Ryan Day’s No. 1 Ohio State is set to travel to Michigan for the final game of the 2025 regular season. Saturday’s game will be the 121st meeting between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines.
Ohio State and Michigan have played every year from 1918 through 2019 (102 years), and the rivalry also remains extremely strong.
Rivalry Week Tension Rises As Ryan Day Faces Must-Win Michigan Test
Michigan leads the all-time rivalry 62-52-6, but Ohio State owns a 6-4 advantage over the past decade. However, the Wolverines will enter this matchup riding a five-game winning streak.
Last season’s meeting in Columbus stunned Ohio State, as Michigan handed what many considered one of the best college football teams ever a 13-10 loss. The Buckeyes ultimately rebounded and went on to win the national championship.
On Monday’s episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” the Fox Sports analyst broke down the upcoming game between the two rivals.
“For Ohio State, they don’t have one player that has beaten Michigan,” Klatt said (13:50). “And for Michigan, they don’t have a single player that has lost to Ohio State. And so as we start to build towards this game, you have to understand that the pressure on Ohio State is immense.”
Michigan enters the week at 9-2, including a 7-1 Big Ten record, and is coming off a 45-20 win over Maryland. Confidence around the Wolverines is higher than it has been all season.
The Wolverines will be extra tough, as a win over Day’s squad would keep them in the conversation for a College Football Playoff berth and a shot at the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.
Meanwhile, Ohio State is undefeated this season with an 11-0 record and is aiming to earn its first pair of gold pants since 2019. Day sat down with 10TV’s Dom Tiberi to preview the Michigan game.
“I feel prepared, I feel ready,” Day said. “I feel like the guys that we have going up there are, you know, it’s a great group of guys, and we’re gonna be locked in, focused, concentrating on doing our job. Just can’t wait to enjoy being together in other people’s stadium.
“That’s to me something that’s different than playing at home and going into another team’s stadium and winning a game is there’s nothing better than that, than silencing a crowd. We’re fired up about it. Obviously, we know this game was coming all year. We’re working towards it, and so everyone’s excited about it.”
Day is just 1-4 against Michigan, with Ohio State’s last win in the rivalry coming in 2019. In the PFSN College Football Playoff Rankings, the Buckeyes hold the No. 1 spot, while Michigan is ranked No. 16.
