ANN ARBOR, Mich. — No. 2 Ohio State travels to play No. 3 Michigan on Saturday in The Game with a Big Ten championship game bid on the line.
The winner moves onto to face No. 20 Iowa in next week's conference title game as a big favorite with a likely College Football Playoff berth at stake.
The Wolverines will be without coach Jim Harbaugh, who is serving the third and final game of a Big Ten suspension for leading a program that it says broke sign-stealing rules.
Michigan has won two straight after losing a school-record eight in a row to Ohio State.
No. 2 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 2 CFP) at No. 3 Michigan (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 3 CFP), Saturday, Saturday, 12 p.m. EST (Fox)
Line: Michigan by 3 1/2 according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Michigan leads 60-52-6.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
The winner will represent the East Division in the Big Ten title game, where it will be a big favorite to earn a championship and a likely bid to the College Football Playoff.
KEY MATCHUP
Michigan's passing game vs. Ohio State's defense. To win, the Wolverines will likely need QB J.J. McCarthy to make more plays through the air than he did the last two weeks. He was 12 of 23 for a season-low passing percentage with 141 yards passing and an interception in last week's seven-point win at Maryland. The Buckeyes are No. 1 in FBS against the pass, second in scoring defense and third in yards allowed. CB Jordan Hancock has an INT in two of the last three games. DE J.T. Tuimoloau has a team-high four sacks and 20 tackles for losses in his three-year career.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ohio State: WR Marvin Harrison Jr. The Heisman Trophy candidate has 62 catches for 1,093 yards and 13 TDs. Harrison is the first player in school history to have 1,000 yards receiving in consecutive seasons. He has scored in seven straight games, reaching the end zone 11 times during the streak. Harrison and David Boston (1996-98) share a school record with 100 yards receiving in 14 games.
Michigan: McCarthy. The junior has experience on his side after starting in last year's win, but he has been limping lately. He was hurt two weeks ago in a win at then-No. 9 Penn State. McCarthy was 12 of 24 for 263 yards with 3 TDs and no INTs and ran for 27 yards along with a score in last year's win at Ohio State, where the Wolverines won for the first time since 2000.
FACTS & FIGURES
The Wolverines have won two straight in the series, which dates to 1897, after Ohio State won a school-record eight straight with a run that likely would've been extended to nine to match a rivalry record if a COVID-19 outbreak within Michigan's program didn't cancel the 2020 game. ... Both teams are among the top five in the AP Top 25 for the 13th time — the most in a college football series — and the Buckeyes are 7-4-1 in those matchups. They're top-three teams for the fourth time and the previous three matchups were at Ohio State last year and in 2016 and 2006. ... The Wolverines have won 27 straight regular-season games, one shy of the conference record shared by Ohio State (2005-07) and Michigan (1901-03).
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.