Early Week Score Predictions

I thinik it will be closer than in years past, but this team is pissed, we have a healthy Blake Corum and more experienced JJ. 

Michigan wins 38-31

Kyle McCord hasn't really played that well on the road this season. Michigan 24, Ohio State 21

I’m going with a 38 - 17 win for Michigan. Think it’s tight for much of the game and we score a few late in the 4th to separate.  

31-20 with us getting a score late to put it away.

27-24 Michigan. Michigan scores a TD not on offense. 

Like my prediction from 2021, here's my prediction by quarter. I'm thinking that OSU does "ok" as long as they can run, but we just have too much for their defense to handle. Once they get behind, every defensive series is a chaos of Kyle McCord trying to live until supper time. But our offense keeps rolling.

As it becomes apparent that OSU are not the defensive juggernaut that they thought, their will begins to break too. We (literally) run them into the ground with two long drives that bridge Q 3–4 and then take up the bulk of the rest of the 4th.:

Q1 21–10
Q2 14–3
Q3 10–0
Q4 14–0
Total: 59–13

The headlines are then dominated by b.s. about how having Harbaugh on the sidelines isn't that important, but also a few reasonable takes that "It's not the signs and the scouts, but the players that make the routs."

50-6

Michigan goes for 2 at the end and gets it.

When asked why, Moore says "because he fucking hates OSU"

34-20 Michigan.

Wire to wire win that is never in doubt.

The big unknown is how is Sherrone gonna call this game? Turtleball is a recipe for doom. They've had good stuff saved for OSU every year for a while now, I suspect we just need Sherrone to resist the urge to Lloydball the game. I'm concerned that the 3 Sherrone games have been poor games for JJ

Head says OSU 26-23. 

Heart says M 63-0

15 point win in 21, 22 point win in 22, 29 point win in 23

Arithmetic sequence means 48-19 good guys

It looks like it’s gonna be chilly so I’ll say 35-17.  A late OSU td makes it respectable.  

OSU 31, Michigan 21. The secondary gets exposed and J.J.'s underperformance with Moore continues. Sorry. I don't like it either. 

27-13 UM

48 - 19 Meechigan!

Wolverines continue the trend of blue + 3 and gray -4 for the second straight year and third consecutive victory in The Game.

38-13 good guys

It's tough..it's ugly at times..it's gritty..it's a fight.

Michigan 16 

OSU 14

Pre-2021 I always went into the game with the idea that Michigan could win. 2021 and 2022 I changed that mindset and expected and prepared for a loss to OSU. So - I'm sticking with what works and expecting Michigan to lose (while secretly thinking they'll win). I know, it doesn't make any sense. FANDOM!

This game can get out of hand if they make Mccord uncomfortable.  He is still unproven in a big game environment.  He has not torched any decent team yet. Struggled at ND, and at home against PSU.

While the ND game was on the road in a primetime matchup- that atmosphere was nothing compared to what he will see on saturday.  Half the stadium won't be red either.

Trivia for the day (don't look it up): When was the last time the good guys won 3 in a row?

I always hate making score predictions for this game, and yes it is because I'm afraid to jinx it. But I do think its going to be closer than the last two years. I do think there is a path for Michigan to run away with this thing in the second half as they've done the past two years, and if Harbaugh was on the sidelines, I'd be leaning towards that possibility. 

But the fact is he's not.

Thankfully he's coaching during the week and putting the gameplan together, but not having him on the sidelines hurts. For this game in particular. I am fairly concerned about Sherrone turtling in the second half and trying to protect a small lead, but you can only give Marvin Harrison Jr. so many chances before he just burns you. Of all the games that you play to win vs. playing not to lose, this is it. Full stop. 

I hope JJ is up to the challenge again, because he sure looks like he's taken a step back the last two weeks. Against Maryland in particular. 

All I really know is to expect the unexpected. 2013 should've been a blood bath. It came down to the final play. I thought we were doomed in 2016 before The Game due to Speight's collarbone. That went down to the final play. OSU should've ran away with the game in 2017 the minute it found out John O'Korn was playing. They didn't. 2018 should've been a coronation for Michigan. It was a national embarrassment instead. 2021 and 2022 each had fifty different reasons why Michigan was going to lose badly, and they roasted the hell out of OSU. 

Expect the unexpected on Saturday. 2019 has really been the only game in recent memory where what I thought was going to happen in The Game actually happened. 

35-31. I have no idea who wins, but 35-31.  

Michigan 31, Ohio State 20

forget the last two games … the game plan for Saturday has been under wraps all year … only dent could be if JJ really is more banged up than he says … Jim will let Moore know exactly how he wants the plays called and any contingencies… make no mistake this is still Harbaughs’s team !!! 

Before the scandal, I would have said 38-27 Michigan.

Now, I'm going to say that it's going to take better playcalling and utilization of JJ than we've seen the last two weeks for us to win.

Will that happen? I sure as hell hope so.

OSU's defense is a notch better, and their offense is a bit worse. I think it will be something like 35-24 Michigan.

If Harbaugh were on the sidelines, I'd feel more confident, but I have a feeling Sherrone may completely bottle the offense up in the 2nd half to protect a relatively small lead. You can only give Marvin Harrison Jr. so many attempts, he's going to score on you at some point.

I did have to remind myself Saturday several times that we nearly lost to Illinois the week before OSU last year, so I am not sure how much bearing the Maryland game will have.

27-17 Good guys

28-24 Good guys. Michigan scores 21 unanswered in the second half. Everyone assumes that Michigan somehow cheated.

I'm torn between UM fighting their ass off but they just wear out and osu wins a close one, 28-24.

OR...

UM blows the motha effing doors off. That pudgy faced, fat belly qb can't tell up from down and UM just shuts things down like no other. UM offense has some haymakers while also some trouble and although they give up two long TD's to osu they win going away 38-17.

I'm sticking with option #2 for now. Go Blue!

I am going with Seth's prediction on WTKA 50-17

Early week signs: there's a place in Chicago called Pockets, which was opened by a Michigan grad over 30 years ago. They serve chipati's similar to Pizza Bob's (not as good but will have to do). I was in there today, picking up a chipati and the guy behind the counter was wearing a Michigan baseball cap (not an M grad). I think it was a sign. 

No score prediction but I will be doing my daily consult with the online Magic Eight Ball shortly.