Ohio State and Michigan enter The Game with perfect records for the first time since 2006 with the highest stakes the rivalry’s ever seen.

For the first time since 2018, the Ohio State football team welcomes archrival Michigan back to the Horseshoe for The Game. Saturday’s matchup will be the 118th installment of the greatest rivalry in sports, and the stakes may be the highest these storied programs have ever seen. 

The East division, Big Ten Championship, Heisman Trophy, and College Football Playoff are all on the line for quite possibly the last time ever all at once. Not to mention the narrative surrounding Ryan Day’s young tenure as the head coach of the Buckeyes as his team must win on Saturday.

Careers are made, history is written, and legends are born in this game. It is how the coaches and players are defined and remembered. Ohio State-Michigan goes far beyond the gridiron. It is a religious way of life that’s 24-hours per day, 7-days per week, and 365 days per year. This year, Saturday’s showdown has been debated and highly anticipated since last November.

The Game Preview 2022:

The Buckeyes have won 15 of the last 17 matchups against the Maize and Blue. In 2020, The Game was canceled due to illness within the Michigan program. Then, in 2021 it was followed by a punishing victory 42-27 for the Wolverines. However, last year’s game has the potential to seismically shift the series that has swung almost exclusively toward Ohio State since the turn of the century. 

This year, Ohio State and Michigan enter The Game with perfect records for the first time since 2006. It is the 12th meeting as AP Top-5 opponents, which is the most all-time. Saturday’s showdown is also the 20th matchup where neither Ohio State nor Michigan has a loss. However, only the fourth with unblemished records (1970, 1973, 2006, 2022).

Ryan Day is in his fourth season as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and this will be his third meeting against Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh. The 2022 edition of The Game will officially mark the modern Ten Year War is underway as Day and Harbaugh are 1-1 against each other. 

Here are a few keys to The Game: 

1. Running Back Room Health

The running back rooms for Ohio State and Michigan are certainly headlining this matchup. Blake Corum is banged up for the Wolverines, as is Donovan Edwards. Then, for Ohio State, Miyan Williams and Treveyon Henderson have been in and out of injury protocol all season. So whoever can go out of those four running backs will make a huge difference in the running game. 

     2. Stopping the Run

Defensively, Jim Knowles has completely revamped the scheme for the Buckeyes as the unit finds itself inside the Top-10 in total and scoring defense. Ohio State must stop Michigan’s potent rushing attack on Saturday to have success and win the football game. That is the Wolverines’ identity on offense. That is the way they want to beat you, so high Ohio State needs to force JJ McCarthy to win the game with his arm. 

On paper this matchup features two Top-10 offenses and two Top-10 defenses. The Buckeyes rank No. 2 nationally in scoring offenses, compared to No. 9 for the Wolverines. Defensively, Michigan is No. 2 in the nation, And Ohio State is No. 10. Something has to give on Saturday as these two freight trains collide on the banks of the Olentangy.

     3. Breakout Players

The question for Ryan Day’s team is, who else is going to step up in the passing game? CJ Stroud and Marvin Harrison Jr have been a sensational duo this season. But will Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming, or Cade Stover find themselves making an impact on the outside? One of those players is going to have to step up to bring success through the air. 

Subsequently, there is a history of a young player making a name for himself in the Ohio State-Michigan game. The name to watch is Ohio State running back Dallan Hayden, who has come on in the last couple of weeks before the Buckeyes. He had 146 yards and three touchdowns against Maryland last week. Hayden will be an impact player on Saturday, especially if Henderson or Williams is not able to go in the ball game.

Ohio State vs. Michigan Prediction:

There is a ‘Game of the Year’ feel to Ohio State vs. Michigan this season. Everyone has debated it since last November, and it is finally here on Saturday. This Ohio State-Michigan game with the highest stakes in series history is the matchup we have been waiting for since last November. 

The Heisman Trophy is on the line for CJ Stroud and Blake Corum in this winner-take-all game showdown. The stars will shine the brightest in Columbus to deliver the best game of the college football season. 

The major pregame shows, ESPN’s College Gameday and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff are in town with virtually unlimited storylines to cover. The eyes of the country are going to be on Ohio Stadium for the ultimate clash of the titans. 

For a prediction, I like Ohio State to get redemption from last year, winning 38-30. The Buckeyes are going to be able to stop the run, and they are going to be effective in the passing game. CJ Stroud earns his Buckeye leaves and cements himself in Buckeye lore forever. He captures the Heisman Trophy in this matchup and sends Ohio State to Indianapolis, completing a 12-0 regular season.