Can Ohio State beat Michigan twice? Buckeyes may need to for national title
Gene Smith has said he's open for Ohio State to face rival Michigan two straight weeks on the football field.
Once USC and UCLA join the Big Ten in 2024, the Ohio State athletic director said he's in favor of eliminating East and West divisions in the conference, bringing the possibility of a rematch between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes.
"It could happen," Smith said of a rematch between Ohio State and Michigan. "From a season-long scheduling point of view, when you bring in USC and UCLA and the fact that we're trying to do the best matchups the year before, (having) no divisions is better.”
But with how 2022 is going, two Ohio State vs. Michigan games in the same season could happen sooner than expected.
Ohio State vs. Michigan: Fiesta Bowl?
In the second week of the College Football Playoff rankings, the committee placed Ohio State at No. 2 for the second straight week after the Buckeyes beat Northwestern on the road 21-7.
However, the College Football Playoff committee also moved Michigan from No. 5 to No. 3 after the Wolverines beat Rutgers 52-17 in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Ohio State and Michigan are two of four undefeated teams left in college football along with No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 TCU.
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As the College Football Playoff rankings stand, Georgia and TCU would face off in what would likely be the Peach Bowl, while the Buckeyes and Wolverines would meet in the Fiesta Bowl after either Michigan or Ohio State plays for a Big Ten Championship.
Has Ohio State ever played Michigan twice in one year?
Since the Ohio State vs. Michigan series started in 1897, the Buckeyes and the Wolverines have never faced each other multiple times in one season.
"The Game" has been played outside of November 21 times — all in October — but not since 1933.
How often have Ohio State, Michigan been ranked back-to-back in CFP?
While Ohio State and Michigan have appeared back-to-back in numerous AP and USA Today AFCA Coaches polls, the Buckeyes and the Wolverines being ranked next to one another is a much more rare occurrence in the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State and Michigan have been ranked side-by-side by the College Football Playoff committee four other times in 2018 and 2016.
The last time the Buckeyes and the Wolverines were next to each other in the College Football Playoff rankings was after Ohio State knocked off Michigan 62-39. The Buckeyes came into the Big Ten Championship against Northwestern as the No. 6 team in the country, while the Wolverines stayed at No. 7. Even after the Buckeyes' 45-24 win against the Wildcats the next week, Ohio State and Michigan were back-to-back at No. 6 and No. 7 heading into the College Football Playoff.
During the 2016 season, the Buckeyes and Wolverines came into "The Game" as the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the country, holding those rankings for two weeks before Michigan lost 30-27 in double-overtime.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State may have to beat Michigan twice for national title
