Buckeyes out to extend mastery of The Game

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Game is going to be a game again, or at least that appears to the case before No. 2 Ohio State plays No. 5 Michigan.

The Buckeyes (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) are favored to win today at the Big House by about a touchdown.

That spread is a relative sign of respect for the Wolverines (10-1, 7-1) based on recent results of the lopsided series.

Ohio State has won a school-record eight in a row, one short of the series mark Michigan set from 1901-09, and 15 of the last 16 games. The last two times they met, the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines by a combined score of 118-66 and the games didn’t seem that close.

“It’s our job to continue that legacy,” Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison said.

Michigan seemed to get its swagger back this season.

And like Ohio State, which almost annually has a lot at stake in the regular season finale, the Wolverines will have much more than bragging rights on the line for a change.

“It’s a playoff game,” said Coach Jim Harbaugh, whose success overall at his alma mater comes with a glaring 0-5 record against the archrival Buckeyes. “It’s a rivalry game at the highest level.”

The winner earns the Big Ten East Division title, a spot in next week’s conference championship game and a path to the College Football Playoff with a potential opportunity to win it all.

The season will be spoiled for the loser, whatever bowl it winds up in.

“This is one of the greatest rivalry games in all of sport,” Ohio State offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere said. “It’s called The Game for a reason.

It’s the most energy that we ever give to any single opponent that we have because we prepare for 365 days a year. That’s what makes or breaks our season.”

The Buckeyes, who are 23- 0 in conference games under Coach Ryan Day, are aiming for a fifth consecutive Big Ten title and sixth appearance in the conference championship.

Michigan, meanwhile, hasn’t ever won a Big Ten division title and it is mired in the program’s longest conference championship drought that dates to 2004.

Ohio State has won 26 consecutive Big Ten games, a streak that trails only the school’s 30- game run from 2012-15 in Big Ten history, since losing Oct. 20, 2018, at Purdue. The Buckeyes have also won 21 games in a row over ranked Big Ten teams.

(AP/Jay LaPrete) Ohio State defensive lineman Zach Harrison, seen here tackling Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa in a Oct. 9 game, told reporters that the second-ranked Buckeyes want to continue their eight-game winning streak against rival and No. 5 Michigan.