College Football Week 13: Ohio State vs Michigan betting preview

It’s the battle of two 11-0 teams on Saturday in the final week of the regular season as #2 Ohio State visits #3 Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. The kick-off is scheduled for 12 PM EST. The Wolverines just reached 1,000 wins last weekend in a narrow win over Maryland and continue to be without head coach Jim Harbaugh, who is serving a three-game suspension for the sign-stealing scandal. The Buckeyes meanwhile hammered Minnesota 37-3 in Week 12 and will also be looking to complete a perfect season here. This is typically one of the best rivalry games in the sport and with Harbaugh out, it should be a very interesting contest.

Michigan leads the series

This matchup has been happening since 1897. Michigan has the slight upper hand at 60-51-6. They’ve actually won two meetings in a row against Ohio State, beating them 45-23 last season in Columbus and also collecting a 42-27 victory in 2021 in Ann Arbor. However, prior to that, it was all Buckeyes, who notched eight consecutive wins against their Big Ten foes.

Can Ohio State end skid vs Wolverines?

The Buckeyes are having yet another great year at 11-0. Kyle McCord has done a nice job at quarterback after CJ Stroud left for the NFL. He’s completed 66.4% of his passes for 2,899 yards and 22 touchdowns against just four interceptions. While McCord isn’t much of a runner, he’s certainly impressed with his arm.

McCord was 20 of 30 for 212 yards and two touchdowns last week. TreVeyon Henderson meanwhile destroyed Minnesota on the ground, running for 146 yards including two scores. His dominance at running back will be very important for Ohio State potentially ending this two-game losing streak against Michigan. The Wolverines’ pass rush will definitely be all over McCord but if Henderson can create havoc, it gives this offense an outlet to gain yardage.

Defensively, the Buckeyes are elite, allowing the seventh-lowest total yards in the nation and also the fifth-lowest passing yards. They’re only allowing 9.3 points per game, too. The ones to really watch here for Ohio State are definitely McCord and projected first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr, one of the best receivers in the country. He is an absolute handful out wide and has 62 receptions for 1,093 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Buckeyes are a very slim 3-point underdog at Bodog.

Will Michigan perform without Harbaugh?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the Michigan sign-stealing scandal. A pair of staffers have already been fired for their reported involvement and the Big Ten decided to punish the program by suspending Harbaugh, although it’s unknown if he had any knowledge of the situation. But, the Wolverines are still getting it done under OC Sherrone Moore.

Michigan in fact has even more motivation to perform as their HC watches. After taking down Penn State in Week 11, they took care of Maryland last Saturday, but it wasn’t the most convincing, winning by just a touchdown. JJ McCarthy only threw for 141 yards, no TDs, and an interception. The run game was the main catalyst in putting points up on the board, with Blake Corum taking it it the house twice.

The Wolverines certainly have the upper hand in recent memory and although Ohio State is nearly as talented, Michigan has a better QB, a better defense, and a better running back in Corum. football betting sites also expect them to win, but it will be potentially their toughest game of the season.