Tag: Ohio State vs. Michigan

Behind Enemy Lines with Wolverines Wire: The Game from a Michigan fan and media perspective

How are Michigan fans, the team, and media members feeling about Ohio State and The Game coming up? We even asked about J.T. Barrett and “the spot.” with Wolverines Wire. #GoBucks #TheGame

The Game. It’s almost here. In fact, the buildup for it is already in full force with a top-three matchup on tap for Ohio State and Michigan this Saturday at High Noon.

Unlike the most recent years, both fanbases have confidence that their team will be able to handle business, and at the same time, a large section of each fanbase is a little uneasy about what might unfold in the ‘Shoe on Saturday.

Being on the Ohio State side of things, you can almost feel a little nervousness coming from OSU fans on this one, but how are things from the other sideline? Well, it just so happens that we have a sister site, Wolverines Wire, that we can get the pulse from.

We spoke to Trent Knoop of the Michigan-centric site for a Q&A session we like to call “Behind Enemy Lines.” We touched on things like how the program is feeling about the matchup, what TTUN thinks about the Ohio State program these days, and even twisted the knife a little to ask whether J.T. Barrett was short or not back in 2016.

Here is the complete question and answer session. And while we have your attention, if you know any Michigan fans (sorry about that), or you just want to get more perspective from a Wolverine side of things, we encourage you to head on over and check out the great coverage the team does there.

Now, back to the question — er — questions at hand.

College GameDay: Six pack of Ohio State facts

Six facts about Ohio State and College Gameday.

It is officially rivalry week in college football, and there couldn’t be more on the line in ‘The Game.’

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes will host the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines in the biggest game of the year for both teams. The winner will head to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the Big Ten Championship game while the other is hoping they did enough to earn a spot in the College Football Playoffs.

With a matchup featuring two of the top three teams in college football, you had to know that ESPN and College Gameday would be rolling into Columbus.

Buckeyes Wire lays out six facts about College Gameday as it pertains to the Ohio State Buckeyes and this massive matchup.

ESPN’s College GameDay headed to Columbus for Ohio State vs. Michigan

Which pregame show will you be going to if you are heading down to the stadium Saturday morning? #GoBucks #TheGame

We’re beginning to wonder if there’s anyone in the media NOT going to be in Columbus this coming Saturday when Ohio State hosts Michigan. “The Game” is set to kick off as Fox’s Big Noon Game of the Week with the Big Noon Kickoff crew in attendance and all that goes with that.

And now, in case you missed it, ESPN’s College GameDay, and all the hoopla that goes with the fan-favorite, long-running production will also be on the banks of the Olentangy competing for space and viewers.

There are going to be a lot of Ohio State and Michigan personalities too with the media members taking part. From Fox, you have former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and former Wolverine all-timer Charles Woodson, while College GameDay has Desmond Howard and his horrible takes on the set with former Buckeye quarterback Kirk Herbstreit.

There’s no word on who the celebrity guest picker will be yet for College GameDay, but let’s hope the show does much better than what we’ve seen so far this year.

LeBron anyone?

So, I guess if you are into these pregame shows, get down to the ‘Shoe, grab your signs and get ready to give some of those Michigan men on set a very warm welcome if you know what I mean.

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See where Kirk Herbstreit ranks Ohio State in relation to Michigan heading into The Game

After a weekend of close calls for the top-rated teams, where does Herbie have Ohio State in his latest rankings? #GoBucks

Ohio State may have gotten caught looking ahead when it found itself in a battle with Maryland this past Saturday. Fortunately, the Buckeyes pulled it together to put the Terrapins to bed and came away from College Park with a 13-point victory.

OSU now prepares for Michigan in The Game and it’s as big as it’s ever been. The No. 2 Buckeyes welcome the No. 3 Wolverines to Ohio Stadium, both undefeated and both looking for a birth in the Big Ten Championship game and in the College Football Playoff.

As we head into the final week of the regular season, let’s take a peek at where Kirk Herbstreit has Ohio State in relation to Michigan, and the rest of his top six after a weekend full of close calls and upsets.

Everything Jim Harbaugh said about Ohio State heading into The Game Saturday

Get a look at everything Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said about Ohio State leading into the game. #GoBucks

It’s finally here. After watching both Ohio State and Michigan take care of business each week, all signposts seemed to point towards the matchup of two college football giants this year in “The Game.” Both got a scare last week to make it all come to fruition, but there’s no doubt these are two of the best teams in the game this year.

Last year, Jim Harbaugh and Michigan finally got the Ohio State monkey off its back by physically dominating the Buckeyes in a snowy Donnybrook that took the will of OSU for the first time in years.

How will this one play out? We’re as excited as you are to see and we’ll continue to have coverage throughout the week to tee it all up for kickoff at Noon ET on Saturday.

But before that, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh met with the local media in Ann Arbor for his weekly press conference Monday, and of course, the Ohio State game was front and center on everyone’s minds.

In case you missed any of what Harbaugh said, here are his comments in their entirety thanks to our sister site Wolverines Wire. We’ll have more with those folks from behind enemy lines later in the week, so feel free to head over there and get some perspective from the opposite sideline as well.

ESPN FPI updates Ohio State’s chance of beating Michigan after Week 12 games

What does the ESPN FPI Matchup Predictor say is Ohio State’s percentage chance of beating Michigan Saturday? #GoBucks #TheGame

OK, it’s Michigan week everyone, and it’s one of the biggest editions of “The Game” we’ve ever witnessed. For only the third time in the last 50 years, both teams come into the matchup undefeated, meaning there’s a ton on the line.

At stake is a Big Ten East division title, a spot in the Big Ten Championship game and a potential berth in the College Football Playoff. It’ll most likely be No. 2 vs. No. 3 with all of the pomp and circumstances leading into the game this week.

If you’ve followed us at all, we check in every week to see what the ESPN FPI Matchup Predictor says about Ohio State football winning each of its regular season games. At the start, the Buckeyes were favored in every one of their games, but the percentage chances of winning each changed after more data points and results were available to plug into the ESPN engine that figures these things out each week.

Now, we’re down to just one game, the massive contest against Michigan. OSU has been favored all along according to the ESPN FPI, but what about after Week 12? Did the percentage chance of winning the game move in either direction?

Here’s what ESPN says about the Buckeyes’ chances of declawing and defanging the Wolverines this coming Saturday.

NEXT … What ESPN says about Ohio State’s chances of beating Michigan

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RIVALS: An Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry documentary you won’t want to miss

If you are an Ohio State or Michigan football fan, or a college football fan in general, you’ll want to spend some time watching this upcoming documentary. #TheGame

If you’re an Ohio State fan — or Michigan fan for that matter — there’s a new documentary you won’t want to miss in the very near future. We all remember the HBO production “Michigan vs. Ohio State – The Rivalry,” and we’re sure a lot of you know that one well (I have a copy of it in my collection), but there are more than a few reasons to take RIVALS in as it comes from a different slant. It’s titled “Rivals: Ohio State vs. Michigan,” and it also dives into “The Game.”

Without spoiling anything for you, it does more than just dig into players and personalities from the storied rivalry (though there’s still plenty of that), it tries to answer what goes into creating and sustaining a rivalry with Ohio State vs. Michigan as the test case.

We got an advanced screening here at Buckeyes Wire of the fun and lively documentary from the Sinclair Broadcast Group and the Tennis Channel, in partnership with DLP Media Group, and can confirm that it’s well worth your time.

“Rivals: Ohio State vs. Michigan,” goes through the history of the rivalry by looking at how it was formed, the ebbs and flows of it, but then peels back the layers of an onion that’s part scarlet and gray, part maize and blue to look at the psychology of a rivalry and the different attributes that make up rivalries.

It’s all based on research, data, and findings from KnowRivarly.com which set out to use data derived from human behavior and surveys to define what a rivalry is. There’s even video and new information even the most committed and passionate Ohio State or Michigan fan probably hasn’t run across before.

The documentary is narrated by well-known Ohio State superfan J.K. Simmons, and also has Michigan fan and sports personality, Rich Eisen, kicking in commentary. There are also appearances from players like Archie Griffin and the Boren family, as well as media personalities that have covered the rivalry over the years from both sides.

So, when can you watch “Rivals: Ohio State vs. Michigan?” Well, before Ohio State and Michigan face each other later this month naturally. RIVALS will premiere Saturday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Great Lakes and Bally Sports Ohio. The documentary will replay throughout the month on these platforms and will later be distributed among other media outlets including the Big Ten Network.

You can click on the link and type in your local zip code to confirm air dates and times: RivalsDocuseries.com.

NEXT … The Press Release

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Michigan tight end Erick All expects same result against Ohio State this year

Michigan players are awfully confident in their ability to have the same result against Ohio State this coming season. #GoBucks

The Michigan football program is still basking in the glow of beating arch-rival Ohio State for the first time in nine years, and apparently the guys they brought to Indianapolis to represent the program at Big Ten media days are still flying high with confidence.

Take Michigan tight end Erick All for instance. During his availability to the media in Indy on Tuesday, he said the result is one that he was expecting. And even though he only has one catch for seven yards against the Buckeyes, the Wolverines completely dominated both sides of the line and physically manhandled an Ohio State team that’s used to being on the giving end of such an effort. He was a beast in the run game as well with his blocking.

“I wasn’t surprised. I watched a lot of film (on Ohio State),” All said to the media on Tuesday. “I watched a lot of film on us too and practiced with the guys that — it’s just we were expecting to do what we did — and we’re gonna be doing the same thing, expecting the same thing this upcoming year.”

Jul 26, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines tight end Erick All talks to the media during Big 10 football media days at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Look, we’re not throwing shade at a guy for having confidence in his team to continue to have positive results on the field and build on what Michigan did against OSU last year. We’d expect the same from an Ohio State player. However, breaking an eight-game losing streak and notching just two wins in fifteen years isn’t a turn of the tide.

The Game is in the ‘Shoe this year, and you can bet these quotes and others will make their rounds at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for the next few months.

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Michigan and Jim Harbaugh steal revered tradition from Ohio State

Say what?

Michigan continues to try and be more and more like Ohio State. I guess when you only have one win in a decade you might as well be the equivalent of Burger King to McDonald’s.

Last year, in a nod to how the Buckeyes treat the rivalry, Jim Harbaugh and company embraced putting signage up the Wolverine weight room to ask the team: “What are you doing today to beat Ohio State.” There was clearly more emphasis put on beating OSU and it worked, at least last fall when Michigan physically beat up an Ohio State team that seemed to be on its heels to the tune of 42-27.

And now, it appears Michigan has borrowed — ahem — stolen from the Buckeyes again by handing out golden charms to players to commemorate beating OSU. The charms are complete with a claw mark through a Block O.

Sound familiar?

Of course, you know that Ohio State has handed out golden charms as well in the form of golden pants for every victory over Michigan. Unlike the stolen tradition Harbaugh no doubt had a hand in though, OSU has been doing it since 1934 when new head coach Francis Schmidt started the whole.

Remember, McDonald’s had the Big Mac before Burger King introduced the Whopper and people still flock to the golden arches over the King by a wide, wide margin.

What’s next? Script Michigan? Wolverine Grove?

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Former Michigan star Taylor Lewan dunks on Ohio State after Fox shares time of The Game

The Michigan faithful are awfully loud these days. #GoBucks

The Game.

It needs no explanation, build-up, or additional fanfare. It’s Ohio State vs. Michigan on a gray, cold November Saturday. There’s really no love lost between the two programs, and Michigan winning this past fall seems to have riled up the maize and blue “faithful” even more.

Take one former Wolverine offensive lineman Taylor Lewan for example. Despite Michigan not being able to get the best of the Buckeyes for a decade, he’s brazen and ready to gloat about Michigan finally taking care of business last fall.

When Fox shared a graphic advertising the annual grudge match, Lewan couldn’t help himself and decided to throw a little shade at Buckeye Nation.

Michigan fans, players, and coaches sure did a lot of talking through the deepest valley in the rivalry’s history for their program, and now that they actually won one, it seems the talk has gotten even louder.

But, have no fear, Kirk Herbstreit is on the case too. He decided to issue a challenge to Lewan and ask him to be a celebrity picker for the game and face the music.

Ohio State vs. Michigan was always going to be a hoot regardless. With all of the back and forth and renewed energy from the maize and blue sideline, you can bet that it’ll be more entertaining than ever to watch what happens in the lead-up to November 26.

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

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