The Buckeyes are undefeated in the season and have already defeated teams like Texas, Washington, and Penn State. No opponent seems to be too hard, and defending that national title is within reach. However, Ryan Day has yet to pass a major test. Beating Michigan. The OSU head coach is 1-4 against the Wolverines and will face them on 29th November. But the stakes of ‘The Game’ are even higher since the hopes of a B1G championship game rest on it, too.

The Big 10 recently released its football standings, and Indiana is currently at the top, followed by Ohio State. Sitting in the third place, however, is Michigan with a 7-2 record, and the team is fighting hard to climb those rankings. Not to mention, Michigan is currently on a winning streak and has defeated teams like Washington, Michigan State, and Purdue. Winning the rest of the two games against Northwestern and Maryland seems easy before facing Ohio State.

It’s, of course, not set in stone, but Michigan could face Indiana in the Big 10 title game if it beats Ohio State in the final game. The Buckeyes do have a favorable schedule, too, involving teams like Purdue, UCLA, and Rutgers. But winning at the Big House will still be a different ball game. It’s like how Michigan superfan Dave Portnoy pointed out in a recent hostile banter with OSU fans.

“I honestly wish Michigan could play Ohio State every week. We’d never lose. We have trouble in other conferences. These guys, I can’t wait,” said Dave Portnoy. Not to mention that Portnoy was wearing a hoodie that teased OSU fans with Ryan Day’s bleak record against Michigan. “It’s been 2163 days since Ohio State beat Michigan,” read Portnoy’s hoodie. Considering the position in which Michigan was in 2024, this year, they are miles better.

Last year, Michigan finished with an 8-win season and didn’t even have a solid quarterback. For context, Sherrone Moore experimented with 3 QBs and never settled on a single one. This year, however, Bryce Underwood is giving standout performances in just his freshman season. The QB has passed for 1,671 yards and rushed for another 272, showcasing dual-threat talent. That alone provides a unique edge for Michigan. But even if Michigan wins that Ohio State game, will the Big 10 favor Michigan with a 10-2 record over Ohio State’s 11-1, for the Big 10 title game?

Strength of schedule and a favorable strategy give Sherrone Moore an edge over Ryan Day

The Indiana Hoosiers, currently undefeated and avoiding both Michigan and Ohio State in the schedule, will most likely end up with a 12-0 season. That alone would ensure that the Hoosiers’ Big 10 title game berth would stay intact. However, both Ohio State and Michigan will have a close fight if Michigan beats OSU. Not to mention that both teams’ strength of schedule rankings are quite similar, but Michigan is still ahead.

Ohio State has a PFF grade of 146.75, while Michigan has 163.75 as of this Week, which can favor Michigan over Ohio State for the Lucas Oil Stadium game on December 6th. That surely puts immense pressure on Ryan Day to succeed against Michigan this year, finally. Though the head coach has acknowledged that his team is built for November. “The great players and the great coaches sustain throughout the season. We’re just getting started. This is like the start of the season. Here we are. We’re in November,” said Ryan Day. The verdict?

The 1-4 record against Michigan doesn’t help Ryan Day. Nor does it help that Michigan’s rushing offense is 12th nationally, compared to OSU’s 74th. That helped Michigan massively last year, since the team limited Will Howard to 175 yards and forced two interceptions. Instead, Michigan brought out a gruesome ground slog and limited OSU’s rushing to just 77 yards. Mind you, that was an OSU team that went on to win the Natty in the 2024 season.

So, apprehensions would surely be there in Ryan Day’s mind, along with intense pressure. Can Ohio State finally overcome the Michigan challenge this year? Can Julian Sayin withstand a 16th-ranked D line in sacks? These are the questions worth pondering as Ohio State and Michigan finally chart their road to the Big 10 title game in Indianapolis, Indiana.