Why Ohio State-Michigan Rivalry Will Be Missing Its Usual Stakes This Year

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver David Adolph (82) head butts with Michigan Wolverines defensive back Jyaire Hill (20) during the NCAA football game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9. Rivalries make college football the best sport on the planet, but ‘The Game’ tends to stand above all others. Ohio State and Michigan have traded dominance in the rivalry, but there’s always something to play for when these two teams meet.Bragging rights and superiority complexes are normally enough for these two, but the chance to ruin the other team's season is what really makes this rivalry the best. Unfortunately, neither will have much to play for on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.Ohio State picked up an ugly third loss of the season at home against Oregon this past week, and Michigan got the final nail in its coffin after being held without a touchdown by its second-biggest rival, Michigan State. Essentially, neither team could play for much more than a Cheez-Itz Bowl appearance.As the CFP rankings stand, if both teams continue struggling, this will be the first time neither team is in the top-10 when they meet since 2011, and only the third time since 2002. It would also be the first time neither team has been in the top-15 since 1987, when both sides were outside the top-25.No matter how ugly it gets for Ohio State, it would be shocking to see the Buckeyes move on from the coach who won them a national title just two years prior; however, if Ohio State drops a couple more before The Game, the only thing that could be at stake is job security. People always say winning this game at the end of the year is the only thing that matters, but five losses, one to each other, could spell trouble for Ryan Day or Kyle Wittingham.Sherrone Moore was 16-8 as Michigan's head coach, but went 2-1 against the Buckeyes despite being massive underdogs in the final two contests. If he'd dropped even one more of those games, I’m sure he would’ve been fired well before any controversies took him down.Also, if Ohio State loses to either Northwestern or Nebraska to close the year, you’d have to think Jeremiah Smith might consider sitting out to protect his health. Smith is a no-doubt top-three pick in the NFL draft this spring, and the only thing that could change that is a major injury.Luckily for Ohio State, Smith is still in Heisman contention, with betting odds of +280, and trails CJ Carr and Darian Mensah, who haven’t had Heisman-level seasons compared to quarterbacks in the last few years. However, voters still value wins, and if Ohio State picks up a fourth or fifth loss before the finale, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him protect his draft stock.