By Cole SullivanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThere isn’t a rivalry in college football quite like Saturday’s showdown in Ann Arbor between the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines.
Leading up to the game, which Michigan has won the last four seasons, Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff personality Urban Meyer, the former Ohio State head coach, and Barstool Sports CEO Dave Portnoy, a Michigan graduate, agreed to a friendly wager.
With NFL legend Rob Gronkowski serving as the middleman, the two settled on a $1,000 donation to the opposing program’s NIL fund. If Michigan wins, Meyer — who went 7–0 against the Wolverines during his time in Columbus — will contribute to Michigan’s recruiting efforts. If Ohio State ends its losing streak, Portnoy will do the same for the Buckeyes.
“So here’s what we’re going to do. $1,000 donation to each school’s NIL,” Portnoy said. “We’re gonna get an Urban Meyer check made out to the University of Michigan football program. He’s going to help us keep beating them.”
Meyer fired back, “Deal… You won’t cash my check — I’m gonna cash your check.”
More news: Urban Meyer Predicts Winner of Ohio State-Michigan
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More news: Ohio State, Ryan Day Dealt Crushing News Before Michigan Game
The Ohio State–Michigan rivalry dates back to 1897, and while the Wolverines currently lead the all-time series 62–52–6, the Buckeyes have largely controlled the matchup in the 2000s — with Urban Meyer playing a key role in that success.
After seven seasons at the helm, Meyer stepped down due to health reasons and handed the program over to current head coach Ryan Day. Day’s only notable blemish so far has been his record against Michigan, which stands at 1–4 heading into Saturday’s showdown.
...Ohio State is aiming to retain their No. 1 ranking to finish the regular season unbeaten and head into the Big Ten Championship, but a loss to Michigan would change the picture dramatically.
While the Buckeyes would likely still make the College Football Playoff, they would be eliminated from contention for the Big Ten title — a major disappointment, considering they haven’t won the conference since 2020.
More news: Lane Kiffin’s Coaching Decision Narrowed Down to 2 Teams: Report
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