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It doesn't get much better than this! The greatest rivalry in all of college football has finally arrived with a chance at the playoff on the line! The third-ranked Michigan Wolverines will clash with the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes at the Horseshoe in what has the makings to be an all-time classic! It is time to check out our college football odds series where our Michigan-Ohio State prediction and pick will be revealed.
With this year's edition of “The Game” serving as the first meeting since 2006 that both schools are ranked within the top-five, there is no question that the entire college football world will be watching this one closely. For the majority of the fourth quarter in Michigan's narrow victory over Illinois 19-17 a week ago, it appeared that the Wolverines may in fact suffer their first defeat. However, Michigan dug deep and prevailed thanks to placekicker Jake Moody's 35-yard field goal sailing through the uprights as time expired.
Looking for their tenth straight victory at the Horseshoe, the Buckeyes have not lost at home to Michigan since 2000 and demolished the Wolverines by a score of 62-39 the last time they played in Columbus back during the 2018 season. After surviving a scare versus Maryland, the College Football Playoff could be at the tip of their fingers win a win against their dreaded rivals.
Here are the Michigan-Ohio State college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Michigan-Ohio State Odds
Michigan: +7.5 (-105)
Ohio State: -7.5 (-115)
Over: 56.5 (-105)
Under: 56.5 (-115)
Why Michigan Could Cover The Spread
While the Wolverines avoided a massive upset loss last weekend, they could be without Heisman candidate running back Blake Corum, who is no doubt the heartbeat to this Michigan offensive attack. Suffering from a lower body injury, Corum has put Michigan on his back with a whopping 18 rushing touchdowns on 1,457 yards from scrimmage. Although Michigan is one of the more talented squads in the entire nation, there is no doubting that the Wolverines are better off when Corum is able to suit up for play.
If Corum cannot give it a go, then it will be up to QB J.J. McCarthy on offense to give the Blue their second consecutive victory over Ohio State. When looking at the film, McCarthy doesn't necessarily blow you away with his arm talent, but instead wows you with his overall athleticism that can blow the top off of any opposing defense. On paper, Michigan's talented field general has also taken extremely good care of the football by only throwing a pair of interceptions in the ten games he has started for the Blue. While McCarthy may be asked to do more in the passing game, Wolverines faithful should have nothing to worry about in their sophomore signal caller.
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Of course, the bread and butter of this Michigan squad has been on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, no other team in college football has been as impressive as the Wolverines have been in keeping teams out of the end zone. Statistically, Michigan boasts the top total defense in the nation with only 241 yards allowed per game. No doubt about it, the Wolverines ferocious defense will have to find a way to slow down the impressive Buckeyes offense to give themselves a shot at covering.
Why Ohio State Could Cover The Spread
Losing to Michigan certainly hasn't happened very often over the course of the past decade, but Ohio State surely wants to get the bad taste out of their mouth after losing to the Wolverines a year ago around this time in Ann Arbor by a final score of 42-27. Nevertheless, Ohio State will enter this contest looking through the other side of the fence for once when they lace up the cleats in what should be an entertaining classic.
If Ohio State is going to see their championship aspirations come true and cover the spread on Saturday, the Buckeyes will have to find a way to move the ball consistently against one of the top defenses in all of America. While OSU hasn't had any difficulties in finding ways to march down the field with their surplus of talent, they may need to establish the running game in the early going. Coming into this one, the Wolverines are only letting up 79.5 yards on the ground, so finding some running lanes should be a top priority for the Buckeyes in this one.
Not to mention, but giving C.J. Stroud the proper protection to make plays with his arm will also prove to be a dealbreaker. When facing no pressure, Stroud has posted a 82.9 passing grade on the season. However, when the pressure gets home and makes life difficult for Stroud, his passing grade plummets to a 35.1 and finds himself completing 43% of his passes. If OSU's offensive line can't do their job, then the Buckeyes could be in for a long day.
Final Michigan-Ohio State Prediction & Pick
This is what makes college football so great! With that being said, it would be wise to put your money on Ohio State to receive vengeance from last season and also overwhelm the Wolverines with their high-octane attack on offense.
Final Michigan-Ohio State Prediction & Pick: Ohio State -7.5 (-115)
