Michigan vs. Ohio State: Historic Big Ten matchup by the numbers

The 120th edition of “The Game” will take place on this week’s “Big Noon Saturday,” as No. 2 Ohio State hosts Michigan (12 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

This matchup has held pivotal College Football Playoff implications in recent years, which isn’t necessarily the case this season, as the Buckeyes have a comfortable margin of error in the 12-team playoff format and the Wolverines are unranked at 6-5. Michigan is also in its first full season with Sherrone Moore as head coach, after Jim Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers following a 15-0 run to the national championship.

All that said, this matchup is the featured rivalry in the Big Ten and one of the premier rivalries in college football altogether; nothing is a given on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

Here’s Michigan-Ohio State by the numbers:

1: Ohio State’s defense has been a juggernaut this season, as it’s first in the Big Ten in opponent passing yards (151.7), opponent total yards (241.7) and opponent points (10.7) per game.

2: Michigan defensive back Will Johnson, a potential top-10 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, has two pick-sixes this season.

3: Michigan has won three consecutive games against Ohio State, giving Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day a 1-3 record in the series.

3: While three represents Michigan’s winning streak over Ohio State, it also represents the number of quarterbacks the Wolverines have started this season: Davis Warren, Jack Tuttle and Alex Orji.

4: Ohio State and Michigan have some new opponents this season, as UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington are in their first respective seasons in the Big Ten; that combination of teams has given the pair of traditional Big Ten powerhouses fits. In four combined games, the Buckeyes and Wolverines are 1-3 against the conference newcomers, with both teams losing to Oregon and Michigan also losing to Washington. The one combined win came with Michigan beating USC.

4: Four of Michigan’s five losses have been by at least two scores.

6: In six of Ohio State’s 10 wins, it has held opponents to single digits, including two shutouts. Four of those six matchups were conference games.

7: This is the first time in seven years that Michigan and Ohio State will square off without both teams being ranked — No. 8 Ohio State beat unranked Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2017, 31-20.

8: Eight of the Buckeyes’ 10 wins this season have come by at least three scores. Two of their wins were decided by one score, those being a 21-17 victory over Nebraska and a 20-13 win over now-No. 4 Penn State.

9: Ohio State has a pair of wide receivers who have each registered a conference-high nine receiving touchdowns; freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith has totaled 52 receptions for 899 yards (17.3 yards per reception) and nine scores; senior Emeka Egbuka has totaled 56 receptions for 692 yards (12.4 yards per reception) and nine scores.

16: Ohio State didn’t beat Michigan until the 16th time they crossed paths, winning 13-3 in Ann Arbor in 1919. The Buckeyes lost 13 times, were shutout 10 times, tied twice and even lost 86-0 in 1902 before getting their first win over the Wolverines.

17: Michigan is 17th in the 18-team Big Ten in total yards (299.7 yards per game). For perspective, the Wolverines were second in points (35.9) and fifth in total yards (382.7) in the conference last season.

17: No. 17 also stands for the number of times the Buckeyes have gotten the best of the Wolverines in the 21st century, boasting a 17-5 record in that span (the two teams didn’t play in 2020 due to a truncated schedule in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic).

33: Tight end Colston Loveland has been far and away Michigan’s No. 1 pass-catching weapon this season, as he has totaled 56 receptions for 582 yards and five touchdowns. Loveland’s 56 receptions are 33 more than wide receiver Semaj Morgan, who’s second on the Wolverines with 23 receptions; Loveland’s 582 receiving yards are 348 more than wide receiver Tyler Morris, who’s second on the Wolverines with 234 receiving yards; Loveland’s five receiving touchdowns are three more than Morris, whose two receiving scores are second on the team.

50: Michigan dropped 50 points against Northwestern in Week 13, the most points it has scored since a 52-7 dismantling of the Indiana Hoosiers on Oct. 14 of last season.

61: Michigan leads the all-time series against Ohio State, boasting a combined 61-52-6 record.

74: Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, who transferred to Columbus from Kansas State, leads the Big Ten with a 74% completion percentage. Furthermore, he has thrown for 26 touchdowns and boasts a 180.6 passer rating, which are also both conference highs.

700: Ohio State running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson have each rushed for over 700 yards, with Judkins rushing for 759 yards and eight touchdowns on 5.6 yards per carry and Henderson rushing for 730 yards and six touchdowns on a conference-high 7.4 yards per carry.

950: Ohio State and Michigan have produced a combined 945 NFL draft picks, with 512 coming from Columbus and 438 coming from Ann Arbor.

1,000: Davis Warren is the only signal-caller on Michigan’s roster who has thrown for at least 1,000 yards this season, having totaled 1,064 passing yards.

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