Well, all is well in my world for the first time since 2021 as the Ohio State Buckeyes put things in their proper place with a dominating
27-9 win over the Michigan Wolverines in their snowy home in Ann Arbor.
Julian Sayin threw three touchdown passes, including a fifty-yard strike to Carnell Tate, Bo Jackson rushed for 117 yards, and the Ohio State defense never allowed the Wolverines to reach the end zone, holding them to three field goals, all in the first half.
Ohio State caps an undefeated regular season at 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten) and will play the other unbeaten team in the conference and country in the Big Ten Championship game next Saturday, meeting Indiana in Indianapolis.
Olentangy Offerings
1) I must admit, I was a little concerned when Michigan scored three points on their first drive, and then picked off Julian Sayin shortly thereafter to give them the ball in Ohio State territory,
Ohio State's defense would hold Michigan to another field goal, and only another field goal would be allowed for the remainder of the game.
2) The play that worried me most was an early run by Jordan Marshall, the player who mouthed off most through the week with gems such as "we (Michigan) have the best coach in the country", "it's about the culture" (think about that over the last few years), and not wanting to "be around people who are all about themselves".
Marshall entered the game with an injured shoulder; his first run was for thirty-six yards, but he left the game shortly.
Marshall tried to return in the second half, but he was stopped for little gains and soon was through for the day, finishing with sixty-one yards on seven carries.
3) Ohio State benefited and was stung by two calls in the first half.
Ohio State benefited on a close call on a Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith touchdown pass that saw Smith possibly losing control as he passed the goal line.
Because the ball went through the back of the end zone as part of the dumbest rule in the sport (a fumble through the end zone is considered a touchback and gives possession to the defense), Ohio State would have seen a 10-6 lead turn into a 6-3 Michigan lead, returning the ball to the Wolverines.
4) The other controversy happened earlier in the first half.
Julian Sayin's QB sneak was initially called a touchdown and reversed by replay (I don't think Sayin scored, but I didn't see evidence on the replay through the pile of bodies), but C.J. Donaldson pretty clearly broke the plane of the goal line (The second dumbest rule in football), and it wasn't even replayed!
Ohio State settled for a field goal on the drive.
5) Much of the talk during the week was about the availability of Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith for the game, and in the case of Tate, if he would ever play for the Buckeyes again, with Tate's eligibility for the 2026 NFL Draft.
I thought both would, both did, and both scored on long passes, 50 yards for Tate and 35 for Smith.
I think the Buckeyes are OK here.
6) The Ohio State defense never seemed threatened after the first drive.
Ohio State stopped Michigan after Julian Sayin's interception and shut down their offense entirely in the second half.
7) Michigan's freshman quarterback, Bryce Underwood, is being paid a lot of money, and he is a true freshman, but it's fair to consider that Michigan has to have thought they deserve more for their dollars than sixty-three passing yards and an interception.
8) While the game was essentially ended by the Sayin to Tate strike in the third quarter, the true kill-shot was the field goal that ate the final five-plus minutes of the third quarter and the first six of the final period.
That drive slowly sapped Michigan's will and any chance of it forging a rally.
9) Ohio State's offensive line has been maligned through the years (not as much this season), but the numbers in this game- Zero sacks allowed, Zero pressures against Julian Sayin, and one hundred eighty-six yards rushing.
It is often about the trenches and physicality in this game, and in the recent losses, Michigan had the edge in that department- not on this day.
10) The defensive line did its share of bullying.
Kenyatta Jackson, Kayden McDonald, and Caden Curry are more than just pass rushers; they stuff the run as well.
Michigan finished with one hundred yards rushing as a team, but remember, thirty-six of those came on the first run by Jordan Marshall.
After that run, Michigan rushed for sixty-four yards on twenty-three rushes, an average of 2.78 per try.
11) The win (as we have heard so often) was the first over Michigan since 2019, but don't forget (although Michigan has) that in 2020, the Buckeyes reached the National Title game (before losing to Alabama), and a losing Michigan team ducked a certain defeat in that Covid season by meekly saying they didn't have enough players.
Combine that with the "Connor Stallion" losses, and you could say Michigan had a real two-game winning streak.
12) Give Ryan Day credit for class by telling his team not to plant the Ohio State flag at midfield.
Michigan stood at midfield to block any attempt and later said, "They weren't going to do that," but Day told Michigan coach Sherrone Moore at midfield that they wouldn't be planting any flags.
It defused a possible situation after last season's debacle in Columbus.
Perhaps if Michigan were so concerned about retribution, it shouldn't have started this practice.
Hopefully, we can get past this in the future from both schools.
