Ohio State Heads Into Rivalry Week Against Michigan As Underdogs

The week of The Game has arrived with both teams coming into the contest unbeaten, and at No. 2 and No. 3 in both the AP Top 25 and College Football Playoff rankings.

As betting odds are revealed for the week, the sportsbooks are favoring Michigan at their home stadium by 3.5 points. The past two seasons in which the Wolverines got the best of the Buckeyes, Ohio State was favored to win, but fell 42-27 in 2021 and 45-23 last season.

This will be the first time the Buckeyes are considered an underdog this season, despite being ranked higher than the Wolverines. The home-field advantage that likely carries a little more weight in a rivalry game like this is probably playing a big factor in the spread.

Ohio State is coming off of a 37-3 win over Minnesota in which Kyle McCord threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns, and TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries.

Michigan escaped College Park, Md., with a one-score victory, winning 31-24 with just eight points to show in the second half of the game coming from a touchdown with a failed two-point conversion, and a fourth quarter safety, the Wolverines second of the game. J.J. McCarthy was 12 of 23 throwing the ball for 141 yards and one interception that came in the red zone. Running back Blake Corum led the way with 28 carries for 94 yards and two touchdowns.