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| Photo Credit:Detroit News |
J.K. Dobbins rushed for 101 yards and was one of three Buckeyes (J.T. Barrett and Mike Weber) to score touchdowns on the ground.
Dwayne Haskins came off the bench to complete six of seven passes including the play that might have saved the day-a 27 yard bullet to Austin Mack on a key third and long.
Ohio State finished the regular season at 10-2 and their 8-1 record wins the Big 10 Eastern Division outright.
The Buckeyes are on their way to Indianapolis next Saturday night to face the unbeaten Wisconsin Badgers for what might be for Ohio State and definitely would be for Wisconsin for a trip to the college playoffs...
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1) The big issue in the postgame was the pregame injury to J.T. Barrett that drove him from the game in the third quarter.
It turns out the reason was that a cameraman had collided with Barrett on the field before the game and aggravated a meniscus injury.
Urban Meyer was beside himself about this and if this is true, I can understand why, but until I know more I'm not sure what actually happened.
2) Dwayne Haskins cemented himself as the quarterback for next season and if Joe Burrow, Tate Martell or anyone doesn't like that fact then they need to come to camp loaded for bear and ready to go.The throw that Haskins made to Austin Mack was the type of throw that big-time passers make by putting the football right where only Mack can catch between two defenders and the type of throw that J.T. Barrett isn't capable of making consistently downfield.
3) That's not as much of a knock on Barrett as it is how high I am on Haskins-Ohio State hasn't had a quarterback like this in a long time and no, Cardale Jones does not count.
There may similarities in size and arm, but Haskins is, even more mobile than Jones.
4) Michigan's quarterback play let them down.
I was discussing the game as it was played with my buddy Ian McArdle and as the game progressed into the second half, we both felt O'Korn would make a mistake that would make a difference.
O'korn did with the interception to Jordan Fuller that was simply an awful throw far away from his receiver Zach Gentry.
Gentry was open-O'Korn just missed him.
Ohio State's quarterback depth saved this day.Michigan's lack of it (two injuries this season) doomed it for them.
5) J.T.Barrett did start slowly with the Buckeyes going three and out on their first three possessions before erasing the lead on the next two Ohio State turns with the football.
A Barrett scoring run from 26 yards was followed by the only passing touchdown of the day as Barrett hit Marcus Baugh for a 25-yard score.
6) A play that might be forgotten about, but swung the game was Denzel Ward's blocked extra point in the third quarter off the edge after Michigan's score to break a tie and move ahead 20-14.
That play loomed larger in the mind of all as the game progressed, first on the J.K. Dobbins score that gave OSU a one point lead rather than a tie and made Michigan play for a touchdown rather than a field goal after Sean Nuernburger drilled a field goal from 44 yards and a 24-20 lead.
Ward's block did all of that.
7) Sam Hubbard finished with two and a half sacks on the day and was the most consistent pass rusher against the Wolverines.
Hubbard participated in Senior Tackle before traveling to Ann Arbor, which makes it pretty clear that Hubbard, who is eligible for the NFL Draft, but not a senior, will be declaring for the draft.
8) The one play that Michigan wishes hadn't gotten away was Josh Metellus dropping a Barrett pass right in his hands in the second quarter.
The score was 14-0 at the time and the Buckeyes would take advantage of the gift with the Barrett touchdown run for the first OSU score of the day.
9) We (among so many others) say it all the time and yet things never change-Ohio State wins when the running game sets up the run/pass from the quarterback.
Ohio State ran J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber a combined seven carries in the first half and twenty in the second.
J.T. Barrett ran eleven times in the first half with Barrett and Dwayne Haskins ran a combined seven in the second half and that's not counting passes by Barrett in the opening half.
10) Lots of complaining about the alternate Nike uniforms.
I'm torn.
I liked them better than the uniforms worn against Penn State, but still not a stitch or line of red on them.
Editor's Note: The aforementioned Mr.McArdle sent me a picture of the jersey-there is some red on it-A small O around the V-Neck.
Hard to see that on television-but it is there!
They would have been great if they were the Oakland Raiders.
I like the black helmets with red buckeyes far better than the matte finish w/o buckeyes worn in last year's win, but still couldn't we wear these things against teams other than Michigan?
For all that I dislike about the Wolverines, it is that school up North that is sticking to tradition.
11) On to Indianapolis (and I will be there or in Detroit next Saturday for the MAC title game) and the undefeated Wisconsin Badgers.
The Badgers in many ways are the toughest conference for over the last twenty years.
Wisconsin has been far more consistent than the Michigan schools or Penn State over that period of time and this team is typical of those squads.
Big, physical and run oriented-this team is going to be a test for the often inconsistent Buckeyes.
I'll either be in Indianapolis or be watching from some place in Ohio on the way from Detroit after watching Toledo vs Akron.
Ohio State is playing with house money at this point, I'll take it..
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