There’s one reason why Jim Harbaugh was hired, to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State has dominated That School Up North, the Michigan Wolverines, over the past 15 years, losing just two contests against its most hated rival. Harbaugh fell far short in his first attempt last season, losing to the Buckeyes by 29 in Ann Arbor, but he has continued to build the team in his image. In College Football Week 13 action, we will see if it will be enough for the Wolverines to topple the Buckeyes and reach the Big Ten Title Game.
Kickoff for this college football Week 13 game is set for Saturday, November 26, 2016, at 12 p.m. ET at Ohio Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Michigan +6.5
Ohio State -6.5
Over/Under 48
Odds Analysis
Michigan is 10-1 SU and 5-6 ATS and has had a lot of trouble covering large spreads down the stretch. The Wolverines are 1-4 ATS in their last five games and were at least a 24-point favorite each time they took the field.
Ohio State has had some issues recently as well against the number, posting a 2-5 ATS mark over its last seven games. However, the Buckeyes are 4-2 ATS this season at home and 7-2 ATS against the Wolverines in their last nine meetings.
Player to Watch
Everyone in Ann Arbor is saying a prayer that Wilton Speight will be able to suit up for this one. Speight has been a solid game manager for the Wolverines this season and while he hasn’t been spectacular, he has been able to get the job done. He isn’t asked to throw the ball much, averaging just 25.7 pass attempts a game, but he has earned Harbaugh’s trust with his solid decision making.
If Speight can’t go, John O’Korn will be the starter for the Maize and Blue. That makes Michigan fans uneasy following his performance against Indiana on Saturday night. O’Korn had the worst performance for a Michigan quarterback in 15 years, completing just 7 of 16 passes for 59 yards and was unable to move the ball consistently. If he struggled against Indiana’s questionable defense, he might be a disaster against Ohio State’s wrecking crew.
Key Stat
These are two of the top five defenses in college football and each score is going to be huge. The Wolverines have the No. 1 total defense and scoring defense in the country, allowing just 245.6 YPG and 10.9 PPG. Opposing quarterbacks have found no safe haven through the air as well with Jabril Peppers leading a secondary that is giving up just 137 passing YPG.
For Ohio State, the story has been a ball-hawking secondary that has continually made plays all year. The Buckeyes have surrendered just eight touchdowns through the air while picking off opposing quarterbacks 17 times and are daring opponents to beat them. Teams are completing a paltry 45.42 percent of their passes against Ohio State this season and those numbers include games against teams like Tulsa and Oklahoma.
Free ATS Pick
For Michigan to have a chance at winning, Speight is going to have to play. Without him under center, the Wolverines are going to become completely one-dimensional and Greg Schiano’s defense will be able to snuff out Michigan’s running game.
JT Barrett was supposed to be the rock of Ohio State this season as an extremely young team matured around him, but his inconsistency has plagued the Buckeyes. When Barrett is on the Buckeyes are unbeatable, but when he is off, like he was last week against Michigan State, Ohio State is vulnerable.
The best bet in this game is the under. These defenses are both phenomenal and while this series has been high scoring recently, each offense is going to struggle mightily moving the football. Look for Ohio State to pull out a tough win and then hope that Michigan State knocks off Penn State later in the day.
College Football Odds: Buckeyes 20, Wolverines 10
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