio State opened as a 20-point favorite. The line is now 21 with an over/under of 52.5, per Odds Shark.
Weather forecast: High of 53, low of 48 and a chance of rain.
Two things at stake
Ohio State needs to win this game to have a chance to make the College Football Playoff, and winning convincingly certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Michigan needs to win this game to become bowl eligible. Also, bragging rights are on the line for both teams.
One big matchup
Michigan pass defense vs. Ohio State pass offense: Ohio State’s defense has been susceptible at times, but it’s the offense that could really burn Michigan. The Wolverines have struggled in pass defense and J.T. Barrett has emerged as the best passer in the Big Ten and one of the best in the country. Barrett has the potential to torch the Wolverines’ secondary, but OSU has also been turnover prone at times this year, and Michigan needs to take advantage. That means UM will need to flip the script, because it has had its own turnover problems this year, but the the Wolverines are somehow able to force some mistakes and limit Barrett, they might be able to pull off the upset.
Further reading
Read Land-Grant Holy Land for more on Ohio State and Maize N Brew for more on Michigan.
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