MI and Ohio State’s Rivalry Trumps Playoff Contention

The game also helped decide the victor of the Big Ten for the next 11 years. Teacher vs. pupil. Dear friends and fierce competitors, their legacies are linked.

The victor between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 MI will go a long way to determining not only the Big Ten Conference championship but also the final four spots in the College Football Playoff.

“The way the season marched on and the way both teams continued to succeed, it just created this epic meeting of two rivals”, said former Buckeyes defensive tackle Joel Penton. And he had two huge stops on back-to-back kickoffs in the fourth quarter against Ohio State, stuffing the Buckeyes at the 13 and the 11 to help seal the upset.

UW trails Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson and Washington in the rankings.

Much of Michigan’s identity is built upon Lewis and Stribling, whom the Wolverines trust to shut down opposing receivers without much help. No. 15 Florida (8-2) or No. 16 Nebraska (9-2) could make a last-minute run.

The Hail Mary came when Central Michigan was awarded an extra play after intentional grounding was called against Oklahoma State. Both teams are among the best in the nation, and a spot in the College Football Playoff is likely on the line. Unless, perhaps, if PSU puts a 59-0 kind of whooping on Wisconsin, the way Ohio State did two years ago.

“We’re going to talk about it with the team”, Franklin said.

The second scenario involves a MI win, and results in a much clearer and uncontroversial top four.

Michigan, meanwhile, had John O’Korn make his first start of the season at quarterback in last week’s win over in after Wilton Speight, who started all year, suffered a shoulder injury in the Wolverines’ loss at Iowa.

They were gruff and uncompromising. Then they have two paths to the playoffs. And they loved each other like family, though competition took precedent during the fall.

“He’s a goofy big brother”, Thomas said. That’s what the Wolverines do well and the Buckeyes must find a way to beat it. “I can’t speculate or look into the future and project what may or may not happen”. “I just tried to bring a little extra in for last week, and I’m going to do the same for this week”.

“I wouldn’t say they have separated themselves from the Group of Teams 2-5”, Hocutt said. “Obviously things didn’t go as planned for us”.

It seems Jim Harbaugh isn’t too interested in talking about the past.

All of which means some committee members might be very, very tempted to pull very hard for MI this week.

“He is one of Bo’s boys”, Madej said. Luckily for the Wolverines, the CFP committee showed that it thinks highly of them as they were only dropped to No. 3. Presumably, they could rise further if they can defeat No. 23 Washington State (8-3), which slipped from No. 22 after losing at Colorado, and win the Pacific-12 championship game, against either No. 9 Colorado or No. 12 Southern California.

MI will win the Big Ten East Division if it beats Ohio State.

The Game has lost its luster in recent years.

On the day, MI outrushed IN 225-64, as running back De’Veon Smith hit the 100-yard mark for the second time IN the last three games.

“I’ll just say I’m not into hypotheticals”, he replied. “Getting ready for the actual game”. While Harbaugh has never been shy about taking a fellow coach to task, he has traded no barbs with Meyer. That’s how close they are to perfection. Obviously, I’m a Badger fan and will pick Wisconsin to win out, and the victor of the Big Game will get the last spot. “So I have a great appreciation for rivalries”.