It's safe to say that Ohio State football doesn't need extra motivation to take down Michigan. These two sides hate one another and this rivalry game is the best one out there for the sport. Sorry Auburn and Alabama fans, but it's not close. Well, the new CFP rankings have made things even more interesting.
Ryan Day sends a warning ahead of the Ohio State vs. Michigan game
Ohio State is still the No. 1 team in the country, which everyone expected. However, Michigan was previously the No. 18 team in the CFP committee's eyes, but the Wolverines have moved up to No. 15. What does this tell us? Well, with a win over Ohio State, Michigan will have to sneak in. With a loss, however, their CFP dreams will be over. There's no question the Ohio State players will have this in the back of their minds.
BREAKING: College Football Playoff Rankings🚨 https://t.co/Q25OEFvopq pic.twitter.com/w7wUYqt01u
— On3 (@On3sports) November 26, 2025
Michigan now being No. 15 in the CFP rankings will motivate Ohio State
With kickoff scheduled for a little after 12 p.m. on Saturday, anyone else even more fired up for things to get started after these latest rankings dropped? Nothing but good news has come in for the Buckeyes this week, with Jeremiah Smith starting things off by confirming that he should be good to go to play.
Not only that, but Ryan Day is starting to show some optimism that Carnell Tate will be ready to suit up too. The Buckeyes remain a two-score favorite over the Wolverines, which is pretty telling since this game will be played on the Wolverines' turf.
Michigan owns a four-game winning streak over the Buckeyes, which is enough to keep the Ohio State faithful up at night. Leading up to the Nov. 29 dance, plenty of signs are pointing to Day getting his revenge and the Wolverines getting humbled.
Not only is Ohio State ready to push for a 12-0 record, it knows for sure that with a win over Michigan, it will keep them out of the hunt to win the natty. Knocking them out of the CFP and celebrating at the 50-yard line in Ann Arbor would be oh so sweet. It's time for the Buckeyes to make that happen.