Analytics share Michigan's chances against Ohio State on Saturday

Trent Knoop | 2 Hours Ago

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Both Ohio State and Michigan are coming off of convincing wins on Saturday. The Buckeyes defeated Indiana in a top-five showdown after Ohio State defeated the then-fifth-ranked Hoosiers, 38-15. The Wolverines, on the other hand, scored more than 30 points for the first time all season when Michigan downed Northwestern, 50-6.

But both teams have had two completely different trajectories this year. The Buckeyes have looked beatable at times, but Ohio State has just one loss and that came to the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks. Michigan is sitting at 6-5 on the year and this past weekend was the first time the Wolverines have put together a complete performance.

Following Week 13, ESPN updated the analytics for The Game. Michigan has just an 8.2% chance of going into The 'Shoe and taking down the Buckeyes in Columbus. Although the Wolverines have won the past three contests against rival Ohio State, Michigan will need to connect on all cylinders to compete with Ohio State this season. The Buckeyes are currently 20.5-point favorites entering The Game.

Not only did Michigan have plenty of stars in the past three games against Ohio State, but the Wolverines showed up in the physicality department and won in the trenches. The Wolverines' offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage and the Michigan defensive line won snap-in and snap-out. If the Wolverines are going to compete with the Buckeyes in the 2024 iteration of The Game, this will need to happen for the fourth year in a row.

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