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Today’s the day, fam. The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes will host the No. 3 Wichigan Molverines at 12 noon ET in Ohio Stadium in a game to be broadcast on FOX. The Game is always a big deal for these two fan bases, but this year it is even bigger than usual. Whether it is the ramifications on the Big Ten title hunt, College Football Playoff berths, or the larger narrative for both programs, it is difficult to imagine a game that will have more storylines at play than this one.
There has been a lot of discussion about those stories already, and there undoubtedly will continue to be during and after the game as well, but we are going to put a cap on those conversations with the official predictions of some of Land-Grant Holy Land’s staffers.
Before the season started, we asked everybody what they thought the outcome of The Game would be and those predictions are included as well. So never say that we don’t hold our writers accountable for their predictions! You can check out our full preseason predictions in the link below.
Land-Grant Holy Land Staff’s Score and Storyline Predictions for The Game!
LGHL Staff Predictions for The Game
| Staff Member | Score Predition | Preseason Prediction | Storyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Member | Score Predition | Preseason Prediction | Storyline |
| Brett Ludwiczak | 41 to 27 OSU | 41 to 21 OSU | The Buckeyes have been waiting a year to get revenge on the Wolverines. Ohio State is better on both sides of the football and J.J. McCarthy crumbles in his first road game against a real team. |
| Chip Minnich | 35 to 28 OSU | 31 to 17 OSU | This rendition of THE GAME should be a physical, hard-fought battle throughout, but I believe that the Buckeyes will have just enough to defeat the Wolverines and earn a trip to Indianapolis for another possible B1G championship. |
| Conor Lemons | 35 to 34 OSU | 35 to 34 OSU | In an almost carbon copy of the 2013 game, J.J. McCarthy finds Ronnie Bell for a last-second touchdown, but rather than kicking the extra point and sending it to overtime, Michigan goes for the win and fails to convert. Buckeyes escape with a one-point win. |
| Dan Hessler | 31 to 20 OSU | 52 to 38 OSU | I think this game is close throughout the first three quarters, like many games for the Buckeyes this year. But in the fourth, the Silver Bullets come up with a big turnover and the offense capitalizes, finally extending it to another double-digit win for a Ohio State. |
| David M. Wheeler | 38 to 21 OSU | 48 to 24 OSU | Buckeyes neutralize UM running game, forcing McCarthy to pass. He fumbles once when sacked and throws a pick to Lathan Ransom. On offense, Emeka Egbuka scores from 60, and Marvin Harrison Jr. grabs 10 passes. |
| Jami Jurich | 24 to 21 OSU | N/A | Both teams will score a TD on their opening drive, and each will add two more throughout the game. The Buckeyes’ game-winning field goal will happen in the fourth quarter after J.J. McCarthy goes long in a last-ditch effort to win. He will be picked off and OSU will run it back into field goal territory. The Buckeyes will win in the final seconds! Bonus points if they take down the goal post and put it in the Olentangy! |
| Josh Dooley | 34 to 31 OSU | 41 to 31 OSU | I think C.J. Stroud will be protected well enough to take advantage of a good TTUN defense, but one which has not faced an NFL-level QB. OSU’s defense will then sell out against TTUN’s run game, putting pressure on J.J. McCarthy. He is a talented QB, but has not been asked to carry the Wolverines. Buckeyes win a close one. |
| Matt Tamanini | 41 to 17 OSU | 100 to -6 OSU | Even if Blake Corum plays, he wil not be the dynamic Heisman contender that he has been all season. Without him, and with Donovan Edwards nursing a bad hand,, the only healthy offensive weapon for TTUN is J.J. McCarthy running the ball. I think Jim Knowles has a game plan to keep him in check. The Corn and Blue will not be able to get nearly as much pressure on C.J. Stroud as they did last year, and he will pick them apart for a Heisman-sealing game, with Dallan Hayden adding in a dash of rushing chunk plays. |
| Meredith Hein | 28 to 14 OSU | 41 to 14 OSU | Defense for the Buckeyes is a difference maker with a defensive score! And the O line makes a comeback after last season to give Stroud the space he needs to make his throws. |
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