The Game, the legendary college football rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan, has lost a lot of excitement this season. While Ohio State will likely play for the chance to advance to the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed in next weekend’s Big Ten championship game, Michigan has endured one of its worst championship hangover seasons in recent memory. To make matters worse, the Wolverines will be without two of their best players Saturday against the Buckeyes: tight end Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson.

Both players struggled with injuries throughout the season. Johnson is dealing with a lingering toe injury he suffered in October and has not played since the Wolverines’ loss to Illinois on Oct. 19. Loveland has played in 10 games this season and played in the team’s 50-7 win over Northwestern last week, catching three passes for 22 yards and a touchdown. He leads Michigan with 56 receptions, 582 yards and five touchdowns. He is out with an undisclosed injury.

Before Saturday’s game, Michigan star Charles Woodson commented on the Fox’s absences Big lunch start. The former Heisman Trophy winner says both players would have to be “really hurt” to miss the final Ohio State game of their careers.

“I tell you what, they must be really hurt. You must be really hurt because I don’t care who you are as a player, your status as an NFL player and how high you are.” Maybe it will happen next year. “That’s the game.”

“But when it comes to winning this game, I think you really have to go for it, man. It was obviously a bad year for us after putting this championship behind us. You understand that. We lost a lot.” But you just have to admit it, you can’t play with fear, no matter who you’re out there with. So it’s hard for these guys not to do that Out there, I hate to hear this, but you know what? …Someone has to show up and do something.

As Woodson notes, both players should have promising futures in the NFL after leading Michigan to the national championship last season and posting three wins over the Buckeyes during their college careers. Sports IllustratedDaniel Flick mocked both players as first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.