David Pollack predicts winner, final score for Ohio State-Michigan rivalry matchup

David Pollack picks Ohio State to defeat Michigan 23-21 on See Ball Get Ball citing rushing stats.

College football analyst David Pollack predicts the winner and final score in this week's rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan. | Kirsten Fiscus/Advertiser via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Defending champion and top-ranked Ohio State travels to Ann Arbor with a perfect 11-0 record and a massive burden of history. The Buckeyes have lost four consecutive times to their arch-rivals and Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day holds a frustrating 1-4 mark in The Game. While a loss would not necessarily knock the Buckeyes out of the College Football Playoff picture, it would haunt the program for another year and extend a painful drought.

The 15th-ranked Michigan Wolverines enter the contest at 9-2 with a chance to spoil Ohio State's perfect season and potentially reach the Big Ten championship game. Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore is looking to pull off an upset as a double-digit underdog at home to keep his team’s title hopes alive.

The Wolverines have dominated the rivalry recently and are playing for both postseason survival and eternal bragging rights in front of their home crowd.

This matchup features two first-year starting quarterbacks looking to etch their names into rivalry lore. Ohio State redshirt freshman Julian Sayin leads the country in completion percentage while Michigan true freshman Bryce Underwood faces the toughest test of his young career.

Both teams are dealing with injuries to key playmakers, which adds another layer of unpredictability to this high-pressure showdown in the cold.

David Pollack Analyzes Matchup And Predicts Final Score

On a Wednesday episode of the See Ball Get Ball podcast, college football analyst David Pollack broke down the matchup and offered a prediction. He pointed to a specific statistical trend that has defined this series for more than two decades to justify his pick. Pollack noted that in the last 23 meetings between these programs, the team with more rushing yards has won every single time.

He views this as the key to the contest and notes that its simplicity is what makes it so powerful. "That is absolute," Pollack said regarding the rushing statistic. "That's one of the most lopsided asinine truthtelling stats you will ever see."

Pollack believes the Buckeyes have constructed their roster this season specifically to win that physical battle in the trenches. He argued that Ohio State's defense is physically more adept at handling the run this year compared to previous seasons. He sees this game as a chance for the roster to prove their toughness against a team that has bullied them recently.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) has 222 rushing yards and three touchdowns in his last two games. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Awesome opportunity for Ohio State to man the heck up. Show them. And I think they do," Pollack said. "I think Ohio State wins. I think they outrush Michigan. If Michigan was healthier, I would pause more."

Despite the confidence in Ohio State's physicality, Pollack expects a tight, defensive struggle rather than a blowout. He acknowledged that Michigan has "handled hard better" in the past but ultimately sided with the visitors in a narrow decision.

"I got Ohio State, but I think it's a close back and forth game," Pollack said. "I think it's a 23-21 game."