For Ohio State fans, players and coaches, the annual showdown against Michigan is more than just a game — it’s a cultural event and a measuring stick, and for the winner, a chance to declare supremacy.
This season, as the second-ranked Buckeyes (10-1) prepare for their clash against the Woliverines (6-5) on Saturday at noon ET at Ohio Stadium, the stakes feel higher than ever. After three consecutive losses to their fiercest rival — their longest skid since the 1990s — the Scarlet and Gray are staring at a moment of reckoning.
From 2012-19, Ohio State defined the rivalry, dominating with explosive offenses, formidable defenses and a swagger that resonated far beyond the Big Ten.
But that narrative has shifted. Michigan, in former head coach Jim Harbaugh latter years, turned the tide, seizing control of the rivalry and using it as a springboard for national contention. The Wolverines have won the past three games 42-27, 45-23 and 30-24.
For Ohio State, this isn’t just about the conference championship berth on the line or College Football Playoff implications. It’s about identity. It’s about reclaiming the dominance that once made this rivalry one-sided and silencing the critics who question the program’s direction.
