Ohio State and Michigan have both spent this season taking turns disappointing their fan bases, but the Buckeyes still have one thing the Wolverines don’t: enough talent to make the final stretch feel salvageable.
That’s not saying much. Ohio State has been a mess over the last two weeks, getting blown out by USC and Oregon. The absence of Julian Sayin has clearly hurt the offense, which has struggled to push the ball down the field, while the defense has kept giving up points in bunches.
Still, Michigan has managed to make its own case for misery. The Wolverines have been fighting through a rough year under a new head coach, and the offense has remained a problem. That showed up again in a turnover-filled loss to Michigan State, where Michigan gave the ball away four times and offered almost nothing on offense.
The situation has gotten so bad that Michigan fans are starting to call Kyle Whittingham an Urban Meyer plant, especially after he said there are no more trophy games to care about after losing to MSU. That comment only added to the feeling that he doesn’t grasp the weight of The Game, even with both teams stumbling.
For Ohio State, the path forward is simple on paper: beat TTUN at home and salvage what’s left. If Ryan Day loses that game, the fallout could be severe. Ohio State already has more losses than it has had in any season since 2011, and another defeat to Michigan would send the fan base into a full-blown revolt.
The rivalry game at the end of November now looks less like a showdown between elite programs and more like a meeting of middling teams with nothing else to play for. Neither side has a postseason goal left to chase. It has become a one-game season for both.
Even so, Ohio State still looks like the better bet. The Buckeyes have enough firepower to handle what might be the worst offensive Michigan team ever seen.
But for a program used to peaking at this point in the year and building toward a national title run, that’s cold comfort. Right now, Ohio State looks short on fight, especially on defense, while Michigan can’t seem to score at all.
Both Day and Whittingham are hearing it from their own fans. But only one of them is really in danger of losing his job. If Day can’t beat Whittingham, that conversation gets a lot louder.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Smiths Frustration Just Raised A Bigger Ohio State Concern
Jeremiah Smiths frustration during Ohio States loss to Oregon was hard to miss, and it came in a game that already carried major weight for the Buckeyes playoff hopes. Even in defeat, Smith was one of the few bright spots, finishing with seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, but the bigger takeaway was how visibly the moment seemed to wear on one of the teams most important playmakers.
For Ohio State, the concern goes beyond one heated sideline reaction. Smiths production showed why he matters so much to the offense, but an analysts speculation that he might not play again this season only adds another layer of uncertainty around a team trying to steady itself after the 41-28 loss. For now, it leaves the Buckeyes with more questions than answers about how they move forward. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Big Ten Path Just Got A Lot More Complicated
Ohio States road to the Big Ten championship game is no longer just about what the Buckeyes do down the stretch. At 6-3 overall and 4-2 in conference play, Ryan Days team is now waiting on a chain of results elsewhere, with Michigans matchup against Oregon and UCLAs remaining schedule both carrying real weight in how the standings shake out.
For the Buckeyes, the margin for error has shrunk to the point where every conference result matters, even games they are not playing in. Day also said quarterback Julian Sayin is still recovering from elbow surgery and will not be back soon, leaving Ohio State to keep sorting through its own health questions while the bigger picture in the Big Ten keeps shifting around it. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Defensive Grades Expose Who Actually Showed Up Vs Oregon
Ohio States defense had a long afternoon against Oregon, and the film and grading only sharpened the picture from the 41-28 loss. Still, there were a few Buckeyes who at least held up their end, and Eddrick Houston stood out among them with five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two pressures while earning a Pro Football Focus grade of 75.4.
The rest of the defensive grades paint a more uneven story, with snap counts and performance varying widely across the unit as Ohio State tried to keep pace. For a defense that needed steadier play in a marquee matchup, the numbers make clear which players were active and which ones were left searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]