COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State Buckeyes finish up the regular season this Saturday with a ranked matchup against the That Team Up North.
Head coach Ryan Day held his weekly press conference Tuesday from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Watch this week's press conference:
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OHIO STATE VS. THAT TEAM UP NORTH: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
*Info provided by Ohio State Athletics
Quick Hitters
- Since 2000, the Buckeyes are 16-3 against the Wolverines with eight consecutive wins.
- The Ohio State/Michigan game has been decided by one score 40 times. Each team owns 20 wins in those games.
- These two teams have played in the regular season finale every year since 1935 except twice: in 1942 Ohio State defeated Iowa Pre-Flight to cap a 9-1 season that featured the school’s first Associated Press national title, and in 2020 the game was canceled due to COVID-19.
- Ohio State’s Ryan Day is 33-3 as a head coach and his teams have had win streaks of 16 games, seven games and a current nine-game streak.
- Day’s teams are 23-0 in Big Ten Conference games plus they are 2-0 in Big Ten championship games.
- Ohio State has won 26 consecutive Big Ten Conference games (13 on the road; 13 at Ohio Stadium), the second-longest streak in Big Ten history. Ohio State owns the longest: 30 by the 2012-15 teams.
- Ohio State has also won 13 consecutive true road games dating to the 2018 loss at Purdue.
- The Buckeyes have won 12 consecutive road games against ranked opponents.
- Ohio State also has a current streak of 21 consecutive wins over ranked Big Ten opponents.
- Ohio State scored TDs on 15 of its last 19 possessions against Purdue and the first half vs. Michigan State.
- Ohio State’s defense has allowed just three rushing touchdowns in its nine-game winning streak.
Notes to Know
BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL
- Ohio State and Michigan are two of five teams nationally that rank in the top 20 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
- The Buckeyes boast the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense (47.2 points per game) and have the No. 16 scoring defense (19.0 points/game).
- Michigan ranks seventh in scoring defense (16.3 points/game) and 15th on offense (36.9 points/game).
- The other three teams that have top 20 units on both sides of the ball are Alabama, Georgia and Cincinnati.
C.J.’S BIG DAY
- Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud is this week’s Walter Camp National Player of the Week on offense, the Maxwell Award Player of the Week, the Big Ten’s offensive player of the week and, for the seventh time, its freshman of the week.
- Stroud had a career day last Saturday against Michigan State, completing 32 of 35 passes for 432 and six touchdown passes, which tied Ohio State’s single-game record.
- And he did it all while playing just the first half and one series of the second half.
- Stroud threw for the sixth-most passing yards (432) in a single game in Ohio State history while his 91.4 completion percentage was the third-best ever for an Ohio State quarterback in a game.
- His six TD passes tied three other players – Justin Fields (2020 vs. Clemson), Dwayne Haskins (2018 vs. Michigan) and Dave Wilson (Illinois, 1981 vs. Ohio State) – for the most TD passes for a Big Ten quarterback against an AP top 10-ranked team.
- Stroud’s 3,468 passing yards is the second-most in a single season at Ohio State, behind only the 4,831 that Dwayne Haskins threw for in 2018.
OLAVE BREAKS TD RECORD
- Chris Olave caught two more touchdown passes Saturday and now has 35 career TD receptions to break the 23-year-old school record held by David Boston.
- Olave’s first two TD passes, delivered by Dwayne Haskins, came as a freshman in 2018 against Michigan.
- His TDs have come in 2018 (3), 2019 (12), 2020 (7) and 2021 (13).
- The Ohio State single season TD record – 17 by Terry Glenn in 1995 – is in reach.
- A couple Wolverines hold the Big Ten records for single season (19, Desmond Howard in 1991) and career (39, Braylon Edwards from 2001-04) TD receptions.
TREVEYON’S TOUCHDOWNS
- TreVeyon Henderson has scored at least one touchdown in nine of 11 games.
- He ranks T6th nationally with 17 TDs scored and needs just two more to set an Ohio State freshman record.
- Henderson also ranks 21st nationally with 99.2 yards per game and ninth overall with a yards per carry average of 7.3.
NO. 1 IN DEFENSIVE TDs
- Ohio State remains No. 1 nationally with six defensive touchdowns (tied with Nevada).
- The defense has four “pick-6s”: Cam Martinez, 61 vs. Tulsa; Ronnie Hickman 41 vs. Akron; Denzel Burke, 23 vs. Rutgers; and Craig Young, 70 vs. Maryland.
- Garrett has a 32-yard fumble return TD vs. Minnesota and Jerron Cage added a 57- yard fumble return vs. Penn State.
Scouting the Wolverines
THE STAKES
- The Big Ten East will be decided Saturday in Ann Arbor. Ohio State is seeking a trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game for a fifth consecutive year and for the sixth time. Michigan is seeking its first championship game appearance.
BUCKEYE/WOLVERINE TIES
- Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington held the same position at Michigan in 2018.
- Ohio State secondary coach Matt Barnes was a defensive analyst at Michigan in 2015.
- Ohio State QC coach Joe Bolden was a four-year letterman and a two-year starting LB for Michigan from 2012-15.
- Michigan OL coach Ed Warinner was Ohio State’s OC/OL coach from 2012-16.
- According to the Bentley Historical Library, the archives of the University of Michigan and the Michigan Athletic Department, Washington and Warinner are among seven individuals to have coached in a full-time capacity at both Ohio State and Michigan.
- Most notable is Bo Schembechler, assistant at Ohio State from 1958-63 and Michigan head coach from 1969-89.
- The other four: Greg Mattison; Chuck Stobart; George Little; and Steve Farrell.
THE SERIES
- While Michigan owns a 58-51-6 lead in all games played, the series shifts to Ohio State’s favor in the Big Ten era (since 1918) with a 51-46-4 record.
- Since 2000, the Buckeyes are 16-3 against the Wolverines with eight consecutive wins.
- Ohio State is 24-31-4 all-time in games played in Ann Arbor.
- The Ohio State/Michigan game has been decided by one score 40 times. Each team owns 20 wins in those games.
- Since 1951, Woody Hayes’ first season as Ohio State’s head coach, the Buckeyes lead the series 39-27-2.
- These two teams have played in the regular season finale every year since 1935 except twice: in 1942 Ohio State defeated Iowa Pre-Flight to cap a 9-1 season that featured the school’s first Associated Press national title, and in 2020 the game was canceled due to COVID-19.
- Michigan has a Big Ten-best 42 conference titles; Ohio State is second with 39.
THE WOLVERINES
- Michigan is 10-1 this season with its only loss coming on Oct. 30 at Michigan State, 37-33.
- The Wolverines boast one of the nation’s best defenses with numerous Top 10 rankings including in total (306.6), passing yards allowed (178.4) and scoring (16.3) defense.
- Leading that unit are a pair of defensive ends, Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, who have combined for 19.0 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss.
- Linebacker Josh Ross leads the team with 80 tackles while also contributing 7.5 tackles for loss and two passes defended.
- Michigan’s offense centers on the 1-2 combination of RBs Hassan Haskins (1,063 yards, 13 TD) and Blake Corum (778 yards, 10 TD).
- Quarterback Cade McNamara has completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 2,142 yards and 14 touchdowns against just two interceptions.