Will Michigan ever beat Ohio State football in a game in which the Buckeyes are the underdog again?
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The last time the Ohio State football team was the underdog in a game against Michigan was in 2018. The Wolverines had reeled off 10 straight wins after losing their season opener at Notre Dame, while the Buckeyes struggled reaching to the finish line. Four weeks prior, theyd lost at Purdue before heading into a bye week, and things werent much better afterward. Theyd won three straight, but the same defensive problems they had before the break still hadnt improved. Quarterback Adrian Martinez did whatever he wanted inside Ohio Stadium despite OSU walking away with a 36-31 win over Nebraska. The offense forgot to travel to East Lansing in a 26-6 road win over Michigan State. Then Anthony McFarland broke every record you could think of while Maryland put the fear of God into the Buckeyes in a 52-51 overtime game. It made sense that Ohio State would be the underdog. Then Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson dialed up a game plan that led to a 62-39 win in what was probably Dwayne Haskins best game as quarterback. In 2019, OSU was one of the best teams in the country and three players with strong Heisman Trophy cases. It was farfetched to think Michigan would even compete in that game, let alone be considered the favorite. The same wouldve been the case in 2020 had it been played, especially with how the Wolverines season had gone up to that point. That brings us to 2021, when both sides are likely breaking in new starting quarterbacks. But Days first two cycles as a head coach combined with what Urban Meyer left behind has created a significant talent gap between the two programs. At worst, the expectation is that Ohio State is a one or two-loss team heading into its final regular-season game. Michigan could easily have that many by the time it reaches its bye week on Oct. 16. That gap isnt getting smaller anytime soon. Ohio State keeps putting together classes that compete for recruiting national titles while Michigans hover around the top 10. Its unlikely the Buckeyes are the victor in The Game 20 straight times before the Wolverines finally get a win. But being the favorite in every game this decade isnt out of the question. This is the biggest rivalry in sports, but its participants have taken off in different directions. The days of going back-and-forth while in the middle of a 10-year war may be over. But at some point, Ohio State will be viewed as an underdog heading into the last weekend in November. It just may be a while until that happens. In the meantime, Michigan can only hope to be what Auburn is occasionally to Alabama, a spoiler. If youve never listened to Buckeye Talk, try it now. And subscribe to Buckeye Talk on any of these podcast platforms or wherever you listen to podcasts.  Buckeye Talk on iTunes   Buckeye Talk on Spotify   Buckeye Talk on Google Play  More Buckeyes coverage  Basketballs 2022 recruiting efforts shift to frontcourt  Penn State OT Rasheed Walker: Buckeyes best opponents, No. 8  Minnesota RB Mohamed Ibrahim: Buckeyes best opponents, No. Indiana LB Micah McFadden: Buckeyes best opponents, No. 10  George Fitzpatrick, 4-star OT, commits to OSU  What Fitzpatricks commitment means to Buckeyes  Buy Buckeyes gear: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, Lids  -  Fields Bears jersey: Ohio State football fans can purchase Justin Fields new Chicago Bears jersey here. Its available in white, blue and orange  and in mens, womens and youth sizes. Theres also a cheaper T-shirt option.