TLDR: As Ohio State seeks revenge on Michigan for the last three years of rivalry defeats, they face current Wolverines without the usual suspects, including Jim Harbaugh who moved to the Chargers, and former stars like J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum. While Buckeye players and fans aim to redeem past losses by targeting today’s unfamiliar maize and blue roster, it won’t change the reality of their previous struggles. Despite aiming for a landslide win, potentially with a significant score margin, exorcising past demons might not fulfill the desired sense of closure, as Ohio State battles a Michigan squad that is a mere shadow of its victorious predecessor. Ohio State’s emotional players and coaches believe this game matters, but ultimately, they are playing against a different Michigan. The anticipated satisfaction of avenging previous defeats may elude Ohio State, as those they seek revenge on are long gone, having left a lasting scar that cannot be erased by any scoreline.

Let’s be honest here, as a former Michigan fan turned curious onlooker, the whole Ohio State targeting Michigan again this year feels a smidge unnecessary. I mean, how do you actually serve a steaming plate of revenge to people who have since moved onto new pastures, specifically those trading college glory for NFL paychecks? Our beloved Jim Harbaugh has moved on to coach the Chargers, and likewise, ex-Wolverines like J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum are tracing their paths elsewhere. Still, Ohio State stands ready, pacing at the starting line, ready to claim back dominance in this classic rivalry.

Think about it: Ohio State, gearing up for their big showdown, is more than primed for a lecture on rivalry stakes. But tell me this, how do they plan on settling the score with last year’s victors when none of those familiar faces plan to show? Understandably, Coach Sherrone Moore swept last year’s game in his caretaker role, and some Wolverines are ready to play. Yet, this iteration of Michigan doesn’t hold the same bite as those famed three consecutive wins over the Buckeyes. Reality check, Buckeye fans—this victory, large as it may be, won’t exactly fill the gap left behind by the last few years’ heartbreaks.

Don’t get me wrong, Buckeye pride won’t settle for anything less than an awe-inspiring scoreboard against Michigan. Throw out numbers like 20, 30, even a whopping 40-point lead—no one’s batting an eye if they aim to trample their foes. But here’s the catch: no amount of end zone celebrations or dominant plays can rewrite the scoreboard of years gone by. Ohio State had their shot to make amends last season during the saga of the Connor Stallions scandal. So what does bullying a transitioning Michigan achieve at this stage?

The Buckeye trash-talk is a throwback to past games where present players like Davis Warren or Kalel Mullings haven’t really steered the Michigan ship to fruition in games against Ohio State. With Mullings’ modest record of a 15-yard play recollection or Warren’s less memorable presence, Ohio State’s script seems more historical fiction than current affairs. And Will Johnson, a key player out, is the other talk on everyone’s lips—his record remains unsullied by any Buckeye encounters, destined for a pro-football leap come spring, tackling caps unscathed.

It’s almost amusing, really. For the likes of OSU players Emeka Egbuka and Jack Sawyer, the battle with Michigan represents a tantalizing final act in securing a perfect rivalry capstone before they bid farewell to collegiate football. Winning against Michigan is another gold-plated accolade in their college journey, an emotional catharsis long awaited. But once again, we return to the larger question: victory over whom?

The truth points to a gaping hole where the ghost of Harbaugh and devoted acolytes once hovered. Their switch to new pastures leaves Ohio State to pummel what’s essentially a remodeled Michigan lacking the seasoned Twos and Threes. This could mean even the mightiest triumph—scoring 40, heck, maybe 50 or 100—has symbolic worth. But rendering them obsolete targets any substantial gain from toppling their new enemy.

Have at it, Buckeyes—crush Michigan like you were scrapbooking those Big Ten tales of yore. Let those passes fly, drive that point home, and dance the victory dance. But don’t pin all hopes on dissipating the lingering history demons that haunt this beloved rivalry. Because the fact remains: Ohio State seeks to avenge past grievances against an entirely fresh Michigan, not the relentless victors of yesteryear whose marks on the scoreboard shall forever remain.

They say time heals all wounds, but it seems revenge had its clock frozen. With Harbaugh out of sight, Buckeye nation must come to terms that ghosts only haunt if you let them, and alas, they have long departed.