For Ohio State followers, gamers and coaches, the annual showdown towards Michigan is greater than only a sport — it’s a cultural occasion and a measuring stick, and for the winner, an opportunity to declare supremacy.
This season, because the second-ranked Buckeyes (10-1) put together for his or her conflict towards the Woliverines (6-5) on Saturday at midday ET at Ohio Stadium, the stakes really feel increased than ever. After three consecutive losses to their fiercest rival — their longest skid for the reason that Nineteen Nineties — the Scarlet and Grey are watching a second of reckoning.
From 2012-19, Ohio State outlined the rivalry, dominating with explosive offenses, formidable defenses and a swagger that resonated far past the Massive Ten.
However that narrative has shifted. Michigan, in former head coach Jim Harbaugh latter years, turned the tide, seizing management of the rivalry and utilizing it as a springboard for nationwide competition. The Wolverines have received the previous three video games 42-27, 45-23 and 30-24.
For Ohio State, this isn’t simply in regards to the convention championship berth on the road or Faculty Soccer Playoff implications. It’s about identification. It’s about reclaiming the dominance that when made this rivalry one-sided and silencing the critics who query this system’s course.