31 graduating Buckeyes to be honored before Michigan game

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thirty-one Buckeyes will be honored before the Michigan game on Saturday as they prepare to graduate from Ohio State. 

Among the 31 Buckeyes graduating are Will Howard, Seth McLaughlin, Denzel Burke, JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka and Cody Simon.

The full list of graduates is below:

1. Joey Velazquez
2. Hadi Jawad
3. Casey Magyar
4. Jace Middleton
5. Austin Snyder 
6. Caden Casto
7. Joop Mitchell
8. Max Lomonico
9. Colin Johnson
10. Chad Ray
11. Bryce Prater
12. Jalen Pace
13. Zak Herbstreit
14. Toby Wilson
15. Seth McLaughlin
16. Will Howard 
17. Kourt Williams
18. Pat Gurd 
19. Jordan Hancock
20. Gee Scott Jr. 
21. Denzel Burke 
22. Josh Fryar
23. Ty Hamilton 
24. Lathan Ransom
25. Donovan Jackson
26. Tyleik Williams
27. JT Tuimoloau
28. Jack Sawyer
29. TreVeyon Henderson
30. Emeka Egbuka
31. Cody Simon

Ohio State vs. Michigan Game Preview

Michigan (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) at No. 2 Ohio State (10-1, 7-1, No. 2 CFP), Saturday, noon EST (FOX)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Ohio State by 20 1/2.

Series record: Michigan leads 61-51-6.

What's at stake?

Ohio State wants revenge after losing three in a row to Jim Harbaugh-led Michigan teams. Some of the Buckeyes' star players said another chance to beat “That Team Up North” was one of the reasons they returned for another season instead of entering the NFL draft. All three of those losses to Michigan kept Ohio State out of the Big Ten championship game. There's not as much at stake this time for Michigan a year after winning the national championship. Michigan is a middle-of-the pack team that just became bowl eligible last week.

Key matchup

Michigan quarterback Davis Warren vs. Ohio State defense. Warren lost his job early in the season and then won it back. He'll have his work cut out for him. The Buckeyes defense is playing as well as it has all year, sacking Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke five times, forcing mistakes and holding the Hoosiers to a season-low 153 yards last week.

Players to watch

Michigan: Third-year RB Kalel Mullings is having a breakout season. The converted linebacker has rushed for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns. He carried 12 times for 92 yards — a 7.7 yards-per-carry average — in Michigan's 50-6 thumping of Northwestern last week.

Ohio State: WR Emeka Egbuka had seven catches for 80 yards and a touchdown in Ohio State's 38-15 rout of then-No. 5 Indiana last week. He's compiled 692 receiving yards and nine TDs this season.

Facts & figures

• This will be the 120th meeting between Michigan and Ohio State.
• Michigan has won the last three following a string of eight Buckeyes victories.
• Colston Loveland needs 99 yards and three TDs to set Michigan season records for a tight end.
• Michigan's Dominic Zvada is the Big Ten’s most accurate kicker with a 93.8% rate for field goals (15 of 16).
• Michigan has eight players on the roster from the state of Ohio.
• Michigan's running backs coach Tony Alford was a long-time assistant at Ohio State before making the switch last spring after Sherrone Moore took over for Harbaugh, who moved on to the NFL to coach the Los Angeles Chargers.
• The all-time series between Ohio State and Michigan in games played in Columbus is 28-28-2 and the Buckeyes' last win at home was in 2018.
• The overall series dates back to 1897, when the Wolverines claimed a 34-0 victory over the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor.
• Ohio State QB Will Howard is one of the most efficient passers in school history. The Kansas State transfer completed 80% of his passes for the sixth time this season. No other Buckeyes QB has done that.
• Michigan comes into The Game unranked for the first time since 2017.