Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann offers prediction — of sorts — for Michigan football game

As high noon approaches this Saturday, Chris Holtmann will be busy preparing for the final day of the Emerald Coast Classic. Depending on how Ohio State fares against No. 17 Alabama on Friday night in Niceville, Florida, the Buckeyes will have a Saturday evening date with either Oregon or Santa Clara inside Raider Arena.

In between, though, Ohio State and Michigan will battle in the latest installment of their football rivalry. And before Holtmann’s team headed south for the two-day tournament, the coach was asked if he had a prediction for the football game.

“It’s gonna be an unbelievable contest,” Holtmann said Tuesday afternoon. “I’m not in the prediction game but I think we’re going to play really well. I think we are playing really well right now. I think we’re peaking at the right time. I know Ryan (Day) is going to have those guys ready. I can’t wait.”

Holtmann and Day have struck up a friendship during the last several years, with the football coach guesting on the first episode of the basketball coach’s podcast, “More Than Coach Speak.” Both have publicly support each other’s programs, and Holtmann once came out for a postgame press conference in a No. 45 football jersey on the eve of the Michigan game.

Ohio State and Alabama will play at 7 p.m. in a game televised by CBS Sports Network. Oregon and Santa Clara will face off at 9:30 p.m., with the losers and winners set to play each other the following evening.

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

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