Ohio State owns road two victories against top-15 teams this season, beating then-No. 14 Oklahoma 45-24 on Sept. 18 and then No. 8 Wisconsin 30-23 last Saturday. Michigan has one total road victory, a 78-0 curb-stomping of lowly Rutgers two weeks ago.
Still, former Buckeye running back Robert Smith and current FOX/BTN analyst believes the Wolverines are not only the best team in the Big Ten but the entire country. Smith made the declaration Monday afternoon on BTN Live. Here is his full quote:
“At No. 2, I still have the Buckeyes. I'm impressed with the way that they were able to come back and win this game to show a great deal of resilience on the road against Wisconsin but I still think Michigan is the best team in the country,” Smith said. “With the way that that defense is playing combined with the way that they're starting to run the ball, getting that offense cranked up, that offensive line and the run game cranked up, I still have Michigan at No. 1.”
Smith, who played two years for John Cooper in 1990 and 1992 and racked up nearly 2,000 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in his college career, sets hits Big Ten power rankings like this:
1. Michigan
2. Ohio State
3. Wisconsin
4. Nebraska
5. Penn State
Ohio State (6-0) is ranked No. 2 in the country, while Michigan (6-0) moved up to No. 3 after sitting idle last weekend. Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes visit Penn State on Saturday night at 8 p.m. while Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines host Illinois at 3:30 p.m.
