It’s “The Game” week at Ann Arbor this weekend. The anticipation is higher than ever as Ohio State meets Michigan for the 121st time to settle the score. The Buckeyes have lost their last four games, as HC Ryan Day needs to find a solution. And Wolverines HC Sherrone Moore wants to maintain that dominant streak and demands help from the supporters.

“Be the loudest, most ravenous, craziest, energetic environment that we’ve had in Michigan Stadium ever,” Moore said during the Monday press conference. “That’s what we want to be. The loudest place it’s ever been. I don’t know what the decibels have been or what they could be, but we need them to reach peak on Saturday.”

It’s a direct demand from the man in charge. The Buckeyes surely have maintained their clean streak after week 13, as compared to Michigan, which is trailing behind with a 9-2 record. It’s scary because Michigan’s doing that annoying Michigan thing again. They are looking just shaky enough all year that you doubt them, then suddenly hinting they might be ready to spike for Ohio State anyway.

“I just think we’re just going to go prepare for the game,” Moore said during the press conference.” I don’t know what really outside the building. None of that really matters.  What people think, what people say, doesn’t matter. You know what matters is how we prepare and how we get ready for this game mentally, and that’s it. I just know that we’re going to prepare to go win the game.”

They just dropped 45–20 on Maryland in what was probably their most complete game since September. Bryce Underwood was efficient (16-of-23, 215 yards, 2 TDs) and the offense finally looked synced for four quarters. Since 2021, Michigan’s entire identity has been built around peaking for Ohio State: the countdown clocks, year‑round emphasis, practice periods dedicated to “Beat Ohio,” everything. The payoff is four straight wins, including last year’s 13–10 stunner in Columbus with a limited offense and a perceived talent gap.

That history matters in a week where Ohio State remains the betting favorite and the reigning national champ. Ohio State can sincerely exploit these weaknesses as they just hammered Rutgers 42–9 like a machine. The betting line for The Game started around Buckeyes -5.5 in May but has jumped to about -10.5 to -11.5. But Michigan walks in knowing it’s solved this puzzle four years in a row.

Sherrone Moore and Ryan Day are not backing down

Waiting for “The Game” is turning into a major blood bath production nightmare. Even Ryan Day isn’t backing down from bold talk either. After a 42–9 demolition of Rutgers, Day’s postgame comments were all about focus, hunger, and the stakes of “The Game.”

“The focus has been clean all year in terms of making sure that we focus on each day at a time and maximizing each day, and then showing up on Saturday. Now we’ve got to be at our best this week,” Day said in his post-game comments about the Wolverines. “The guys are already talking about it on the sideline, and everybody’s already locked in and fired up. It’s going to be a hell of a week. We’re playing for hardware now,” Day’s tone was sharp and deliberate.

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Ohio State has stacked the rivalry’s history with 19 wins, 15 losses, and 1 tie. Matt Patricia leads the Ohio State defense, which ranks No. 1 in the nation and has suffocated opponents all season. The Buckeyes’ running game is also peaking, with Bo Jackson, James Peoples, and Isaiah West building momentum with 215 yards and four touchdowns after a breakout performance against UCLA.

There is a slight tension in Columbus because Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate have been banged up and didn’t play against Rutgers. Are they being saved for Michigan? That’s a question Sherrone Moore’s staff will be obsessing over all week.