All Ohio State Buckeyes football fans will be rooting for a win over Michigan on Saturday, but some may have a little something extra riding on the final score.
During the past week, the five Appliance Factory & Mattress Kingdom store locations in Ohio offered customers the opportunity to purchase items with the caveat that the store would reimburse them for their purchases if Ohio State is able to shut out Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Appliance Factory & Mattress Kingdom spokesman John Higgins told The Action Network that the store took out a $500,000 insurance policy to cover the promotion, but, by the time the promotion ended on Black Friday, purchases had exceeded the $500,000 amount. The store says it will cover the rest of the amount itself.
Attention Ohio and #BuckeyeNation
GOING ON THIS WHOLE WEEK
AT OUR 5 OHIO STORES
When @OhioStateFB shuts out ?ichigan on Saturday, qualifying appliance and ?attress purchases ?ade today-Friday are FREE!
Remodel your kitchen on Harbaugh!! pic.twitter.com/43OPhRM9jI
— Appliance Factory ?attress Kingdo? (@AFO_appliance) November 25, 2019
Ohio State is allowing 10.5 points per game heading into the regular-season finale against Michigan. However, the Buckeyes have secured a shutout against just one opponent. The scoreless effort by the Ohio State defense came in a 42-0 victory over Cincinnati on Sept. 7.
Since the shut out against the Bearcats, the Buckeyes have had four games where they held the opponent to single digits on the scoreboard: Miami (Ohio) (5), Nebraska (7), Northwestern (3) and Wisconsin (7).
Michigan enters Saturday’s home matchup averaging 33.5 points per game. The lowest offensive output by the Wolverines this season came in a 10-3 win over Iowa on Oct. 5.
The last time Ohio State held Michigan scoreless in a game was 1962, and the Wolverines have not failed to score against their arch rival at home since the 1955 season. There have been 56 games played in the rivalry since the last goose egg by Michigan, while Ohio State has not been held to zero points in the matchup since 1993.
The odds may not be in their favor, but hundreds of fans across Ohio will be hoping the Buckeyes hold Michigan to a zero in the score column.
