Ohio State-Michigan may not be until November, but the hype couldn’t be more significant to see another showdown between Buckeyes coach Ryan Day and Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore.

Last year’s meeting could only be described as an instant classic—a 13-10 Michigan upset in Columbus on Thanksgiving weekend was thought to be a gut punch for Day, maintaining the label that he simply couldn’t win the big games no matter how favorable college football pundits made them out to be.

The game was ultimately a springboard toward a national championship win for Day, spearheaded by dominant wins against Tennessee and Oregon before one play sealed one of the most memorable Cotton Bowl endings in recent memory. The Buckeyes then finished the job in Atlanta, Ga., ending a Cinderella-type run from Notre Dame to claim their first championship since the 2014-15 season.

Turning the page to this coming season, CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson compiled a way-too-early look at a hypothetical College Football Playoff picture while highlighting the 14 most important games for those would-be teams.

Of course, “The Game” was included as one to watch. According to Patterson, the game is just as big for Moore’s Wolverines, if not bigger for the Ohio State side as it attempts to rewrite past blemishes.

Per Ohio State standards, losing to Michigan is unacceptable, even if the season ends emphatically. Patterson agrees.

“It does not even matter that Ohio State lost this game and went on to win the national championship because the implications stemming for a win or loss for both teams exceeds the limits of any postseason format,” Patterson wrote. “Ohio State has to beat Michigan, and Michigan wants nothing more than to beat Ohio State for a fifth straight season. 

There are other rivalry games on the schedule that weekend, as such the name “Rivalry Week” suggests. Still, it’s clear the Buckeyes-Wolverines matchup has even greater meeting this season, given both programs’ sudden upward trajectories. 

Whether the hype matches the intrigue of the game, records and potential playoff implications remains to be seen.