Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will beat Michigan
By Alec Hartman
The Ohio State Buckeyes look to finish hot on the road against heated rival TTUN, as a win against Michigan keeps Ohio State’s CFP chances alive.
One quality that stands out most when thinking about college football is tradition. This quality is something that many teams around the country have but none are quite like the Buckeyes.
Rivalry games are also of great significance in the college sports world. Likewise, many teams around the country partake in rivalry match ups but none can hold a candle to ‘The Game’ where the Bucks and the TTUN Wolverines clash.
This will be the 114th meeting between the Bucks and TTUN as their first match up dates back to 1897. Although the Wolverines lead in the all-time series, the Bucks have won five straight games in this match up. There is one reason for the Bucks’ recent consistent success and that reason is Urban Meyer. Since he began at Ohio State, Meyer has never lost to TTUN.
Another Buckeye that has never lost to TTUN is J.T. Barrett. Just when it was believed that Barrett couldn’t possibly break any more records than he already has, another opportunity presents itself on Saturday. Becoming the first quarterback in Buckeyes history to beat TTUN four times as a starter would be the icing on the cake for Barrett’s career.
People can bash Barrett for whatever downfalls he’s had but in the end he’s given the Bucks everything they ever wanted. Denying TTUN the taste of victory for four years makes every piece of criticism thrown at him go out the window. It’s clear that Barrett is dialed in when it counts against public enemy number one up north.
On the other end of things is Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh. Since his arrival as head coach, Harbaugh has never been victorious against the Bucks. Things are trending in the right direction for the Bucks indeed.
The first sighting of Harbaugh was back in his humble beginnings as starting quarterback for the Wolverines in 1984. Harbaugh defeated the Bucks in both games that he started. This included a victory in 1986 in which he infamously guaranteed the win over the Bucks before the game.
Since then, it’s only right that the Bucks have never let Harbaugh get another win. Harbaugh’s presence at TTUN has only stricken the rivalry that much more which both sides can agree is the way it should be.
Many are overlooking the Wolverines in this match up due to the fact that they’re unranked and have three losses to this point. This is almost incomprehensible considering the fact that this game is not like any other game. All stats and precursors become obsolete in The Game where pride and tradition are the only true guidelines.
It took double overtime for the Bucks to get passed the Wolverines last season in Columbus. This game will not get any easier this time around with the game being in The Big House up north. Fortunately, the Bucks will have the upper hand in some areas this season where they weren’t as proficient previously.
The Game represents the absolute paramount of the Bucks’ season and is one of the most exciting match ups in the college football landscape. Here are a few reasons why the Bucks will get the win over TTUN on Saturday.