The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes head to Ann Arbor this week to face the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines in The Game. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on Saturday, November 25 from Michigan Stadium.
Michigan has won each of the last two years after breaking a nearly decade-long streak for OSU, but the Wolverines will be playing without a head coach this week. Jim Harbaugh is being sanctioned by the Big Ten following allegations that the school illegally stole signs from other programs. The winner of this game will go on to face Iowa in the Big Ten Championship next week.
Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 B1G) had a few brushes that were closer than the final scores might indicate as November began, allowing Wisconsin and Rutgers to hang around. However, they’re back on a dominant path as of late, outscoring their last two opponents 75-6. In their latest game, a 37-3 win over Minnesota, quarterback Kyle McCord passed for 212 yards and two touchdowns, and running back TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 146 yards and two more scores.
Michigan (11-0, 8-0 B1G) has now played their last two games of the season without Harbaugh on the sidelines. These were also their toughest matchups of the year — Penn State and Maryland on the road — and they’ve now pulled out two wins. The Maryland game got a bit too close for comfort as Michigan’s defense pulled through for a 31-24 victory. JJ McCarthy passed for 141 yards and an interception in the win. This was the most points Michigan has allowed from an opponent all season.
Here’s everything you need to know and a pick for the game.
SP+ Rankings
OSU: 3 overall, 19 offense, 1 defense
Michigan: 1 overall, 6 offense, 2 defense
Injury update
OSU
S Lathan Ransom – Questionable (leg)
LB Tommy Eichenberg – Questionable (undisclosed)
DT Michael Hall Jr – Questionable (undisclosed)
Michigan
WR Roman Wilson – Probably (undisclosed)
OL LaDarius Henderson – Questionable (undisclosed)
RB Danny Hughes – Questionable (undisclosed)
QB Davis Warren – Questionable (undisclosed)
WR Karmello English – Questionable (undisclosed)
ATS/Total
Against The Spread in 2023
OSU: 7-3-1 ATS
Michigan: 5-5-1 ATS
Total in 2023
OSU: Over 2-9
Michigan: Over 5-5-1
Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Michigan -3.5
Total: 46.5
Moneyline: Michigan -170, OSU +142
Weather
39 degrees, cloudy, 6 MPH winds SW
Our Best Bet for Ohio State vs. Michigan
Under 46.5
It might be the game of the year, but it’s still Big Ten football, guys. Here, we’ll watch the two best-ranked defenses in the country go head-to-head. While OSU’s offense has been passable all season, Michigan’s has taken something of a dip in the last several weeks. I think we’ll see a low-scoring, hard-nosed game at the Big House. The Buckeyes are 2-9 on the over.