The Ohio State Buckeyes have been the dominant team in college football throughout 2025. It started when they reeled off four consecutive victories in the College Football Playoff and culminated that run with a 37-23 triumph over Notre Dame in the national championship game.
The Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day were celebrated for that triumph and it meant that Ohio State was on top of the college football world. However, it did not look like the year would be a triumph for the Ohio State coach just a few weeks before the Buckeyes started their playoff run. They suffered a 13-10 home defeat in the regular-season finale to archrival Michigan even though the Buckeyes entered that game as 19-point favorites.
Day has been the head coach of the Buckeyes since 2019, and that is the only season his team defeated Michigan. After that 56-27 victory, Michigan turned things around in the historic series. There was no meeting with the Wolverines in 2020 due to the Covid outbreak, but when the two teams met in 2021, Michigan ended years of frustration with a 42-27 triumph.
Ohio State has been bound and determined to beat Michigan in the three meetings that have followed, but the Wolverines have been successful each time.
Ohio State is prepared to end the streak
This year's Ohio State team is a sensational 11-0 this year and the team is loaded. The Buckeyes have Heisman Trophy candidate Julian Sayin at quarterback, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate at the wide receiver spots and one of the hardest-hitting defenses in the nation. The Buckeyes defeated Rutgers 42-9 in their penultimate game, and that leaves only Michigan left on the regular-season schedule.
The Wolverines have another solid team and have a 9-2 record after beating Maryland by a 45-20 margin. Michigan is solid and will have homefield advantage when they meet the Buckeyes Saturday. The hosts will be keen to put another notch on their belt with a fifth consecutive victory over Ohio State, but it will not happen. The streak ends in 2025 and the Buckeyes will end years of frustration.
Ohio State's skilled players are dynamic
The big advantage the Buckeyes have is their best players are far more experienced than Michigan's top skill players. Sayin has been among the most accurate quarterbacks in recent memory.
He has completed 239 of 301 passes for 2,832 yards — 79.4 percent accuracy — with 27 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. It's clear that he has two of the best receivers in the nation in Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.
Smith has caught 69 passes for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, while Tate has 39 receptions for 711 yards and 7 touchdowns. Smith's 10 TD receptions leads the nation, while Tate's 18.2 yards per catch also leads the nation.
Smith is likely to receive double coverage at key moments throughout the game and that could leave Tate in single coverage. He is likely to have a big game as a result, and so could tight end Max Clare.
Both Smith and Tate sat out against Rutgers with injuries, but both are expected to play against Michigan.
Ohio State has the defense to combat Michigan's attack
Bryce Underwood has seized control of the Michigan offense and he is clearly a talented quarterback who can make plays with his arm and feet. The 6-4, 228-pound freshman has completed 171 of 275 passes for 1,951 yards with 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He has also gained 322 rushing yards, averaging 5.0 yards per carry with 5 touchdowns.
Wideout Andrew Marsh is the team's best receiver, but his numbers are not overwhelming. He has caught 42-641-3. Running back Jordan Marshall will try to punish the Buckeyes on the ground, and he has 871 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Marshall did not play against Maryland as a result of a shoulder injury, but he is likely to play against Ohio State. Fellow RB Justice Haynes has a foot injury and may not be able to play.
However, linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese are punishing hitters and won't let Michigan have any breathing room. Styles has 63 tackles, while Reese has 59 and 6.5 sacks. Defensive end Caden Curry leads the Buckeyes with 9.0 sacks.
Pressure factor will be immense for both teams
Ohio State has been the No. 1 team in the nation since the very early part of the season. They were underdogs prior to the season-opening victory over Texas and most preseason prognostications suggested that the Buckeyes would be the No. 2 team in the Big Ten behind Penn State.
The Buckeyes poured cold water on the Longhorns' upset hopes and Penn State imploded. As a result, the Buckeyes have been ranked No. 1 for months. However, that won't matter to their fans if they lose to Michigan for a fifth straight year. A loss to the Wolverines is not likely to knock Ohio State out of a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, but Buckeyes supporters will not accept another loss to their hated rivals.
Michigan has been on a roll since a midseason loss at USC, but a loss to Ohio State would be their third of the season and that would likely knock them out of the CFP.
This is a game both teams want to win deep into their soul. The belief is that the Buckeyes will be ready for anything the Wolverines have to throw at them. Ohio State is also the more talented team. While that may have been the case in the past, there will be no let up and no slip up. Ohio State will go into Michigan Stadium and come away with the victory.
