Michigan has defeated Ohio State four years in a row, with the most recent Wolverine victory being the most unlikely of the bunch. It’ll be a tall task to beat the Buckeyes for a fifth straight year, but here are 5 reasons it can happen:
Each year, there’s only one date on the calendar that both Michigan and Ohio State fans, players and coaches have circled. This year, that date is Saturday, Nov. 29, when “The Game” will be renewed in Ann Arbor.
By this point, we’re all familiar with the recent history of the rivalry. The Buckeyes had dominated the first 20 years of the 21st century, but Michigan has regained control by winning the last four. The victory in Columbus in 2024 was particularly surprising, given Michigan needed the win to finish the regular season at 7-5, while Ohio State eventually won the National Championship.
If last year’s result showed us anything, it’s Michigan and Ohio State’s rivalry is truly where you throw the records out the window. “The Game” is a one-game season that completely takes on a life of its own, leaving one side with a whole year of joy and the other with a year of bitter resentment.
Since it’s June, it’d be foolish to call our shot now as to who will win “The Game” this fall, but for right now, here are five reasons Michigan can (emphasis on “can”) get its fifth straight win over Ohio State.
Michigan home game
We’ll start with the obvious — this year’s game is at Michigan Stadium. Over the last 100 years of the rivalry, the record has tilted only slightly in Michigan’s favor at home, as the Wolverines are 26-22-3 against Ohio State in Ann Arbor. But as we know, home field advantage is becoming much more of a weapon in college football.
Michigan Stadium hasn’t exactly earned the reputation of being one of the toughest places to play despite being the biggest, but having been in the building for the two most recent games against Ohio State, it’s clear the energy is different when the Buckeyes are in town.
It should also bode well for Michigan that the Buckeyes don’t have a tough road schedule in 2025, with their most difficult matchup being against Washington in September. Perhaps a juiced Michigan Stadium in late November will give Ohio State something it isn’t well-prepared for.
Inexperience for Ohio State
Ohio State finds itself in a similar boat this year that Michigan was in last season. Despite coming off the National Championship, both teams lost tons of starters on both sides of the ball. This year, the Buckeyes will have to replace eight starters on defense and nine on offense. That includes their starting quarterback, running backs, and much of their offensive and defensive lines.
Now, Ohio State has been one of the best recruiting programs in the country in recent years, so it should have plenty of talented players in the fold to help fill the voids. Caleb Downs and Jeremiah Smith are back, too, and those are two of the best players in the country. Still, we don’t know how the new contributors will hold up until they’re actually put on the field to perform. This could play in Michigan’s favor, as it won’t have as many holes to fill on either side of the ball.
New offensive and defensive coordinators
It made no difference for Michigan in 2024, as it was able to win on the road with new offensive and defensive coordinators, but Ohio State will be facing the same challenge in 2025. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly left for the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders, while defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left for the same position at Penn State.
Ohio State now turns to Brian Hartline as its new offensive coordinator. He has been on staff since 2017 and has served as the wide receivers coach since 2018. He’s been arguably the best receivers coach in the country for the last several years, but didn’t have the best results when serving as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator in 2023. We’ll see if his second stint is better than his first.
On defense, Ohio State has hired former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia to run the show. He had a successful run as the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots from 2012-17, but has been much maligned since then and was out of coaching in 2024. He also hasn’t coached in college since 2003. Perhaps the Buckeyes will have similar success like Michigan did in hiring an NFL coach as its defensive coordinator, but Patricia will also be working with several new starters.
Michigan riding the wave
Despite its overall struggles in 2024, Michigan beat Ohio State and Alabama to end the season, all while also pulling in great high school and transfer portal recruiting classes. The hope is that momentum will carry into 2025 and beyond.
Michigan did lose a handful of elite players this offseason, but might be able to make up for losses like Mason Graham, Will Johnson and Colston Loveland in the aggregate with more depth and experience on the team. A still-talented and deep roster, combined with more experience has Michigan poised to take a step forward.
The biggest reason for optimism for fans has centered around its offense and Bryce Underwood. Any way you slice it, the offense was bad in 2024, but the arrival of Underwood and new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey should help make things batter, even if it’s not hitting the ceiling right away.
Perhaps Michigan also found itself in a state of being content last offseason after winning the National Championship, failing to acknowledge the flaws that would eventually catch up to it. Heading into 2025 with a wave of positive momentum and something to prove, the program is in a better spot than it was at this time last year.
The pressure factor
Even seven months later, there’s very little that makes sense about how Michigan beat Ohio State last season. It’s not really one of those games where you can look back and say, “We should’ve seen that coming,” as it was truly an upset that came out of the blue.
The only thing that makes sense is Ohio State pressed, and that’s what led it to lose despite having so much in its favor heading into the game. Looking back, the Buckeyes couldn’t get out of their own way, mostly thanks to questionable play calling and a lack of adjustment on offense. Having lost three games in a row already to Michigan, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes couldn’t afford to lose to the Wolverines again, especially not the 2024 version, but that’s what happened anyway.
Now, the result of “The Game” didn’t matter during the College Football Playoff, where Ohio State looked like a totally different team. But the pressure will undoubtedly still be there once the week of Thanksgiving rolls around, and Ohio State’s program knows how big of a priority Michigan is for all parties involved. There probably won’t be the same job security questions surrounding Day in 2025, but what will the Buckeye faithful think if his record against the “Team Up North” drops to 1-5?