Michigan vs. Ohio State 2025 Preview: Can Wolverines Spoil Buckeyes’ Season?

The Michigan Wolverines (9-2, 7-1) will host No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes(11-0, 8-0) in “The Game” in Week 14. The two teams face off in the biggest rivalry in college football, in what should be another historic game. Michigan looks to win their fifth-straight game versus the Buckeyes, vaulting them right into the top-12 of the college football playoff rankings. Ohio State is looking to cap off their first undefeated regular season and Big Ten championship appearance since 2020. Michigan is a 9.5-point underdog at the time of writing. Let’s dive into this Michigan vs. Ohio State 2025 college football preview.

Michigan Wolverines vs. Ohio State Buckeyes: 2025 College Football Preview

Matchup History and Coach Quotes

This will be the 121st meeting between Michigan and Ohio State. The Wolverines currently hold an all-time record of 62-52-6 against Ohio State, including a four-game winning streak.

This will be Sherrone Moore’s third time as Michigan’s head coach in “The Game”. He’s won both of his head coaching appearances. Moore has been part of this rivalry since 2018, and understands the importance of winning this game. He has this to say about the rivalry. 

“It’s different. You can’t describe it. I could try to describe to you the feeling of exactly what it feels like, ‘Oh, it feels like this,’ ‘it feels like this,’ [but] I can’t. I remember last year going on the field with J-Shawn [Jaishawn Barham], and we’re running out during warm-ups, and he’s like, ‘Oh, this is different.’ It’s a feeling that you can’t really describe … an intensity, it’s just an aura about it that you can’t describe until you get on the field, but it’s awesome to be a part of. It’s great to be a part of.” 

Regardless of the season, winning this game is the most important of the season, and last year proved every bit of that.

Moore also knows Ohio State is the No. 1 team in the country for a reason. However, he pointed out that Michigan’s offense has looked the best it has looked all season after last week’s blowout win versus Maryland. Moore had this to say about Michigan’s blazing offense.

“I think we’re really peaking at the right time. I think the balance is what you wanted. We said that from the beginning of the year, you want balance between run and pass. You don’t want predictability. Predictability can expose you, and I think our guys have done a really good job of doing that. So being able to be a physical football team up front in the run game and then having to play actions and passes off of it, balance is the key to the game.”

Ohio State is no easy team to beat, but Michigan is playing the best ball it has played all year, especially on offense. If there is a year to beat Ohio State again, it is this year.

For the Buckeyes, this will be Ryan Day’s sixth time as Ohio State’s head coach in “The Game”. He currently holds a 1-4 record, being part of this rivalry since 2017. After last season’s demoralizing loss, Day emerged with many lessons and applied them to his team’s national championship campaign. He had this to say about how he and his team grew from last year’s loss. 

“Every season is different and every game is different. You use your past experiences to do everything you can to put your team in a position to be successful. That’s really what it comes down to. And so every year you learn, you grow. This is a different team. This is a different opponent in terms of their personnel. And so, we’re going to do everything we can to win this game and focus on that because what’s coming tomorrow or what’s coming on Saturday doesn’t matter. What matters is right now, like having a great Tuesday. And what’s happened in the past doesn’t matter either. It doesn’t. You can learn from it, but like, let’s just have a great Tuesday and prepare the best we can to go win this game on Saturday. And that’s where the focus has to be.”

This is the most important game on both teams’ schedules, and Day knows how talented his team is. He is using the same mindset to prepare his team for this game as he used to prepare them to win a national championship last season. 

Day also knows this is a much more talented Michigan team than last season. This will be a tough test for him and his team. He had this to say about Michigan this season. 

“Well, [they have] talent, talent all over the field. It starts on offense with the quarterback. He’s a dangerous player. The running back, Marshall, is a very good player as well. Runs downhill, he’s physical. Offensive line and tight ends are good. Marsh and McCulley are very good as well. So, talented. On defense, same thing. You see Moore and Barham off the edge. These guys are some of the best pass rushers in the country. And certainly in the back end, they’ve created a lot of turnovers. So special teams is very good. I mean, again, what you’d expect in this type of a team — talent in all three phases is well-coached. And so, yeah, we’ve got to make sure that we’re preparing at a high level this week and be at our best.”

Michigan has the talent to win this game, and Day knows that. He obviously believes his team can handle this team and will be prepared to stop anything that Michigan throws at them.

Key Players for Michigan

Bryce Underwood has had an up-and-down season, but has shown flashes of consistency and brilliance. He’ll need to reel in the bad throws, while still showing the poise and consistency he’s shown at times this season.

Running back Jordan Marshall will be back this week, which will be huge for Michigan’s rushing attack. Bryson Kuzdzal got the start in Marshall’s absence last week and shone, becoming the third Michigan running back to score three touchdowns in a game this season. Kuzdzal has earned the opportunity to get carries in this game, and the two-headed attack will need to propel the Wolverines’ offense. ‘

Freshman Andrew Marsh is one of the best wide receivers in the country. He is Underwood’s favorite target and the most reliable receiving weapon on this team. He’ll need to be excellent on Saturday. Captain and leader Max Bredeson may not be available this week. If he’s not, Michigan will need to find creative ways to open holes in the run game without his excellent blocking.

Defensively, linebacker Ernest Hausmann is still day-to-day, but Michigan would welcome his sure-headed experience in the middle of its defense. While Michigan has a deep linebacker room, Hausmann has been the quarterback of the defense for two years now, and his presence cannot be understated.

The defensive line will have its work cut out for it against a phenomenal offensive line. Derrick Moore will especially need to create explosive plays in both the run and pass game as Michigan’s most reliable pass rusher and producer. The secondary will be tested in a way they haven’t all season. Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry, and T.J. Metcalf will have their work cut out for them against the best wide receiver room in the country.

Keys for Ohio State

Quarterback Julian Sayin has been one of the best in the country, and will likely finish as a top Heisman candidate. He’s led one of the most explosive passing attacks in the country and has shown no signs of slowing down.

Ohio State has leaned on freshman Bo Jackson at running back, and he has been up to the task rushing for 6.5 yards per attempt this season. However, the Buckeyes’ wide receiver room is where their talent is unmatched.

Carnell Tate is a top wide receiver in this year’s draft class. Meanwhile, Jeremiah Smith will be the first receiver taken in the 2027 NFL draft. They have the best wide receiver room in the nation, and no team has been able to slow them down all year. 

Defensively is where the Buckeyes shine. On the line, Arvell Reese, Caden Curry, and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. have all wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks all season, combining for 87 pressures. Kayden McDonald has been one of the best interior defensive linemen in the nation at stopping the run. Linebacker Sony Styles has been excellent in the middle of the defense against both the run and the pass. Safety Caleb Downs is the star of the Buckeyes’ defense, acting as their Swiss Army knife. He does everything at the highest level and has been their best and most impactful defensive player for two years.

Keys for Michigan to Win

Michigan needs to follow a similar game script to last season to win this game. While Michigan is significantly more talented than they were last season, Ohio State still has a more talented roster. The Wolverines need to slow the game down and force Ohio State into quick drives that get them off the field early and control the time of possession. They must lean on their strengths of running the football and taking time off the clock. If Ohio State comes out blazing with back to back scores to open the game, Michigan’s offense might not have the firepower to match. 

Michigan needs to win the turnover margin and create extra possessions for its offense. Julian Sayin is a great quarterback who doesn’t put the ball in harm’s way. However, when Sayin gets pressured, he performs significantly worse. If Michigan is giving Sayin clean pockets, he will pick the defense apart. But if the Wolverines’ defense can create pressure and create turnovers, they’ll set their offense up to put points on the board. 

Dominic Zvada has struggled all year. However, he was key in the win last year, hitting a 54-year field goal and the game-winning field goal. He’s a key piece of the Michigan offense, and they’ll need his best performance of the season if Michigan expects to win this game. Ohio State has one of the best red-zone defenses, allowing scores on only two-thirds of possessions (the second-best rate in college football). If the Wolverines are coming up empty on red zone possessions, they’ll find it hard to win this game.