Dan Rubenstein analyzes pressure on both Michigan, Ohio State in ‘The Game’

One of the best rivalries in college football — if not, the best — returns this weekend when Ohio State heads to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan. The stakes are once again high with both a Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff appearance on the line, not to mention the off-field issues surrounding the Wolverines.

However, everything swirling around Michigan adds to the pressure around Ryan Day and Ohio State, according to The Solid Verbal’s Dan Rubenstein. The Buckeyes are not only looking to avoid a third straight loss to the Wolverines for the first time since the 1990s, but they also don’t want to lose to an acting head coach with Sherrone Moore again in place of a suspended Jim Harbaugh.

As a result, the pressure isn’t just on Michigan to prove its CFP-worthiness and get a marquee win amid everything going on around the program. It’s also on Day and the Buckeyes to get the job done.

“There just seems to be a lot of friction in Columbus — even more than usual,” Rubenstein told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3. “And when you have Marvin Harrison Jr., who covers up for a lot, when you have the defense has been playing as well as it has this year. I mean, I don’t think the pass rush is where it’s been. But otherwise, they’ve been great. Like, what do you do if the crosser to Marvin Harrison Jr. isn’t there? It worked against Penn State. It’s worked this year in big moments. But like, Michigan has a defense that can defend a crosser. They can pass off a receiver, no matter who it is.

“And so, there’s something fascinating about both of these teams. Ohio State, being 83% of where their fans would like them to be, and Michigan not really giving its fans a taste for 10 games, nine games, of what they could be against a good team.”

It’s also worth noting Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class — which included Harrison, Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau and Kyle McCord — has yet to beat Michigan in the rivalry game. As if the stakes weren’t high enough for Day, who’s trying to avoid yet another loss to the Wolverines, the group of juniors who could be off to the NFL Draft also have plenty of reasons to get a victory.

“It’s one of the best recruiting classes talent-wise and obviously history. They have zero wins against Michigan,” Lettermen Row’s Spencer Holbrook said on Tuesday’s edition of Andy Staples On3. “They’re 0-for-2, and a lot of those guys are leaving for the NFL. So they were talking about that today, even. Like, ‘The stakes for this for us, to leave our legacy at Ohio State are you have to win this game.’

“Because when you get asked by alums, ‘What was your record against Michigan?’ And you come back with a goose egg? That’s not something you can do.”