Greg McElroy adds Ohio State vs. Michigan in Week 13 to ultimate 2023 college football schedule

A few midwestern towns worth of people crammed into a stadium, the chance for foul weather, genuine distaste for the opponent and the often massive stakes make The Game, the annual season-ending showdown between Ohio State and Michigan, appointment television. ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy didn’t feel like the need to offer much more explanation when adding it to his ultimate college football schedule.

An impressive accolade from a man who played in several Iron Bowls. But Michigan and Ohio State are currently the class of their division and likely going to be playing for a trip to the Big Ten championship game, again. McElroy doesn’t need much else to sell him on The Game in 2023 as it returns to Ann Arbor and The Big House.

“So Week 13, pretty obvious, shouldn’t require much of an explanation. Ohio State, in the Big House there, for what might be the Big Ten championship,” McElroy said on the “Always College Football” podcast.

McElroy pointed to the recent history of the rivalry, with Michigan turning the tide of recent history and taking two wins in a row from the Buckeyes. There’s never a shortage of motivation, but Michigan can demonstrate a new level of dominance over the league with a third-straight win over the Buckeyes while Ohio State seeks to step back atop the Big Ten pedestal after two years being knocked off it.

It didn’t surprise McElroy when it happened in 2021 and the Wolverines secured a breakthrough win at home. And though he wasn’t expecting a Michigan win in 2022 in the Horseshoe, now McElroy is curious if the Wolverines can hold serve at home and make it a three-peat over the Buckeyes.

“We took Michigan last year, but we didn’t feel great about it,” McElroy said. “We did not feel great about it what-so-ever. Well, it proved that 2021 wasn’t a fluke. They, at that point, were the more physical team. They controlled the line of scrimmage in the second half. They were able to create some big plays after a little bit of a slow start and Ohio State just couldn’t get into rhythm at any point defensively or offensively there in the second half.”

Michigan should be reloaded and ready to rumble with more bruising bully-ball, but there’s no doubt that Ohio State’s core of offensive skill players are capable of a supernova of scoring on any given weekend. If the quarterback question is answered, it could be a knockdown, drag out bout in Ann Arbor at the end of November.