In a bold prediction for the 2025 campaign, ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently forecasted the Michigan Wolverines to continue their dominance over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

But he took it a giant step further. Not only did he project the Wolverines to defeat Ohio State for a fifth straight time in the regular season, but Connelly also predicted Michigan to beat the Buckeyes in the first round of the College Football.

Following the conclusion of the inaugural 12-team playoff, Connelly envisioned how the 2025 season could play out. While he acknowledged Ohio State will likely be a formidable force throughout the season, he predicted Michigan’s win over the Buckeyes would open the door for several other teams to compete for a spot in the Big Ten Championship.

“I’m sure the Buckeyes will look the part for most of the season. But as with 2024, a defeat to Michigan will open the door for a couple of other teams to play for the Big Ten Championship,” Connelly explained.

In his scenario, the Wolverines would fall to Penn State in the Big Ten Championship, but still manage to clinch an 8-seed in the playoff and host the first-round matchup against the reigning national champs.

“What was I supposed to do, not set up the angstiest first-round matchup to date?,” Connelly wrote.

He went on to predict the Wolverines would secure a sixth straight win in the rivalry and eliminate Ohio State from the CFP. Connelly ultimately projected Michigan’s playoff journey would come to an end in the quarterfinals with a loss to the top-seeded Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl.

Even though the goal is to contend for a national title, the prospect of knocking off the Buckeyes twice in less than a month would further cement the Wolverines’ dominance in the rivalry.

Despite winning it all in the inaugural 12-team playoff, Ohio State still wasn’t able to end the drought against Michigan. If Connelly is right in this projection, the Buckeyes’ losing streak would not only continue into 2026, but increase by an entire game.