50 For 50: The Game’s The Thing

Welcome to final edition of our daily feature that I am calling “50 for 50” where I attempt to get us to Big Ten Media Days — which is one day away — with a daily sampling of what we can look forward to this upcoming college football season.

We will do this via the following categories: the 50 biggest individual matchups for the Buckeyes this season, the 50 most important college football games this season, 50 Buckeye things to look forward to this season, 50 national predictions, 50 Big Ten predictions, and 50 predictions involving the Buckeyes.

Previous: Day 49 |

Biggest Buckeye Matchups

Michigan CB Jyaire Hill vs. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith

Michigan must find a cornerback to replace departed starter Josh Wallace. Expectations are that redshirt freshman Jyaire Hill will be that guy. He’s a 6-foot-2 corner who played in four games last year. By the time he gets to the Ohio State game he’ll be plenty experienced. The same can be said of Buckeye freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith. Smith is a physical marvel and will want to make his mark on this rivalry. He has received comparisons to Marvin Harrison, Jr., but Harrison left without earning a pair of gold pants. Smith won’t want to live that kind of life. The matchup between UM All-American Will Johnson and OSU sophomore Carnell Tate may get more attention, but Hill-Smith will be a deciding factor as well.

Most Important Games

Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State-Michigan is the rivalry that all other rivalries are compared to, and this year’s game features no shortage of drama. The stakes will be immense for Buckeye head coach Ryan Day. Ohio State has lost three in a row in this series and it would be devastating to lose a fourth. A loss for OSU might not knock the Buckeyes out of the playoffs or get Michigan into the playoffs, but it would further extend a narrative that Day and his program are trying to kill. There is an immense amount of pressure on the Buckeyes to win this game, but it could be argued that they haven’t been this primed to beat Michigan since 2020. If Ohio State is as good as they’re supposed to be, they should win this game.

Things To Look Forward To

The moment the Indiana game ends.

Each year the official start of Michigan Week is the moment the Buckeyes’ 11th game ends. The focus shifts from the 51 weeks prior to the one final week remaining. This year, that 11th game is Indiana. When the clock goes full zeroes and the presumably victorious Buckeyes are singing Carmen Ohio, they’ll already be thinking about Michigan. Even though their thoughts are never far from The Game, once the Indiana game is over they’ll be able to focus entirely on the reason so many of them returned. And, frankly, if the Indiana game gets out of hand, Michigan Week may actually start sometime in the fourth quarter.

National College Football Predictions

Dan Villari will outrush Kyle McCord this season.

This may not mean anything to you, but the Syracuse Orange starting offense this season will feature a former Ohio State quarterback and a former Michigan quarterback. Former Buckeye Kyle McCord will be throwing the ball and former Wolverine Dan Villari will be catching it. Villari would have been Michigan’s starting quarterback against the Buckeyes in 2020 had embattled former head coach Jim Harbaugh not declined to play the game, which may help explain why Villari is now playing more tight end than quarterback. Villari started 11 game last year, catching 20 passes for 180 yards. But he also had to play some quarterback down the stretch and rushed for over 300 yards in those games as well. McCord has rushed for -77 yards in his career, so even if Villari doesn’t actually run the ball this year, this prediction should still be okay.

Big Ten Football Predictions

Michigan will not make the playoffs.

Michigan must win at least one of their three toughest games — Texas and Oregon at home, and on the road at Ohio State. If they do that and don’t trip up anywhere else, they should be fine. But have they lost too many talented players and “other personnel” to avoid such a trip-up? They’ll no doubt be able to get up for the big games, but that doesn’t mean they’ll have enough to actually win them. Will they even have enough offense to not fall in a trap game or two that they should win but don’t? There are concerns about quarterback Alex Orji, but they shouldn’t just stop with him. This is an unproven line with unproven receivers. Can their physical brand of offense win out once again?

Ohio State Football Predictions

Ohio State will beat Michigan.

Five years is a long time to go between wins over Michigan. I expect that the Wolverines’ winning streak will end in November. All of the pressure will be on Ohio State, so either you embrace it or it breaks you. If the Buckeyes didn’t want the pressure, more than a handful of them could have left for the NFL. Talent, determination, and motivation will win out this year. Ohio State will finally beat Michigan again. Or die trying. Let’s go 31-20.

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