Cory:  The prediction for this year’s game has been one of the most difficult ones to write. Michigan has played an incredibly easy schedule and so far the Wolverines have only been tested by Maryland. The Penn State game was not nearly as closed as it looked. Similarly, Ohio State has had the benefit of playing most of its tough games at home, though the road win at Notre Dame was impressive. What makes Michigan so good is that they’re very dangerous in the running game, not just with Blake Corum and Donovan Jackson, but also quarterback JJ McCarthy. The ability to extend plays with his legs is a large reason why the Michigan offense is so efficient – and Buckeye fans know it having seen him the last two seasons in The Game. His counterpart, Kyle McCord, was shaky at times this season but has been efficient himself, and the eye test shows his confidence is growing. Buckeye fans have complained about the slow starts this year but they don’t really seem to faze McCord. He seems to shrug off bad plays and slow starts like they’re nothing, and that kind of mentality is huge in a game of this magnitude. Unfortunately, the last two iterations of The Game have left me with little confidence that the Buckeyes can come out of Ann Arbor with a win this year. I expect to see Michigan put a heavy emphasis on stopping TreVeyon Henderson, and that they will dare McCord to win the game. I like McCord but I’m not sure he’s at that level yet.   Michigan 20, Ohio State 14    

Dave:  Ohio State  Michigan 28

Gregg:  No excuses for this game, everyone knows everyone’s skeletons, everyone knows what is on the line. No matter what we did to get here, we are here.  I do think all the cheating storylines are tarnishing what could have been another classic game, although I would not be surprised if this game does set some television viewing records. With all that, said I do not feel good about Ohio State’s chances going into this.  You will win this game with heart, they need to show that to me. I thought they played soft in the snow/cold the last trip to Ann Arbor and was not able to get the victory with their finese game.  The Buckeye defense has been rock solid the entire year, never giving up more than 17 points all season.  If they do that Saturday, the Bucks win. I don’t want to get on our QB, because he is our QB.  But his is still off on too many of his throws and he is not always throwing to the most open target on the play.  We are going to need to rely on Henderson opening this game up with his running.  And hopefully they will not try to steal his shoes on the field.  The defense needs to play lights on, the back-ups in the secondary will need to step up.  On offense, McCord needs to be consistent out there, the running game needs to work, and we need to use the tight ends.  If the Buckeyes can do that, they will leave the Big House victorious.   THE Ohio State 24  THE Cheaters 21

John:  OK, forget Cheatergate.  Let’s look at this somewhat objectively.  Michigan comes into this one beat up.  Both offensive tackles,  WR1 and QB all have health issues on offense.  Ohio State, with the possible exception of McCord’s ankle, are as healthy on O as they have been since before the Notre Dame game.  Michigan’s D Line can dominate, but their back seven are suspect. Ohio State’s D is much improved over last year, having eliminated all most all big plays and are stout against the run, but don’t always get consistent pressure on the QB.  Bottom line, I expect this to be a tight, four quarter game.  While I picked against the Bucks earlier this year, not this time.  Ryan Day gets the Wolverine off his back.   Ohio State  27  Michigan 24 

Josh: This is not the same Ohio State team tha last two season who have had major flaws on offense that their high-powered offense could disguise. Michigan is still playing to its identity of a physical team in the trenches on both sides of the ball. I think this will be a game where both teams defense will show up, but like Penn State, one team has Marvin Harrison Jr, and the other does not. Add the fact that you have a healthy TreVeyon Henderson for the first time in the rivalry game, the running game should help extend drives and keep the ball out of the hands of JJ McCarthy, who has still not passed for a touchdown in the month of November. I think the edge Ohio State has with a head coach who has been envisioning a win now for the past two years, and a defense that can give their offense a chance, I like the Buckeyes winning in Ann Arbor and punching a ticket to Indianapolis next week. Ohio State 20 – Michigan 14.

Steven:  Ohio State has a tremendous shot to right the ship against the Cheaters Up North. The Wolverines seem to have been quite conservative over the past couple of weeks. Since we know they are paranoid, duplicitous weasels, it isn’t too far a stretch to infer they were sandbagging. But, sandbagging or not, they are not last year’s team.  The Wolverine line has a huge hole at left tackle. Carson Barnhart is going to have a tough time against Ohio State’s ends. It may be such an issue where they lean on the run a bit more than they did last year. They will also lean heavily on their tight end play where Colston Loveland can be a difference maker. Luckily for the Buckeyes, TTUN’s long range passing game is a bit of a one trick pony. Cornelius Johnson is the deep ball threat. Contain Johnson, RB Corum and TE Loveland and you win the Game.The Wolverines defense is stout against the run, but they can be beat. Ohio State has the luxury of having a great amount of depth on offense and they just happen to have the best receiver in college football. OSU’s offense is still growing and evolving.  Kyle McCord still has the tendency to lock on certain receivers and miss wide open throws, but he has certainly improved over the year.  He does not have to be perfect, but he has to be efficient and avoid turnovers.  His ankle, which seemed to get tweaked in the Minnesota game, will be something to keep an eye on. I see both coaches playing the Game pretty conservative to start, both working hard to establish the run. This should keep the game close, but if the Bucks can win the line of scrimmage, they can win in Ann Arbor. This one’s gonna be close, OSU 27 – 24.

Trout:  As weird as Ohio State’s offense was at the beginning of the year, I would have probably picked Michigan for this game. However, things have changed. Firstly, I do think the Buckeye offense is better. It’s not as good as last year. Kyle McCord will never be CJ Stroud. But that is okay. They have figured out that Harrison Jr and Henderson are their star players, and they have been using them very effectively these last few games. Secondly, Ohio State’s defense has had an amazing turnaround. Last year, it was almost expected for the Buckeyes to give up massive yards. And the DBs were good for a couple unnecessary penalties that lead to their opponents continuing their drives. It has been a complete 180, and this Buckeye defense is good enough to win a title. Finally, the shine is off Michigan. With the massive cheating scandal and them not looking like worldbeaters against actual decent competition, they aren’t as scary. Having said all that, I do see this game being very tight up until the end. Both teams are very talented and have a lot to play for. It might be the homer in me, but in the end, I see the Buckeyes coming out on top. It won’t be easy. I think the Michigan Defense makes the Buckeye offense work for every yard and vice versa. Ohio State wins The Game and moves on as the final representative of the Big Ten East. And moves into prime position for. spot in the playoffs.   (Ohio State, 21-17)  

Final Score:  Xichigan 30   Ohio State 24 

(5)Florida State  @  Florida

Cory:  Florida State is in the middle of a dream season, being undefeated and playing for a possible spot in the playoff. That is, until the devastating injury to quarterback Jordan Travis last week. If you haven’t already seen the video of the injury then I do not recommend watching it – it was nasty. Travis confirmed he is out for the season and since he is heading to the NFL his collegiate career is done. Enter Tate Rodemaker. Rodemaker is a junior who’s played sparingly since joining Florida State, but he is a capable backup with a big arm. Even if Rodemaker is just average this week I still see the Seminoles winning this game. Florida is so inconsistent. The Gators have lost four in a row, but three of those were to ranked teams in Georgia, Missouri, and LSU. Graham Mertz also has typically not been good in big games, both at Florida and Wisconsin.   Florida State 24, Florida 16   

Dave:  Florida State 32  Florida 14

Gregg:  Florida State’s national title hopes took a huge hit last week when QB Jordan Travis went down.  That is also probably why the whimps on the playoff committee dropped them and are still keeping Missouri too high.  But enough about that.  I think FSU is like the 2014 Buckeyes when we lost JT Barrett but Cardale Jones came in and beat Wisconsin 59-0.  Before we count out the Seminoles, let’s see what they can do.  They were actually down last week 13-0 but was able to put up 58 points with back-up quarterback Tate Rodemaker.  Let’s hold of judging until we see them on the field.  Here is hoping Florida State gives the SEC yet another non-conference loss.   Florida State 17  Florida 14

Joe-S-U:  xxxx

John:  With the loss of their starting quarterback for the rest of the season due to a grewsome “Theismanesque” injury last week it’s hard to gauge the ‘Noles.  Fortunately for them this may be the worst Gators team since before Spurrier took over as head coach in the 80’s.   Florida State   24  Floroida 10 

Josh: Florida State puts its 17-game winning streak on the line against Florida, which has lost four in a row and needs a victory to become bowl eligible. The Seminoles already clinched a spot in the ACC Championship game, but have work to do to make the College Football Playoff. They dropped to fifth in the latest CFP standings following star QB Jordan Travis’ season-ending leg injury and probably need to win out to have a shot at making the four-team playoff. Florida has been bad on the pass defensive side of the ball, and will need to come up with a solution for the talented receivers. I think the Gators start the game close, but Florida State pulls away to remain undefeated. Florida State 31 – Florida 14.

Steven:  Wow, what a horrible injury to Florida State QB Jordan Travis. Hopefully, backup Seminole QB Tate Rodemaker can bring this one home because this team deserves to finish this one out. They will be facing a backup QB on the other side since Graham Mertz is out due to a displaced collarbone. Mertz may or may not be a huge loss due to the fact that Florida’s issue this year has purely been on the defensive side of the ball. Currently the Gators are at a respectable 41st in the nation in total offense, but sitting at 98th in total defense. Florida State is 17th and 24th respectively. The Seminoles may run a little bit more, but even in the Swamp, should be able to run over the Gators who should post their 5th loss in a row, which could very well earn Billy Napier his walking papers.   FSU 35-28

Trout: It’s hard to tell who is going to win this game. I don’t think Florida is any good, but the Seminoles despite being undefeated, have been up and down this season. Plus they just lost their quarterback. I am still sticking with Florida State to win, but I can see the game being a nailbiter until the end. It’s hard to tell how good the Seminoles are, but I do believe they are better than the Gators. I haven’t had confidence in a Gator team since Urban coached there. I see the game coming down to the wire, potentially ending on a last second field goal. Florida State wins, and gets one game closer to the College Football Playoff.   (Florida State, 27-24)  

 Final Score:  Florida State 24  Florida 15

(16)Oregon State  @  (6)Oregon

Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83):   This will be determined by the performance of their respective team’s quarterbacks. Bo Nix has performed at a Heisman level and his team has literally one loss because of its head coaches bravado by not kicking a field. The Ducks punish the Beavers 35-14.

Final Score:  Oregon 31   Oregon State 7