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Game Thread THE GAME: tOSU at tCun, Sat. Nov. 29th, TBA

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2025 College Football Playoff picture: Each week's most important game in shaping 12-team race

Picking one game for each week of the 2025 college football schedule with CFP implications
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2025 College Football Playoff picture: Each week's most important game in shaping 12-team race​

Picking one game for each week of the 2025 college football schedule with CFP implications​

Week 14: Ohio State at Michigan​

The assignment or prompt matters, because any preview of the 2025 college football schedule must list Ohio State at Michigan as the game of the week. It does not matter whether you're predicting CFP implications or games that fans are most anticipating, the answer to all of it is "yes."

It does not even matter that Ohio State lost this game and went on to win the national championship, because the implications stemming for a win or loss for both teams exceeds the limits of any postseason format. Ohio State has to beat Michigan, and Michigan wants nothing more than to beat Ohio State for a fifth straight season. Yes, there is plenty more to keep in consideration for CFP reasons like Texas A&M at Texas, Clemson at South Carolina and the Iron Bowl, but the pressure packed into the Big House when the two most recent national champions square off is where the Week 14 spotlight must start in any conversation.
 
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Way-Too-Early Top 25: Games that will make or break each team's season

Here are the dates college football fans need to circle on their 2025 calendars.
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Games that will define each top college football team's 2025 season​

1. Ohio State Buckeyes
For Ohio State and star receiver Jeremiah Smith, beating Michigan remains the primary goal on the 2025 schedule. Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire
2024 record: 14-2, 7-2 Big Ten

Season-defining game: Nov. 29 at Michigan

Is there a team in college football with a game more defining than Ohio State's trip to Michigan on Nov. 29? Ohio State faces Texas in the opener in a rematch of this past season's thrilling playoff semifinal -- and what could be a showdown of No. 1 vs. No. 2. On Nov. 1, the Buckeyes will take on former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and Penn State, ranked third in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings. Yet neither of those scintillating matchups will trump "The Game" for the Buckeyes, who have lost four in a row in the series, including last season's stunning 13-10 defeat at home. Ohio State rebounded from that devastating loss to roll through the playoff, capturing the program's first national championship since 2014. Still, losing once to the Wolverines is unacceptable for Buckeye Nation, much less four straight. Ohio State can defeat Texas and Penn State. But if the Buckeyes lose yet again to Michigan, the season will seem like a disappointment for those in Columbus -- short of it ending with another national championship. -- Jake Trotter


ESPN reveals game that will 'Define' Ohio State football's 2025 Season​

Can the Ohio State Buckeyes break their losing streak in 2025?

Jake Trotter's analysis of Ohio State's 2025 football season hits the nail on the head, particularly when he points out the magnitude of the upcoming game against Michigan on November 29. Despite opening the season with a high-stakes rematch against Texas and a much-anticipated showdown with Penn State in early November, it's clear that no game on Ohio State's schedule carries the same weight as "The Game" against Michigan.

As Trotter aptly notes, Ohio State's recent history in the rivalry has been nothing short of frustrating for Buckeye fans. After losing four consecutive matchups to Michigan, including last season’s shocking 13-10 defeat in Columbus, the pressure is immense. Even though Ohio State went on to win a national championship after that loss, Buckeye Nation's hunger to beat That Team Up North was not fulfilled.

Trotter’s view is one that almost every Buckeye fan can agree with: for Ohio State, this game feels like a defining moment not only for the 2025 season but for the future of the program under head coach Ryan Day. A national title is always cherished, but there’s something unique about the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. It’s more than just a game—it’s an identity.

In Columbus, winning "The Game" isn’t just a box to check on the way to a bigger prize; it’s an end in itself. The wounds of four straight defeats run deep, and as Trotter suggests, the Buckeyes can conquer all other challenges this season, but if they can’t topple Michigan, the season will need another national championship to not feel like a letdown.
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Every college football preseason top-25 team's most important game on 2025 schedule​

A look at the games every team has circled on their 2025 slates.​

3. Ohio State Buckeyes​

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Most important game: at Michigan, Nov. 29
Four-straight losses in the series, but with a national championship included. The Buckeyes would probably take that exact finish over the next four years under Ryan Day if it guaranteed another title, but who wants to continue to be beaten by their rivals? Michigan should be improved in 2025 and the winner of this one in Ann Arbor likely punches a playoff ticket. That's not how it worked out for the Wolverines last year, but Ohio State is the only preseason top-20 team on Michigan's schedule this fall.

Just sayin':

1) I find it strange that scUM's most important game is vs. USC:
This one's up for debate, but a win over the Trojans would potentially set everything up for the Wolverines nearing the midseason point. Trips to Oklahoma and Nebraska come before this one for Sherrone Moore's team, but if they win those and beat Wisconsin, then going to California with an opportunity at a 6-0 start changes the narrative nationally surrounding this program.

and

2) Ped State's most important game is vs. Indiana:
Before anyone panics with this stunning pick, pay attention to this: Penn State nearly reached the national championship last season despite losing to the two best teams it played during the regular season (Ohio State and then Oregon for the Big Ten title). This fall's slate includes the Buckeyes and Ducks again, but we believe 10 wins in the regular season for the Nittany Lions would be enough to get an at-large berth given the Big Ten's overall strength. That makes the home game with Indiana down the stretch a must-win.
 
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