In arguably the biggest game of the college football slate this weekend, the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0) will host the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (11-0). With both teams in the Big Ten East, this game has major ramifications not only for the conference standings, but for the national standings as well.
After upsetting Ohio State last year at home, the Wolverines will look to make it two years in a row. This time, they will have to do it on enemy territory as the game will be played on Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 pm ET.
Coming into this game, the Wolverines had a scare as they just squeaked by unranked Illinois 19-17 last weekend. Blake Corum rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown, but he also left the game with an injury.
The Buckeyes also did not play particularly well last weekend. They trailed the Maryland Terrapins 13-10 at halftime, and while they eventually won, the final score was just 43-30. Dallan Hayden rushed for three scores, while CJ Stroud threw for 241 yards and a touchdown.
Playing at home, the Buckeyes are the favorites Saturday. They are -295 to win, while Michigan sits with a moneyline of +235. Ohio State is -7.5 point favorites in this one, and the over/under for total points is 56.5.
Michigan Hopes To Overcome Injuries
Blake Corum has been one of the most dominant running backs in all of football. He has rushed for 1,457 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also has 80 yards receiving and another score through the air.
His dominance this season is all the more reason that Wolverines’ fans are nervous about his health entering this huge matchup. After playing just two snaps in the second half last weekend against Illinois, he is questionable with a knee injury for Saturday.
Regardless of whether Corum plays or not, it will be J.J. McCarthy leading the team under center. The sophomore quarterback has thrown for 1,952 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. McCarthy also has the ability to do some damage with his legs as he has 213 yards rushing with another three touchdowns on the ground.
On the defensive side, Michigan has been the best in the nation, allowing just 11.7 points per game. They are led by Junior Colson (73 tackles), Mike Morris (seven sacks), and Rod Moore (three interceptions).
Ohio State Ready To Avenge Last Year’s Loss
Ohio State comes into this game with a lot of motivation. This game could allow them to win the Big Ten East, solidify an entry into the National Championship tournament, and would allow the Buckeyes to avenge last year’s road loss to the Wolverines.
Leading Ohio State’s offense is quarterback CJ Stroud, who has the second-best odds (+110) of winning the Heisman Trophy this season. On the year, he has thrown for 2,991 yards, 35 touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Helping Stroud’s case for the Heisman have been wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr and Emeka Egbuka. Harrison leads the team with 1,037 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. Egbuka has 914 yards receiving and eight scores.
TreVeyon Henderson struggled a bit in his first game back from injury last week, but the Buckeyes are hoping that another week under his belt will have him ready to square off with Michigan.
If not, Dallan Hayden more than showed his worth last week as he rushed for three touchdowns. He now has five scores and 503 yards rushing on the season.
The Buckeyes also have a spectacular defense as they rank eighth in the nation, allowing 16.9 points per game to opponents. Tommy Eichenberg (105 tackles), Michael Hall Jr (4.5 sacks), and Tanner McCalister (three interceptions) lead the defense.
Buckeyes Get Their Revenge
Saturday’s game should be a lot of fun as two of the best teams in the country square off. Not only do these two teams have offense that can put up points in a hurry, but they both have lockdown defenses as well.
With two relatively even teams, the Blake Corum injury is really going to hamper Michigan. Even if he plays, he will likely not be at 100 percent, something Michigan desperately needs to keep up with the Buckeyes.
Expect CJ Stroud to play like the Heisman Trophy candidate that he is, and expect Ohio State to win at home.
Take Ohio State to win and to cover the 7.5-point spread (-110).
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