College Football Betting - Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines

Saturday, November 21st – 12:10 PM ET Michigan Stadium

College Football Betting Spread: Ohio State -12

Ohio State: The Week That Was  

The Buckeyes punched a ticket to Pasadena with a thrilling 27-24 overtime win against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Horseshoe in Columbus. Ohio State made the evening more nerve-wracking than its fans wanted, but in the end, coach Jim Tressel’s team secured the program’s first Rose Bowl trip in 13 years.

Ohio State led, 24-10, early in the fourth quarter, but a special-teams breakdown allowed a 99-yard kickoff return to the Hawkeyes, who pulled within seven points at 24-17. Several minutes later, a dropped interception by Buckeye cornerback Chimdi Chekwa gave Iowa a reprieve, and the opportunistic Hawkeyes took advantage, tying the score at 24-all on a touchdown pass with 2:42 left in regulation.

In overtime, though, OSU rebounded. After Tressel’s defense produced an interception, a 39-yard field goal was all the Buckeyes needed to gain a spot in the Rose Bowl. 

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Michigan: The Week That Was
  
The Wolverines’ train wreck of a season only got worse on the road in Madison, Wis. The Maize and Blue were battered by the Badgers, as Wisconsin waxed Michigan by a 45-24 count. Michigan’s offense was decent in this game, as the Wolverines stayed close for three and a half quarters. With 6:59 left in the third stanza at Camp Randall Stadium, Michigan trailed, 28-24, and had a place in the fight. But in the remaining one and a half quarters, the Wolverines – thanks to their nonexistent, tissue-soft defense – faded away.

Wisconsin eviscerated Michigan, rolling up 469 yards and scoring 45 points despite committing two turnovers. The Badgers were balanced in routing Rich Rodriguez’s squad, producing 240 passing yards and 229 rushing yards. Whatever an offense wants to do, Michigan’s defense will compliantly allow. That’s why Rodriguez is staring at another bowl-free season in 2009. 
 
The Week That Is:  

The only way Michigan will make a bowl game is if the Wolverines can somehow get off the deck and stun Ohio State this Saturday. That’s asking a lot, however, because Jim Tressel – brought to Columbus precisely to beat Michigan and win the Big Ten – has lost only once to “The School Up North” in his first eight seasons as the boss of the Buckeyes.

With another Big Ten championship safely tucked away, Ohio State should be very confident and loose heading into Ann Arbor, Mich. OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor has struggled throughout this season, but against Michigan’s defense, he should get healthy. The only way Michigan will come even close in this game is if elusive quarterback Tate Forcier can make improvisational plays with his scrambling ability.

If Forcier can elude the Buckeye pass rush and excel in broken-field situations, the Wolverines could post a reasonable score and pull off the shocker as long as they can stand tall in the red zone. Ohio State’s defense should be too strong, however; Michigan makes this competitive for a half, but the Bucks should bring down the hammer after halftime.  

Football Betting Pick: Ohio State – 12