This weekend, the No. 3 Michigan football team (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) and the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0) will face off in the battle of the century. “The Game” is a rivalry unlike any other, and while this game often decides who advances to the Big Ten title game — and likely the College Football Playoff as well — this year’s matchup means even more. For Jim Harbaugh, Ryan Day, JJ McCarthy, and many others, this weekend is a career-defining moment; one which could end up in someone losing their job all said and done.
Michigan football-Ohio State game will control narratives
First and foremost, this weekend’s Michigan football-Ohio State bout is more than just a game for these two teams, especially for the No. 3 Wolverines, who are in the middle of sign-stealing investigations and more.
A national narrative that has slowly been creeping in on Michigan lately is that U-M could not beat Ohio State until Connor Stalions started cheating. If Michigan football drops this weekend’s game, its first game without Stalions in years, that narrative is about to run wild, tainting everything that the program has done over the past few seasons in the national eye.
On the other side, however, Ohio State fans are convinced that U-M needed to cheat to win, and that the losses are not on CJ Stroud and Ryan Day. Just like Michigan, if the Buckeyes lose, their narrative flies out the window.
Big Ten title and CFP hopes are on the line
This one goes without saying, but this game will entirely determine the post-season for both Michigan football and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Whoever wins this game will play Iowa in the Big Ten title game, likely appearing in the College Football Playoff with a 13-0 record as a result. The loser will not get to contend for the conference, nor will they get to play for the national championship; instead, they’ll probably earn a bid to a regular, non-playoff New Year’s Six bowl game.
JJ McCarthy and Kyle McCord set to face off
One of the less-known storylines here is between the quarterbacks: JJ McCarthy of Michigan and Kyle McCord of Ohio State. McCarthy, who grew up a massive Buckeye fan, was likely Columbus bound if McCord did not steal his spot in the class — a move that prompted JJ McCarthy to commit to Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football just 11 days later in the summer of 2019.
Since getting to campus, McCarthy has been undefeated against Ohio State, most recently earning a 45-23 win over the Buckeyes during his first official start in “The Game.” On the other hand, McCord is yet to see a single snap against the Maize and Blue, making this weekend’s bout even more important for the two former five-star quarterbacks.
Notably, this matchup gains even more value when you realize there is a chance — perhaps even a likelihood — that JJ McCarthy is about to play his final game at the Big House.
Sherrone Moore against Ryan Day
Jim Harbaugh remains suspended for this weekend’s game, though in his place is a potential future Michigan football head coach: current offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore. So far this fall, Moore is 3-0 as Michigan’s acting head coach, most impressively earning a two-score win over No. 10 Penn State at Beaver Stadium a few weeks ago.
Ryan Day, on the other hand, has only beaten the Wolverines once, and with all that is going on in Ann Arbor right now, he is running out of grace in Columbus. A third-straight loss at the hands of the Maize and Blue, especially a loss against an interim head coach amid scandal, could spell disaster for Day’s tenure as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
This Saturday at noon, at the Big House in Ann Arbor, MI, perhaps the greatest and most important Big Ten battle of all time will commence, with only one team leaving with their dignity, control over the narratives, and their national title hopes still intact.
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