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Following a convincing win over Rutgers, top-ranked Ohio State travels to Michigan for its big rivalry game on Nov. 29.

Ohio State is 11-0 overall and 8-0 in the Big Ten. Michigan is is 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference.

Here are our predictions for Saturday’s Ohio State-Michigan game:

Ohio State vs. Michigan predictions

Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State 28, Michigan 17. The recent years have shown Michigan to hold a psychological edge in the series. How else to explain last year’s inexplicable disaster for the Buckeyes? But even if the Buckeyes’ bitter rival poses a mental block to overcome this week, it’s too difficult to dismiss the obvious advantage at Ohio State. No one else in the nation has been as dominant between both sides of the ball this year, and while the Buckeyes might not be at full strength at wide receiver, they’ve been No. 1 for good reason. The losing streak ends in Ann Arbor.

Rob Oller, Columbus Dispatch: Michigan 21, Ohio State 17. I’ve picked Ohio State each of the past four years, and how has that worked out for the Buckeyes? Conventional wisdom suggests the rivalry has to level at some point, and I agree, but Urban Meyer went 7-0 against the maize and blue, so there’s no guarantee OSU’s fortune flips this week. Do I think the Buckeyes are the “better” team? Yes, but again I thought that the past four seasons. Bottom line? Ryan Day needs to prove he can win The Game in the post-COVID era (he beat UM in 2019). Until then, shoulda, coulda, woulda falls on deaf ears.

Brianna Mac Kay, Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State 14, Michigan 7. The last thing Ryan Day needed going into rivalry week was more questions. The question of whether Day can beat Michigan has been hanging over his head for the past couple of seasons, but now there is another major question: Will Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate be available? The status of Ohio State’s star receivers could be unknown until game day, but against a Michigan defense that has allowed an average of one passing touchdown per game Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin could still manage to squeeze a completed pass into the end zone, no matter who is on the receiving end.

Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State 17, Michigan 9. Ohio State enters rivalry week with the health of its two wide receivers in jeopardy. Michigan ranks No. 15 in the AP Poll, making this game Ohio State’s highest-ranked regular season opponent. Against Rutgers, one of the worst-ranked defenses in the FBS, Ohio State had one receiver, tight end Max Klare, crack over three receptions. Suddenly, the receiver room becomes a concern for Ohio State. Playing on the road against its archrival, Ohio State escapes The Game by leaning into its defensive prowess.

Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press: Ohio State 27, Michigan 20: Michigan’s offense has started to click the past two weeks, picking up nearly 500 yards at Northwestern and scoring 45 against Maryland, its most in league play all year. The Wolverines have had the Buckeyes in a mental pretzel for half a decade, but there’s a reason OSU is the top team in the land. The pick is subject to change given the health of OSU stars Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, both of whom are questionable at this point, but the Buckeyes have a lot of firepower either way. It’s all or nothing for UM. A win and the Wolverines are almost certainly in the College Football Playoff. A loss? It’s probably going back to Florida for a bowl game. Michigan is trending up but has not showed the ability to stay with the big dogs (Oklahoma and USC) that have enough talent to keep up on every play. 

Ohio State vs. Michigan scouting report: What we’re watching

Joey Kaufman: Matt Patricia had Texas quarterback Arch Manning’s head spinning in Week 1. The first-year defensive coordinator dialed up a mix of disguises in fronts and coverages that confused Manning, who was then making just his third career start behind center. As the Buckeyes prepare for their biggest game since the opening weekend, it makes you wonder what Patricia might have in store for Bryce Underwood, a freshman quarterback who is also thin on experience. The NFL background of Michigan’s Wink Martindale was a factor last year as the Wolverines held Ohio State to a season-low 10 points.

Rob Oller: Everyone is talking about the “will they or won’t they” of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, and rightfully so. If the two receivers don’t play, or are limited because of their injuries, Michigan’s defense immediately improves. But I am just as interested in watching how OSU quarterback Julian Sayin handles the pressure of playing his team’s biggest rival in the unfriendly confines of the Big House. The redshirt freshman has been unflappable through 11 games, but Michigan is a different animal.

Brianna Mac Kay: While Michigan lost two key players from last season’s defensive line to the first round of the NFL draft, the Wolverines are still the best rushing defense Ohio State will face this season, ranked 12th in the nation. In the last game against the 129th-ranked rushing defense in Rutgers, freshman running back Bo Jackson recorded 110 yards and two touchdowns, but also fumbled the ball right outside the end zone. If Smith and Tate are unavailable, will Jackson be able to continue being impactful and clean up the mistakes in Ann Arbor?

Dan Aulbach: If the receiver room is not fully healthy, the offense will have to rely on the run game against a 12th-best run defense in the FBS. The Buckeyes’ running backs averaged more than seven yards per carry the past two weeks against two run defenses among the worst of all 133 FBS teams (UCLA 121st, Rutgers 123rd). On the flip side, Michigan is without running back Justice Haynes (foot injury) but moved the ball well with Bryson Kuzdzal (20 carries, 100 yards and three touchdowns) and Tomas O’Meara against Maryland’s 102nd-ranked run defense.

Ohio State vs. Michigan score predictions

Rob Oller: Michigan 21, Ohio State 17

Joey Kaufman: Ohio State 28, Michigan 17

Brianna Mac Kay: Ohio State 14, Michigan 7

Dan Aulbach: Ohio State 17, Michigan 9

Tony Garcia: Ohio State 27, Michigan 20

Bold predictions

Ohio State outgains Michigan on the ground

Joey Kaufman: The conventional wisdom holds that the Buckeyes should air it out, that their overreliance on running the ball cost them in last year’s loss. No argument here. But 12 months later, the ground game is peaking at the right time, even while accounting for the level of competition, and freshman Bo Jackson is an explosive back with the potential to break loose on any carry. With Michigan’s Justice Haynes sidelined, the Buckeyes appear to have the deeper backfield. Don’t be surprised if Ohio State, which is averaging 202.5 rushing yards per game this month, shows the recent stretch to not be a mirage.

Bryce Underwood throws for more yards than Julian Sayin

Rob Oller: Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood throws for more yards than Julian Sayin. With a caveat. Because of what we’ve been told, or more accurately not told, one has to assume that Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will not be 100% against the Wolverines. It’s possible that one or both do not even suit up. I doubt that will be the case, but I can only go on what is being said, not speculation. And without a healthy Smith and Tate, Sayin will be operating without his two most important security blankets.

Ohio State defense holds Michigan to under 100 rushing yards

Brianna Mac Kay: The Wolverines are ranked 10th in the nation in rushing yards, but their top running back, Justice Haynes, is sidelined with a foot injury. The Buckeyes are second in the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 80 yards per game, and should be able to capitalize on Michigan missing a key piece of their running game.

Bryce Underwood throws a pick, held for under 200 passing yards

Dan Aulbach: Michigan’s coveted true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood has had ups and downs this season, almost costing the Wolverines the game against Northwestern with two interceptions but showing flashes of improvement throughout Big Ten Play. But Underwood has not played a defensive unit as strong as Ohio State’s, which had four sacks against a solid Rutgers offense last week. The Buckeyes’ stout defensive line will force Underwood from the pocket, forcing off-platform throws and creating major trouble for Michigan’s quarterback.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State vs Michigan football predictions: Can Buckeyes win?

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