Two years ago at this time, the thought of Michigan football beating Ohio State twice in a row was unthinkable, even to the most ardent maize and blue fans.
The Wolverines were coming off a debacle of a 2020 season, having gone 2-4 in the six games played. The last time they had played the Buckeyes, they were run off their own field, 56-27.
Then, the tables turned spectacularly. En route to another Big Ten championship, Ohio State forgot Michigan was supposed to be the road block — something it hadn’t been in nearly two decades. The Wolverines turned the tables, not only manhandling OSU at home, but then doing it on the road in 2022.
Still, Fox Sports’ primary color analyst, Joel Klatt, isn’t 100% certain it’s a trend yet.
Klatt has been about as much of a Michigan apologist as one could be, but he notes the Buckeyes are still who they’ve long been — an explosive, talented team that has the potential to win a national championship any given year. While he notes the maize and blue are built specifically to beat the scarlet and gray, it will take one more win in 2023 to cement the Wolverines as the team to beat in the conference.
“So, this is what is so fascinating, is that I would classify both of the last two wins for Michigan as upsets,” Klatt told Colin Cowherd. “And even just last year, even this last year, I don’t think that Michigan beats that Ohio State team six out of 10. I think they might beat them three or four out of 10. Like, I’m not saying it’s drastically a difference but you saw in the game against Georgia with Ohio State, the talent level is very clear. There’s some things that happened in that game — not taking anything away because Michigan, they did have an identity and they beat Ohio State thoroughly.
“What I am trying to say though, is that I don’t think that would be the case if they did it a third time, no. They bring back all the key pieces. To me, they have a team that is likely going to be favored to win the Big Ten East, is going to be ranked higher than Ohio State to start the year. And they’ve beat them their last two games. So your initial premise — there’s not an argument. You can’t push back against that. Who’s the class of the Big Ten currently, today as we speak? It’s Michigan. Yeah.
“And that’s even with the talent that Ohio State has accumulated over the last few years, Michigan does have a clear identity and it’s an identity, by the way, that is specifically to beat Ohio State. They target them and they specifically look at them and they’re like, ‘What we do, gives you trouble,’ and that’s what’s so fascinating about it this year, that the East Division and this is the last year that we’re going to have divisions in the Big Ten. Penn State is going to start in the top five, Ohio State’s going to start in the top five and Michigan is going to start in the top five. That is going to be an absolute great run in that division.”
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