ESPN College GameDay makes pick between Michigan vs. Ohio State

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan will host Ohio State for a game with a ton of implications on the line. The Wolverines haven't lost to the Buckeyes since 2019 -- no game was played in 2020 -- and nobody on Michigan's team knows what it's like to lose to their arch-rival. But there is more on the line than just extending the Wolverines' streak against OSU.

Michigan, which is ranked No. 15 in the country, needs to win the game in order to make the College Football Playoff. The Wolverines missed the Playoff last season, after winning just seven regular-season games, but Michigan had made the CFP from 2021-2023.

Michigan is the underdog going up against the top-ranked Buckeyes, according to most media and the oddsmakers, but how does ESPN's College GameDay crew see the game playing out?

GameDay crew makes their pick

Kirk Herbstreit — Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Desmond Howard: Michigan
Nick Saban: Ohio State
Pat McAfee: Ohio State
Aidan Hutchinson: Michigan
Kirk Herbstreit: Ohio State

McAfee and Herbstreit both said they see the game being close, but Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes' playmakers would be too much for Michigan as the fourth quarter approaches. Whereas, Howard and Hutchinson like Michigan's run game against Ohio State and they don't see OSU ending the streak.

If the Wolverines are going to get the job done, they will have to do so without some key players. Michigan won't have starters Justice Haynes (again) or Ernest Hausmann (for the second game in a row). The Wolverines are hopeful to see Max Bredeson play, who was listed as questionable.

How to watch Michigan take on Ohio State

Day: Saturday, Nov. 29
Time: Noon ET
Where: Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, MI)
Network: Fox
On the call: Joel Klatt and Gus Johnson

— Sign up for the Michigan Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Michigan Wolverines on SI —