Three things to know about the 120th meeting between Ohio State and Michigan

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- It's the biggest game of the season. It always is.

Ohio State and Michigan will meet for the 120th time at noon Saturday at Ohio Stadium. The Wolverines are going for their fourth straight win in the series, which hasn't happened since 1988-91. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, are looking to end three years of heartbreak and earn the first home win over their rival since 2018.

"You know what it means. It means the world. It's everything here," coach Ryan Day said. "To say that this team and those leaders and these seniors want to win this game, it would be one of the biggest understatements of all time. They don't need any extra motivation."

Here are three things to know.

The rivalry in perspective

Through the previous 119 meetings, Michigan leads the series 61-51. Six games have ended in a tie, and Ohio State's 37-7 win in 2010 was vacated. And with the exception of 1942 and 2020, the game has been the regular-season finale every year since 1935.

And the game's rich history has been the foundation of several Ohio State traditions. The school's alma mater, "Carmen Ohio," was written in 1902 on a train ride home from Ann Arbor. Since 1934, players and coaches on every Buckeyes team that defeats Michigan receive the gold pants charm with their initials, the year and score.

Since Day took over for the Buckeyes, he is 1-3 against the Wolverines. And knowing the expectations, he said losing to Michigan is one of the worst things that has happened to him.

"This game is a war. Anytime there's a war, there's consequences and casualties. And then there's the plunder and the rewards that come with it. That's what it is," Day said. "I just think that's what it comes down to."

Motivated seniors

The Buckeyes are ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press poll and are riding a five-game winning streak heading into the final week of the regular season.

But none of that matters if they don't beat Michigan. For veteran seniors like receiver Emeka Egbuka and defensive end Jack Sawyer, this year is their final shot at beating the Wolverines. And it's the reason why they came back.

"Everybody knows what's at stake and what's on the line," Egbuka said. "I have no doubt in my mind that Jack Sawyer is going to go out there and play his heart out. Same with J.T. [Tuimoloau]. Same with Denzel [Burke]. You look in their eyes and you see it."

Sawyer, a Pickerington North graduate, hasn't beaten any of his rival teams in football since he was in middle school.

"It's tough. I think I haven't won a rivalry game in football since seventh grade against Ridgeview. I never beat them. I never beat [Pickerington] Central in high school," Sawyer said. "And then you get here and you fall short three years too. So I'm just excited for the opportunity to go out the right way this weekend."

Even Will Howard, the transfer quarterback who has only been a Buckeye for one season, knows how important Saturday means to Buckeye nation.

"It's been all year. Feeling how much this rivalry means and how deep it runs. You look around the building and see the countdown clocks," Howard said. "From the moment I got here, it was different. Don't wear blue in the building. Don't say the M word. All this stuff. I was like 'OK, this is different.' It's not really a rivalry, it's a way of life."

How Michigan is approaching the game

The Wolverines, fresh off a 50-6 win over Northwestern to become bowl-eligible, have belief in themselves to get the job done.

Michigan's running backs coach, Tony Alford, is a former Ohio State assistant. And first-year coach Sherrone Moore is leaning on him to prepare for the Buckeyes.

"He's just going to add the value that he's continued to have. Obviously, he knows the building. He's been in there," Moore said. "But really, just everybody's going to do their job in the best of their ability to help us win."

The Wolverines could be without two of their best players: tight end Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson. But Michigan isn't going into Saturday with an underdog mentality.

"All bets are off and the guys are prepared mentally, physically to go attack," Moore said. "And we've had great, great preparation up to this point. We've got to get on the field and do it. So I feel like we can, but that's our job to go prepare to do."