It doesn’t get any bigger than The Game.
So as Ohio State and Michigan take the field for the latest edition of college football’s biggest rivalry, we’re following along right here with a special Live Tailgate edition of “The Number One College Football Show.”
I’m joined by two special guests: Former Michigan running back Chris Howard, who played alongside FOX Sports’ Charles Woodson on the Wolverines’ 1997 national championship team, and former Ohio State running back Beanie Wells, who rushed for nearly 3,400 yards across three seasons.
Howard and Wells are here to provide live analysis of all the action on the field, share stories from their playing days and undoubtedly provide plenty of insight into what makes this rivalry so great.
You can scroll below for all the pregame coverage from “Big Noon Kickoff,” and follow along with our live analysis right here.
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Michigan
5:35 3Q: TOUCHDOWN, BUCKEYES!
Talk about a drive! The Buckeyes marched 75 yards on 12 plays, with TreVeyon Henderson punching it in from 3 yards out to tie the score at 17-17. Ohio State capped the drive with eight straight running plays.
11:06 3Q: You know where to go when you need a first down
Kyle McCord certainly did, getting a quick pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. and letting him do the rest as the Buckeyes tried to mount a drive.
11:48 3Q: Michigan extends lead
Alex Orji showed some wheels on a long run to open the second half. That set up a field goal, as Michigan pushed its edge to 17-10.
Halftime: Michigan leads 14-10
The Wolverines maintained a 14-10 lead after Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding missed a 52-yard field goal as time expired.
Michigan has won 44 straight games at the Big House when leading at halftime.
1:11 2Q: Marvin. Harrison. Jr.
Not a lot of guys are capable of coming up with a catch like this. But for Marvin Harrison Jr., it’s just another day.
Should McCarthy have thrown it? Wells and Howard break it down
J.J. McCarthy’s TD pass was thrown through an impossible window. Chris Howard and Beanie Wells broke it down.
6:28 2Q: OHIO STATE RESPONDS!
The Buckeyes got back in it after falling behind 14-3, marching 69 yards on seven plays, pulling within 14-10 when Kyle McCord found Emeka Egbuka from 3 yards out.
10:22 2Q: TOUCHDOWN! (Or interception?)
There was a huge turn of events when J.J. McCarthy threaded the needle for a touchdown pass to Roman Wilson. On a closer look, though, it appeared that Denzel Burke had wrestled the ball away for an interception. After a replay review, the touchdown stood, leaving Ryan Day quite upset.
Talking traditions
Howard and Wells took time to discuss their favorite college traditions.
14:12 2Q: Corum converts
It’s hard to go wrong by giving the ball to Blake Corum in a short-yardage situation, and the veteran came through with a big conversion on fourth down.
2:13 1Q: Ohio State gets on the board
Michigan nearly picked off McCord a second time, but the Buckeyes avoided disaster, continued the drive and ultimately came away with a field goal.
5:44 1Q: TOUCHDOWN, MICHIGAN!
The Buckeyes put up a fight after being forced to defend a short field, but Michigan took a 7-0 lead after Blake Corum punched it in on fourth down. It was Corum’s 21st rushing touchdown of the season, breaking Michigan’s single-season record. He now has 52 career rushing TDs, four shy of breaking Michigan’s career record (Anthony Thomas, 55).
7:32 1Q: Intercepted!
The first big play of the game came midway through the first quarter when Michigan’s Will Johnson jumped the route and picked off Kyle McCord.
The impact of the sign-stealing scandal
Wells and Howard tackled the big topic that has captured the nation’s imagination: The alleged sign-stealing scheme at Michigan.
Running backs on running backs
Howard and Wells talked about the two big backs in today’s contest.
13:13 1Q: Smash-mouth
It was all about defense early on in this one, as neither team can get much going.
Here we go!
PREGAME SCENE
Blake Corum discussed how his injury last season has impacted his career.
Leave it to a defensive guy to say defense will rule the day. Aidan Hutchinson stopped by to share his thoughts on how the contest will go.
Ohio State star Marvin Harrison Jr. sat down with Keyshawn Johnson to talk about his season, next spring’s NFL Draft, and more.
Jenny Taft shared details of a recent talk she had with suspended Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, including what he’ll be doing today and his plans for “after we win.”
Tom Rinaldi reported the story of J.J. McCarthy and how the Michigan QB is trying to carry on the legacy of his childhood friend.
Sherrone Moore and Ryan Day shared their thoughts ahead of The Game.
Derek Jeter committed to play baseball at Michigan, and once with the Yankees, he couldn’t wait to get out of the team’s minor-league franchise in Columbus. “The Captain” shared his story:
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord discusses last year’s loss to Michigan. “I think about it dang near every day.”
Former Buckeye Ryan Shazier stopped by to talk about what the Ohio State defense must do today.
Bruce Feldman brought some coaching carousel news around Texas A&M and the Aggies’ interest in Ryan Day.
Want to get hyped up for the game? You’ll get chills from this video narrated by the great Tom Brady.
The Big Noon crew discussed the biggest storylines to watch today.
We also have some injury updates …
Urban Meyer explained the gold pants and what they mean.
The fans came out early and brought a ton of energy — and creativity — with them.
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RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube.
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