It’s all about The Game on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.

Typically, we start each week’s episode of RPW by breaking down the previous week’s game before previewing the next opponent. This week, however, we jump right into previewing Ohio State’s season-defining rivalry game with Michigan, weaving in a few takeaways from the Buckeyes’ 37-3 win over Minnesota but otherwise focusing fully on the impending clash of titans in Ann Arbor.

With the College Football Playoff set to expand to 12 teams next year, it’s not hyperbole to say that there might never be another regular-season game in college football as big as the one the Buckeyes and Wolverines will play this Saturday. Next year, Ohio State and Michigan would already be locks to make the CFP with their respective 11-0 records, but everything is on the line for both teams this week as they play for the Big Ten East title.

Of course, this game would be highly anticipated even without those stakes as the Buckeyes look to earn their first win over their rivals in four years. And the hatred between the two sides has only grown hotter amid the revelations of Michigan’s impermissible sign-stealing scandal that may have helped the Wolverines beat Ohio State in the last two meetings.

But even without Jim Harbaugh and Connor Stalions, Michigan presents the toughest test of the regular season for Ohio State. What do the Buckeyes need to do to beat the Wolverines, and do we think the Buckeyes will make it happen? We break all of that down in our hourlong lookahead to Saturday’s No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup.

The full rundown for this week’s show: