The Buckeyes enter the regular season finale with lots of momentum. Ohio State vs. Michigan for the 120th time kicks off Saturday at Noon.

The Scarlet and Gray Look to Win Their First Game in The Game Since 2019

The Game is finally here—the No. 2-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes against That Team Up North. Two teams are going in opposite directions, although the Maize and Blue have won the last three matchups in the series.

Ohio State is 10-1 and 7-1 in conference play, rattling off five straight wins after suffering its only loss of the season to Oregon. That stretch includes a big road win at Penn State and a dominant victory in the Shoe last weekend against Indiana.

That Team Up North became eligible last week after defeating Northwestern 50-6. They are now 6-5 on the year and just 4-4 in Big Ten play. Before the Northwestern game, they had dropped matchups with Oregon and Indiana in their previous two games.

The current spread for the game is Ohio State -20.5, with the over/under total at 43.5. The Buckeyes are expected to win not just but big, as they have much higher aspirations for the postseason than the defending champions. Here are some notes and things to watch for as the Buckeyes host the Wolverines.

The Bucks Are Rolling

Ohio State has won games dominantly since the Nebraska scare after the Oregon game and bye week. The Penn State win was a one-score game that felt like a three-score win. The Buckeyes then shut out Purdue 45-0 before dominating Northwestern and Indiana with large margins of victory. All three phases of the team have stepped up and delivered in exciting fashion, and now they have just one game left before the postseason.

Will Howard has continued to be full of energy and leadership that has been contagious across the entire team. Howard is approaching 2,700 passing yards on the season with 33 total touchdowns and six interceptions. He has been doing a great job of spreading the ball to his elite playmakers and putting together drives to help build on some leads.

The dynamic duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson have at least 730 rushing yards and 14 combined rushing touchdowns. Their ability to keep each other fresh, along with Howard’s legs, has been great for the offense, especially in the red zone. The offensive line, which has been patched together and moved around due to some injuries, has looked outstanding given the circumstances in the past few weeks and will be leaned upon heavily at times against TTUN.

On the outside, Carnell Tate has emerged into a more significant role in the last few weeks and has played some great football. He has 525 receiving yards and four touchdowns as the third option. Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka have nine receiving touchdowns. Smith has 899 receiving yards, while Egbuka has 692 receiving yards. The receiving room has filled their roles nicely, and guys like Brandon Inniss and Gee Scott Jr. have stepped up when needed.

The Silver Bullets’ defense has been a wrecking crew and is only getting better. Every player on the defensive side of the ball has made plays and turned the defense into the best in the country. They rank first in scoring defense and total defense concerning yards, which is insane.

The defensive line has done a great job getting to the quarterback, with Jack Sawyer and company registering big plays. Cody Simon and Sonny Styles have been elite in the middle of the defense, flying to the ball and hitting the ball carrier. Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom have limited the big plays well this season, and the cornerbacks have had their moments.

Can TTUN Put Up a Fight?

The big spread and lower point total suggest a low-scoring outing for the Wolverines. However, in their last outing, they scored 50 points, so it will be interesting to see how they run the ball in this game, given the game script.

The Maize and Blue offense has seen a significant downgrade under center, with quarterback Davis Warren having more interceptions (7) than passing touchdowns (6) this season while barely eclipsing 1,000 passing yards. Their strength hasn’t been the passing game in a long time, and that will be no different this weekend. They will try to keep the game close so they can run the ball with their various options in the backfield.

At running back, Kalel Mullings has taken the reins of the backfield and leads the team with 153 carries, 832 rushing yards, and 11 rushing touchdowns. Running back Donovan Edwards has regressed this season and has just four rushing touchdowns to go with 578 rushing yards. Quarterback Alex Orji is a threat when he comes in due to his legs, and he is third on the team with 228 rushing yards. The offensive line and running game will need to be perfect for them to have a chance in this game.

Tight end Colston Loveland is the top receiving threat this year and has been basically the only threat. He has more than double the stats of any receiver in every main category. Loveland has 56 receptions for 582 receiving yards and five touchdowns for the Wolverine offense. Semaj Morgan is second on the team in catches with 23. Tyler Morris is second on the team in receiving yards with just 234 and receiving touchdowns with two.

On defense, defensive back Will Johnson has been injured and has already been ruled unlikely to play Saturday. This is a massive blow for a secondary that has sometimes been shaky. In the trenches, defensive linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant will be a handful for Ohio State’s offensive line. Defensive ends Josaiah Stewart and TJ Guy have combined for 14 sacks and complete a talented unit for the Wolverine defense.

In the middle of the field, linebackers Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham have 60 or more tackles this season. In the secondary, defensive backs Makari Paige and Quinten Johnson have 40 or more tackles. Defensive back Zeke Berry is tied with Will Johnson for the team lead in interceptions with two a piece.

The Buckeyes Get Their Long-Awaited Revenge

The last four meetings between these two rivals have resulted in three wins for the Wolverines and a cancellation due to the Wolverines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scarlet and Gray have been itching to win this game, as it is THE game.

Many Buckeyes returned to Columbus with a few goals in mind, the first of which was a win against TTUN. TTUN has losses to Texas, Washington, Illinois, Oregon, and Indiana. Their biggest wins are Minnesota, USC, and Michigan State. Any team with a pulse, especially on offense, has had plenty of success against the *defending national champions.

Ohio State has arguably the most momentum of any team as of late and is playing the best football in the country right now. No extra motivation will be needed for this one, and a shellacking may be in-store. Will Howard knows the importance of the game, as do all the playmakers on both sides of the ball.

The Buckeyes will start hotter than they usually do and, as always, pull away with big plays in all phases in the second half. TreVeyon Henderson and Emeka Egbuka both find the endzone and get their sweet revenge. Jack Sawyer, Cody Simon, and the defense will disrupt TTUN’s running game and force them to throw, leading to some turnovers, including a potential first interception for Caleb Downs.

The Buckeyes get back in the win column in the rivalry, and Ryan Day helps send this team to Indianapolis for the first time in a handful of years with a chance to avenge their only loss this season against the Oregon Ducks. The world-famous Buckeyes get up and stay up, winning this game handily.

Prediction: Ohio State 34 TTUN 14