Ohio State at Michigan

Recap

The Big Storyline: It was a strong showing for both teams, but Michigan ultimately came out on top. Beam was the make or break event: the Wolverines got past their struggles from last week, but the Buckeyes have some room for improvement next week. 

Implications: Michigan and Ohio State will remain in first and second place in the Big Ten, respectively, but Michigan State is creeping up on the Buckeyes. Ohio State will have to sort out its shakiness on beam if it wants to hold off the Spartans for another week.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 11 Ohio State at No. 3 Michigan

Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is legendary across all athletics. It’s one that hasn’t ever fully seeped into gymnastics, but that might be changing now that these two teams are more evenly matched. Michigan still certainly has the edge, but the Buckeyes are within striking distance for the first time in recent memory. Is this the first chapter in a new storied gymnastics rivalry? 

What We’re Watching: Ohio State is on the cusp of rewriting its record book. The program record number is a 197.625 set in 2012. After a 197.225 last week, that number is looking more and more realistic to surpass. That 2012 team, by the way, is the last Buckeye squad to make a nationals appearance. Michigan will have its eye on settling back in after a great-but-not-amazing contest that saw the Wolverines fall to Michigan State in East Lansing last week. Look for freshman Kaylen Morgan to possibly break into lineups after some very successful exhibitions, most notably on bars. Bev Plocki is pacing her team differently this year: A few bumps in the road seem like a good thing this early while she finds her best lineups and allows stalwarts to rest as necessary. That said, this is clearly a team that wants to win, especially at home, and one that will be looking for vindication after last week’s loss.

What Else to Know Before Tuning in: This is a Big Ten conference dual, so win/loss does matter as far as seeding for the conference championship goes. Ohio State (1-0) comes in with the edge over Michigan (0-1) in that regard.