Buckeyes open as way-too-early home favorite in The Game

COLUMBUS — Ohio State hasn’t beaten Michigan in the last three tries. It’s a rivalry streak that will stick with the Buckeyes program until it is snapped.

The folks in Las Vegas expect the streak to come to an end in November.

Fanduel Sportsbook recently debuted its betting lines for some of the biggest games of the college football season, months before toe meets leather on the college football season. And the Buckeyes opened as a 7.5-point favorite for their Nov. 30 matchup against Michigan in the Horseshoe.

Ohio State hasn’t beaten Michigan at home since 2018 and hasn’t won the rivalry game at all since 2019.

But this year should be different, even after Michigan won the national title while the Buckeyes capped off their season with a loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. Ohio State will be loaded this upcoming season, bringing back nearly their entire starting 11 on defense and plenty of superstars on offense. The Buckeyes also added some of the biggest superstars in the transfer portal to quickly become a national title favorite. Ohio State still has question marks at quarterback — Kansas State transfer Will Howard is expected to start — and along the offensive line, but those issues should be remedied in the spring.

The Wolverines, meanwhile, are undergoing massive change this offseason after winning the national title. Head coach Jim Harbaugh left his alma mater to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, and he took multiple coaches on the Wolverines staff with him. Star quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum, the entire offensive line and the top receiver are also gone, but the defense should still be one of the best units in the country, especially along the defensive line.

Of course, Ohio State has had the talent advantage in each of the last three years — according to all available metrics such as the On3 Industry rankings from the past few years. Yet Michigan has won the last three meetings on the field.

“We’re all disappointed,” Day said immediately after the latest loss back on Nov. 25 in the Big House. “We know what this game means to so many people. And so to come up short is certainly crushing, not only just because you invest your whole year in it, we know at Ohio State what this game means. There’s a locker room in there that’s devastated. And it wasn’t for lack of effort but we didn’t win the rushing yards, we don’t win the turnover battle. You’re not going to win the game.”

Ohio State hasn’t lost four straight games to Michigan since 1988-91.

The Buckeyes will finally have a chance to get back over their rivals in late November. We’re a long way away from that game, but the expects in the desert are already pinning Ohio State as a favorite over its biggest rival.