The more things change, the more they stay the same. Here we are, inching past the halfway point now in the 2018 college football season, and Ohio State and Michigan are clearly the two best teams in the Big Ten.

The Big Two. And then there’s everybody else.

Just like old times.

Ohio State is 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten. They are now up to No. 2 in the rankings in both the AP and Coaches polls, a season-high ranking helped by Georgia’s loss on Saturday. They are clearly the best team in the league right now.

Michigan is 6-1 and also 4-0 in the Big Ten, bouncing back nicely from the season-opening defeat to win six games in a row. The Wolverines got their signature win Saturday night, crushing Wisconsin 38-13 and rocketing up the polls from No. 12 to No. 6 in the AP, and No. 7 in the Coaches. It was a big win, and combined with a ton of upsets, the ranking seems much deserved.

And so it seems, just like old times, that the Big Ten title goes through these two, and it’s all going to be about the head-to-head battle on Nov. 24 in Columbus.

Ohio State’s trending as a playoff contender, and if the Buckeyes win out, they will surely earn a spot. Michigan, suddenly, is back in the playoff picture, too. Winning out, with regular season wins still to come against Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State, and winning a Big Ten title, would surely be enough for the resume.

Now, finally, the Wolverines are a playoff threat as well.

“They are because they have so many opportunities ahead,” said ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum, who’s been openly hostile toward Michigan and coach Jim Harbaugh through the years. “The Notre Dame game is long gone. They have Michigan State. They have an elite program that James Franklin has developed at Penn State … Then there’s Ohio State. I don’t think they’ll get there because I still like Ohio State, but give Jim Harbaugh credit. A lot of people were trying to write him off a couple of weeks ago.”

Michigan is trending in a positive direction, as well. They’re No. 1 in the country in total defense and the offense is humming along right now behind new quarterback Shea Patterson. Can they win the Big Ten? Of course, they can.

Ohio State has a great quarterback of its own in Dwayne Haskins, who’s posted some dizzying numbers so far and it going to be a factor in the Heisman Trophy race, especially if Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa misses any games with a knee injury. Haskins has already thrown for 2,331 yards and a whopping 28 touchdowns.  Can they win the Big Ten? Of course they can, too.

But it’s no given, despite the unbeaten record. They have shown some flaws, and they have a lot of injuries that might come back to haunt them in a late November showdown.

Stud defensive end Nick Bosa went down in the third game of the season against TCU, and he’s been missed. There’s plenty of depth on the defensive line for Ohio State, but they haven’t been the same without Bosa.  Buckeyes defensive tackles Dre’Mont Jones and Robert Landers have been been banged up and neither are 100 percent. Defensive end Jonathon Cooper missed the game with a concussion and even middle linebacker Tuf Borland, the key piece to the middle of that Ohio State defense, isn’t 100 percent.  Weakside linebacker Malik Harrison missed the Minnesota game and cornerback Damon Arnette went down early in the game. That stuff is starting to add up.

There are plenty of hurdles for both teams between now and Nov. 24, but let’s be honest.

Nov. 24 can’t get here soon enough.