COLUMBUS (AP) — The stakes are high for this year’s version of The Game, which will be the 117th meeting between Ohio State and Michigan on the gridiron.
(2 CFP) Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) at ( 6) Michigan (10-1, 7-1)
Michigan Stadium; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Sat. Nov. 27 (Noon/FOX)
The annual clash between Ohio State and Michigan is already fueled by a century of hatred and fanaticism.
A lot more than bragging rights are on the line this year in Ann Arbor for the Buckeyes and Wolverines.
The winner clinches the Big Ten East and advances to the conference championship game Dec. 4 — and stays alive for the College Football Playoff.
The loser picks up a second loss and will consider the season ruined.
Ohio State is No. 2 in the latest Associated Press college football poll, jumping three spots past No. 3 Alabama and No. 4 Cincinnati in a close vote, and the Wolverines are No. 6.
Georgia is a unanimous No. 1 in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank for the seventh consecutive week.
Alabama slipped past Cincinnati last week and then Ohio State leapfrogged them both after routing Michigan State.
Notre Dame is up to a season-high No. 5 and Oklahoma State moved to a season-high No. 7, one of three Big 12 teams in the top 10, along with No. 9 Baylor and No. 10 Oklahoma.
Mississippi rounds out the top 10 at No. 8.
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Stroud wins weekly honors
Quarterback C.J. Stroud picked up a trio of honors after leading the Buckeyes to a 56-7 dismantling of Michigan State.
Stroud won his seventh Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week award on Monday, to go along with Player of the Week honors, a day after being named the Walter Camp National Player of the Week on offense.
Stroud completed 32 of 35 passes for 432 yards and a career-high six touchdown passes against the Spartans.
The six scoring passes – all in the first half – tied a single-game school record and the Big Ten record for touchdown passes in a game against an AP top-10 ranked team.
Stroud completed 17 consecutive passes in the first half to set another Ohio State school record, a total that is third all-time in Big Ten history.