{"id":6614,"date":"2025-11-27T10:04:21","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T10:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/meyer-ohio-state-michigan-pick\/"},"modified":"2025-11-27T10:04:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T10:04:21","slug":"meyer-ohio-state-michigan-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/meyer-ohio-state-michigan-pick\/","title":{"rendered":"Urban Meyer makes his pick for The Game between Ohio State, Michigan &#8211; On3"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<h2>Lead<\/h2>\n<p>On Saturday in Ann Arbor, No. 1 Ohio State meets No. 18 Michigan in the 120th edition of &#8220;The Game,&#8221; a matchup with immediate College Football Playoff implications. The Wolverines enter having won four straight meetings, while the Buckeyes remain top-ranked in the CFP poll. College Football Hall of Famer Urban Meyer publicly predicted an Ohio State victory and identified two Buckeye receivers as pivotal. The two teams kick off at 12:00 PM ET on FOX.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>120th meeting: Ohio State (No. 1) travels to Ann Arbor to face Michigan (No. 18) on Saturday at 12:00 PM ET on FOX.<\/li>\n<li>Rivalry trend: Michigan has won four straight matchups after Ohio State had an eight-game streak from 2012\u20132019.<\/li>\n<li>Meyer\u2019s pick: Urban Meyer favors Ohio State and names Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate as the game\u2019s decisive players.<\/li>\n<li>Receiver impact: Smith and Tate missed Ohio State\u2019s last game and combine for 108 catches, 1,613 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.<\/li>\n<li>Playoff stakes: A Michigan win would leave the Wolverines 10\u20132 (8\u20131) heading into selection show and could put them in at-large consideration.<\/li>\n<li>Quarterback context: Julian Sayin will make his first start in the rivalry for Ohio State, with Smith and Tate as primary targets.<\/li>\n<li>Line and expectations: Meyer noted a betting spread of 10.5, signaling market belief in Ohio State despite Michigan\u2019s current run.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>The Ohio State\u2013Michigan rivalry is one of college football\u2019s oldest and most consequential fixtures. This is the 120th meeting between the programs; the game often decides conference races and influences national title paths. From 2012 through 2019 Ohio State won eight straight against Michigan, a run that flipped following Meyer\u2019s departure in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>Michigan has won four straight in the series, including a 13\u201310 victory in Columbus last season over the eventual national champions. The Wolverines\u2019 current momentum includes five consecutive wins since a 31\u201313 loss at USC on October 11, and that run has renewed talk of postseason credentials for coach Sherrone Moore\u2019s squad.<\/p>\n<h2>Main Event<\/h2>\n<p>Urban Meyer, the College Football Hall of Famer who coached Ohio State from 2012\u20132018 and went 7\u20130 against Michigan during his tenure, publicly predicted an Ohio State win ahead of Saturday\u2019s kickoff. He emphasized the availability of wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate as the fulcrum of his assessment.<\/p>\n<p>Meyer said the Buckeyes\u2019 ability to cover and move the ball hinges on those two receivers; if they play, he said, Ohio State\u2019s offense is markedly stronger. He referenced the betting market, noting a spread near 10.5 points, and suggested that the line aligns with his view that Ohio State is a clear favorite when at full strength.<\/p>\n<p>Smith and Tate both sat out Ohio State\u2019s most recent game against Rutgers. Together this season they have totaled 108 receptions for 1,613 yards and 17 touchdowns, figures that underscore why their presence matters for quarterback Julian Sayin, who will be making his rivalry debut as a starter.<\/p>\n<p>For Michigan, the defensive game plan will be crucial: stopping the Buckeyes\u2019 top targets and forcing Ohio State into mistakes could narrow the spread. Conversely, Ohio State\u2019s defense has shown enough consistency for Meyer to predict difficulty for Michigan\u2019s offense in moving the ball on Saturday.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; Implications<\/h2>\n<p>Short-term implications are straightforward: a loss by Ohio State would likely remove them from the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings and complicate their path to the title game. The Buckeyes have been No. 1 in all three CFP releases so far this season, so a defeat in a high-profile rivalry undercuts their r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p>For Michigan, a win would conclude the regular season at 10\u20132 (8\u20131) and strengthen a case for an at-large CFP berth, though selection would depend on other conference champions and final committee assessments. The Wolverines\u2019 five-game winning streak since Oct. 11 has restored credibility, but the committee weighs quality wins and strength of schedule as well.<\/p>\n<p>Personnel availability is a key variable. The combined production of Smith and Tate (108 catches, 1,613 yards, 17 TDs) means their status affects game script: if they play, Ohio State can sustain drives and pressure the Michigan secondary; if they do not, Ohio State must rely more on the run game and short passing to control possession.<\/p>\n<p>Longer-term, the result will shape recruiting narratives and program momentum. A continued Wolverines streak further cements Jim Harbaugh-era\u2014or his successor\u2019s\u2014momentum in the rivalry, while an Ohio State victory would signal that the Buckeyes can still dominate big-game environments despite recent struggles in the series.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; Data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Metric<\/th>\n<th>Smith + Tate (2025)<\/th>\n<th>Michigan Run<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Combined receptions<\/td>\n<td>108<\/td>\n<td>\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Combined receiving yards<\/td>\n<td>1,613<\/td>\n<td>\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Combined touchdowns<\/td>\n<td>17<\/td>\n<td>\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Michigan winning streak vs OSU<\/td>\n<td>4 games<\/td>\n<td>5-game team win streak since Oct. 11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The table highlights the concentration of Ohio State\u2019s receiving production in two players and contrasts that with Michigan\u2019s recent team momentum. If those receivers are inactive, Ohio State\u2019s statistical isolation increases; if active, they present a matchup problem for Michigan\u2019s secondary.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; Quotes<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Two names: Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. If they play, they cover. If they don&#8217;t, they won&#8217;t.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Urban Meyer (paraphrased quote reported by On3)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I still think the Buckeyes win \u2014 I don&#8217;t see the Wolverines moving the ball against that defense.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Urban Meyer (paraphrased quote reported by On3)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Vegas has the spread near 10.5, which aligns with expectations that Ohio State is favored when healthy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Sportsbook market commentary<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: Why two receivers matter<\/summary>\n<p>College offenses that concentrate production in a small number of elite receivers are vulnerable if those players are absent. A pair like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate not only generate yards and scores but also force defenses to allocate coverage resources, opening lanes for the running game and intermediate passing. When either or both are unavailable, game plans typically shift toward shorter passes, increased rushing attempts, and more conservative play-calling to manage risk.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<\/h2>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Final availability of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate for Saturday\u2019s game has not been officially confirmed by Ohio State at game time.<\/li>\n<li>Whether a Michigan win would be sufficient to secure an at-large CFP spot for the Wolverines depends on committee deliberations and outcomes elsewhere and therefore remains uncertain.<\/li>\n<li>The precise effect of Smith\/Tate availability on margin of victory (e.g., a two\u2011score game) is speculative and contingent on in-game factors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>The Game on Saturday is more than rivalry pride: it has tangible playoff consequences and hinges on personnel questions that could tilt the matchup. Urban Meyer\u2019s public pick for Ohio State rests heavily on the presence of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, whose combined production this season is among the most impactful in college football.<\/p>\n<p>Watch the injury reports before kickoff and the first quarter for how game script develops; those early signals will clarify whether Ohio State can leverage its pass game or whether Michigan\u2019s defense will control tempo. Regardless of outcome, the result will shape CFP conversations and the short-term trajectory for both programs.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.on3.com\/news\/urban-meyer-makes-his-pick-for-the-game-between-ohio-state-michigan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">On3 \u2014 News report on Meyer\u2019s pick (media)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/collegefootballplayoff.com\/rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">College Football Playoff \u2014 Official rankings (official)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/college-football\/schedule\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FOX \u2014 Broadcast schedule for college football (broadcaster)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lead On Saturday in Ann Arbor, No. 1 Ohio State meets No. 18 Michigan in the 120th edition of &#8220;The Game,&#8221; a matchup with immediate College Football Playoff implications. The Wolverines enter having won four straight meetings, while the Buckeyes remain top-ranked in the CFP poll. College Football Hall of Famer Urban Meyer publicly predicted &#8230; <a title=\"Urban Meyer makes his pick for The Game between Ohio State, Michigan &#8211; On3\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/meyer-ohio-state-michigan-pick\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Urban Meyer makes his pick for The Game between Ohio State, Michigan &#8211; On3\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Urban Meyer says Ohio State will beat Michigan \u2014 On3","rank_math_description":"Urban Meyer predicts No.1 Ohio State will defeat No.18 Michigan in Saturday\u2019s 120th Game, calling Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate the matchup keys in Ann Arbor.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Urban Meyer,Ohio State,Michigan,Jeremiah Smith,Carnell Tate,College Football Playoff","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}