Michigan football: Third-straight win over Ohio State in 2023 'fair' prediction, Greg McElroy says

Michigan has won back-to-back games against Ohio State, with both wins leading to Big Ten championships for the Wolverines. And ESPN's Greg McElroy said he believes the Wolverines can make it three in a row this year. On the Always College Football podcast, McElroy was asked whether a bold prediction — that Michigan would defeat Ohio State for the third straight year — was fair or unfair.

"Fair. Tell me this: Now we just talked about the edge presence for Michigan and the importance to find that, right? Well Ohio State’s breaking in two new tackles. And tell me this: The last couple games against Ohio State, what right now is going to lead to you feeling better about the Buckeyes’ chances in 2023?" McElroy asked. "Is it a new quarterback? Is it the fact that Ohio State really didn’t play very well in each of the last two outings? Is it that Ohio State is gonna become more physical this next offseason? Like I don’t know. I really don’t know these things.

"My question to you though, I know Ohio State might have a higher ceiling and Ohio State in their last performance might have looked better than Michigan did, but either way, Michigan’s won two in a row and they haven’t been super competitive. So yes, I think true. I think Michigan is the team to beat heading into 2023 just based on what we’ve seen and based on the key pieces they have returning."

Ohio State won eight-straight games over Michigan from 2012-2019, including three-straight wins by double figures between 2017-19. But Jim Harbaugh's Michigan flipped the script, overpowering Ohio State in a 42-27 win that helped the Wolverines reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. And Michigan proved it wasn't a one-off last year, winning 45-23 in Columbus, though both teams made the playoff afterward.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day discussed the quarterback position and replacing CJ Stroud on National Signing Day. The top candidates for the job include Kyle McCord and Devin Brown, and they’ll square off through the spring, and potentially into fall camp.

“I hope that one of them emerges and we can name him a starter, I really do,” Day said. “Because I think the way that our dynamic is, I think it'd be great for our program to be able to do that. There were times in the past where I just didn't see that happening. I'm hoping that can happen. If it doesn't, it doesn't. But some vision on who the starter is coming out of the spring would be nice. So hoping that one of them emerges here in these 15 practices.”