Why Michigan must beat Ohio State to keep rivalry hot

Ohio State still has an outside shot at the College Football Playoff, but there's arguably more on the line Saturday for Michigan in The Game.

The Buckeyes and Wolverines own one of the most cherished rivalries in all of sport, yet lately it has cooled off where it matters most - the field.

OSU has taken 12 of the last 13 meetings with Michigan, including each of the last five, and won last year's game in a double-overtime thriller. And while Ohio has carried a top-10 ranking into 11 of those 13 encounters, Michigan has done so a mere four times, rendering most of the matchups consequential for only one side. Since 2004, more than half of the instalments of The Game have been decided by multiple-possession differences.

Surely, these facts don't bother anyone in Columbus, but fans in Ann Arbor have to be growing impatient with the lack of success against their nemesis.

Although the program has undoubtedly improved under Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines are 0-2 against the Buckeyes with him at the helm. Harbaugh, in fact, will enter The Game with a 1-4 record against Michigan's two greatest rivals, OSU and Michigan State - a big no-no in the eyes of a fan base that demands greatness.

Even more damning for Harbaugh is that his team has yet to finish higher than third in the Big Ten East since he took over.

Michigan is supposed to contend for titles. At most, the Maize and Blue can earn the label of spoiler Saturday, a far cry from the honor it wants to be fighting for. At worst, the Wolverines will keep along the path of becoming a punchline, and let one of the hottest rivalries in sports continue to ice over.