The Michigan Wolverines are humming since falling to the Penn State Nittany Lions, but will that matter when they host the Ohio State Buckeyes next weekend?
We didn’t think the 2019 Michigan Wolverines had it in them, but here we are. In the middle of October, Michigan was an overrated two-loss Big Ten East team, as Jim Harbaugh‘s squad had lost on the road to the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison and the Penn State Nittany Lions in State College to fall to 5-2 (3-2) on the year. Harbaugh was so on the hot seat, it was ridiculous.
Flash forward a month and a few days from the Penn State loss in Happy Valley and Michigan looks like a team that can hang with and beat anybody. The offense has found new life after looking essentially dead for the first month and a half of the 2019 college football season. Michigan has outscored its opponents 166-45 since its last defeat.
In the last month or so, the Wolverines have dominated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Maryland Terrapins, the Michigan State Spartans and the Indiana Hoosiers. Notre Dame is a top-25 team like the Wolverines. Indiana will be going bowling this year and if Michigan State doesn’t lose to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, they too will achieve bowl eligibility.
Of course, the Wolverines did hit a favorable part of their schedule after slaughtering Notre Dame in The Big House the week after the Penn State defeat. If Michigan were to face either Wisconsin or Penn State in a rematch at a neutral-site, the Wolverines could definitely win those games. If the rematch were in The Big House, no question that Michigan would be the favorite in those.
But at the end of the day, all that really matters for Michigan is how the Wolverines do against the archrival Ohio State Buckeyes next week. Michigan hasn’t beaten Ohio State in going on a decade. Since taking over his alma mater’s program in 2015, Harbaugh has never beaten the Buckeyes, which has been a huge reason Michigan has yet to play in the Big Ten Championship under him.
Can Michigan upset Ohio State next Saturday? It’s certainly in play. See, Ohio State has already clinched its spot in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes will face the winner of the Wisconsin Badgers vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Ohio State would be the presumptive favorite over whoever comes out of the Big Ten West.
For Michigan, this is the Wolverines’ Big Ten Championship. If they beat the Buckeyes to get to 10-2 (7-2) on the season, they are almost certainly guaranteed a berth to a New Year’s Six Bowl. It could be the Rose Bowl if the Buckeyes reach the College Football Playoff. At the very least, they could play in the Cotton Bowl Classic or the Orange Bowl, two great bowls to be a part of.
The last reason Michigan could upset Ohio State, besides it meaning more to the Wolverines and the way that the Wolverines have played of late, is that this game will be in Ann Arbor. The crowd could be a huge factor in next week’s signature game. Ohio State nearly gave the game away to Penn State at home in The Horseshoe this week. Ohio State is great but is definitely beatable.
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