Ohio State Football: 2017 game-by-game predictions

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The Game will once again factor into the conference championship race. Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh has yet to beat Ohio State but maybe the third time will be a charm. In fact, the Wolverines have only beaten their bitter rivals twice this century, with the last win occurring in 2011. Last year’s game in Columbus was a double overtime thriller with controversy that ultimately led to a Buckeye victory.

The big talk in Ann Arbor is how many starters Michigan has to replace this year on both sides of the ball. On offense Wilton Speight is back at quarterback but the Wolverines are replacing many of the weapons around him at receiver and tight end. Running back Chris Evans should have a pretty solid sophomore season though.

On defense, only one starter returns, senior linebacker Mike McCray. There is talent all around on the defensive front and McCray’s fellow linebackers, although most of it is unproven. The secondary will be all new but there is a lot of talent. It’s certainly not like Harbaugh hasn’t been recruiting well so the defense as a whole could be good. By the last game of the season, we will know exactly what kind of team the Wolverines are.

The Wolverine fans desperately want to beat the Buckeyes and keep them from a shot at the Big Ten championship. Ohio State not only has a Big Ten title on their mind but a playoff spot.

This will be a good battle despite Michigan not returning as experienced of a team as they had in 2016. Both teams will trade blows  through the first three quarters. Ohio State will power through in the final frame though, scoring 17 unanswered to pull away.

Final: Michigan 21 Ohio State 38 (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten)

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Ohio State finishes the season again with only one blemish, but this time ends up in the Big Ten championship game.  If they win that, they should find themselves in the playoff once again. Another successful campaign for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.