Expert picks as Ohio State faces Michigan with Big Ten, playoff implications

The stakes are always high when Ohio State meets Michigan. But there's an added element when both teams are playing for more than just bragging rights. The Buckeyes and Wolverines enter Saturday's showdown ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. The winner will advance to the Big Ten championship game against Iowa. A victory there would lock up a berth in the College Football Playoff. The loser could theoretically earn an at-large berth with some chaos on the final two weeks, but the likely fate is settling for a New Year's Six game while its rival is playing for a national title.

Added to the intrigue this year is the suspension of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for the school's involvement in a sign-stealing operation that had other Big Ten schools angry and led to the commissioner stepping in during the season and delivering punishment.

Emotions are sure to be running high in Ann Arbor and hopefully the game will deliver in the high expectations. Our USA TODAY Sports college staff offers their predictions on who will prevail in the Big House.

Scooby Axson

It’s time for Michigan to put up or shut up against Ohio State. A playoff berth for the loser is highly unlikely so the Wolverines must do the things well that got them this far.  A stout running game and timely play-action passing, plus playing suffocating defense are the keys to victory. Look for the Wolverines to play the time of possession game and do all they can to keep the Ohio State offense on the sideline, while limiting J.J. McCarthy’s opportunities to make mistakes. Michigan 24, Ohio State 17.

Jace Evans

Ohio State needs to win this game. Three straight losses to Michigan would put an insane amount of pressure on coach Ryan Day in 2024 – if he even makes it that far. But Day will be on the sidelines for this game, and Jim Harbaugh will not. If Harbaugh’s absence is ever going to matter, it’s in this game. Ohio State, slightly more battle tested this season than Michigan, digs deep and finds a way. Ohio State 24, Michigan 17.

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Paul Myerberg

Ohio State’s defense has improved to the point where it’s hard to see Michigan putting the Buckeyes in a body bag for the third year in a row. The Wolverines have also looked more vulnerable in recent victories against Penn State and Maryland, even if there was clear game control in each win. Still, they’ve been the more dominant team all season and is the team with fewer obvious flaws; the Wolverines have more room for error and are less reliant on individual stars than OSU. That makes UM the safer pick, especially at home. Michigan 27, Ohio State 21.

Erick Smith

Were the past two seasons of domination by Michigan in this series due to the sign-stealing scandal, simply massive improvement by the Wolverines or a combination of both? Saturday will provide some answers. As dominant as Michigan has been, there's always been questions about who it is dominating. The past two weeks have shown some concerns about quarterback J.J. McCarthy and even the defense that was shaky against Maryland. Which brings us to Ohio State. The Buckeyes have shown improvement on defense and shouldn't be manhandled as they were in the last two meetings. They've also got Marvin Harrison on offense. The key will be getting him the ball. If Kyle McCord can make enough throws in a tough environment then Ohio State should get out with a narrow win. Ohio State 26, Michigan 20.

Eddie Timanus

Michigan and Ohio State have one thing in common. Their fan bases are among the most unlikeable in the sport. Figured I’d state that up front since one group is guaranteed to be mad at me when I pick their team to lose, so I might as well make them all angry.

But as for Saturday’s game of the week of the century of the year, I think the Buckeyes will prevail. The Wolverines were pushed for the first time all season a week ago at Maryland, and though they got through it, whether due to the coaching turmoil or just not having experienced a close game before, they appeared beatable. Ohio State, meanwhile, has found an extra offensive gear since TreVeyon Henderson returned to the lineup, and the defense is stronger than last year’s group. And oh yeah, the Buckeyes also have Marvin Harrison Jr., who might just be the best football player in the country. Ohio State 33, Michigan 26.

Dan Wolken

The Buckeyes’ trend lines have been pointing up in the second half of the season, while the Wolverines have been trending down. Maybe the cupcake schedule simply didn’t give us an accurate picture of Michigan earlier in the year, or maybe the sign-stealing scandal and Jim Harbaugh suspension is weighing on this team. Either way, Michigan just hasn’t looked ready for this game over the last couple weeks while Ohio State seems to be peaking. I’ll take the Buckeyes to hold Michigan to enough field goals to win the game. Ohio State 24, Michigan 19.