ESPN writer predicts outcome of Michigan vs Ohio State following week 2 results

20200517_134556by:Justin Rudolph•09/15/21

ESPN writer Mark Schlabach has drawn up some overreaction predictions for the college football world after week two of the season. This week, he predicted that the Michigan Wolverines will finally get over the hump and beat the Ohio State Buckeyes this season.

The Wolverines and Buckeyes are scheduled to play on Nov. 27 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That will be each team’s last game of the regular season before the conference championship games.


Ohio State is fresh off an upset loss to the Oregon Ducks, and Michigan just beat the Washington Huskies last Saturday. And with how each team has looked so far it doesn’t look good for the Buckeyes currently.

ESPN’s take on the Buckeyes


“Ohio State hasn’t looked this vulnerable in quite a while, following Oregon’s stunning 35-28 road win at the Horseshoe on Saturday. Buckeye’s quarterback C.J. Stroud and the offense aren’t the problem; he threw for 484 yards with three touchdowns and one pick on 35-for-54 passing,” Schlabach said. “But the defense is a mess under first-time defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs, who was hired after Jeff Hafley left to become Boston College’s head coach in 2020. Coombs has long had the reputation of being a great recruiter and capable defensive backs coach, yet he had never called plays above the high school level. Ohio State’s defense wasn’t very good last season, and it looks worse this year.”

Ohio State’s offense has been lights out in the first two games, led by first-year quarterback C.J Stroud. Their young leader is off to a good start and is easing the minds of those worried about the Buckeyes handing over the offense to someone unfamiliar with the speed of the game at the collegiate level. Stroud ranks top ten in the country in three key passing stats; fourth in passing yards (778), tied for fourth in passing touchdowns (7), and tenth in QBR (82.6).


Their defense on the other hand has not looked good through these first two weeks. They ranked 112 out of 130 teams on yards allowed per game. The rush defense has been horrendous, allowing 236 yards per game and 5.36 yards per rushing attempt. They have yet to force a fumble on the season and only one interception in each game. And they also failed to register a sack last week against the Ducks. Ohio State only has two sacks on the season.

Time to prepare

Although Schlabach thinks Michigan will beat Ohio State right now, there are more than two months until the two faceoff. And it has not happened in nearly a decade — both points he brought up in closing.


“Still, let’s not get carried away about Michigan finally beating Ohio State, which hasn’t happened since Nov. 26, 2011. Yes, the Wolverines looked good in Saturday’s 31-10 win against Washington, but they’re going to need more from quarterback Cade McNamara and the passing game to beat a team of OSU’s caliber. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, have more than two months to get better on defense, ESPN concluded.”


With their last win against the Buckeyes exactly ten years and one prior to the date they will play this year, the Wolverines are in line to break a ten-year curse. If they lose that will put a bow on a decade that they could do nothing else but surrender to the dominance of Ohio State.