There is no bigger game on the Michigan Wolverines’ schedule than the one that sits at the end of the year. Rivalry Week brings around the team that everyone goes to Michigan hoping to beat.

The 6th-ranked Wolverines (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) host the 4th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) at noon ET on FOX next Saturday. ESPN’s College GameDay will be in town. The College Football Playoff selection committee’s eyes will be squarely fixed on Ann Arbor.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said it’ll be the start of the playoffs. The winner will have an inside track to the top 4. After getting his contract restructured last offseason on the heels of a 2-4 campaign, Harbaugh could land in some hot water if he comes up short again. There’s plenty on the line.

Michigan hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 2011. Last year’s game was canceled due to COVID, but the 2 previous games featured lopsided scores. The Buckeyes beat the Wolverines 62-39 in Columbus in 2018 and then went to Ann Arbor for a 56-27 win in 2019. Harbaugh is 0-5 in The Game.

And the head coach met with members of the media on Monday to address exactly that. No shying away from the enormity of the moment, Harbaugh embraced how much this one game means to him and his team.

Here’s what he said.