It’s an occasion so synonymous in American sports that fans simply refer to it as ‘The Game’. The regular season finale that sets the collective eyes of the college football world on the Big Ten Conference to witness a rivalry that is every bit as storied and bitter as any in pro sports. Players for these programs dream of getting the chance to make history by leading their program to victory over the other. And on a cold, snowy, late-November Saturday in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines welcomed the Buckeyes to the Big House for a chance to do something that Ryan Day and the reigning national champions haven’t been able to accomplish in 2,191 days – beat Michigan.
The stakes for Michigan, which entered the matchup ranked 15th in the nation, were clear. Having suffered road losses against Oklahoma and USC earlier in the season, the 9-2 Wolverines would need a win over the undefeated, #1 ranked Buckeyes if they were going to make their hopes of a berth in the College Football Playoff a reality. The lights shine brightest in the direction of freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, whose season has been equal parts dazzling and vexing heading into the biggest game of his career.
Things started favorably for head coach Sherrone Moore’s side. On the first play of the day, Jordan Marshall would break off a 36 yard run after getting a block inside from sophomore lineman Andrew Sprague. On the very next play, Underwood would connect with the running back for a 12 yard pass to put the Wolverines in scoring range. But the quick momentum was short-lived, and Michigan’s opening drive would stall just outside the Buckeyes’ 25, setting up for 45 yard FG from Dominic Zvada to put the Wolverines on the board first.
The opening drive for Michigan’s defense fared even better. With Julian Sayin looking to connect deep with Carnell Tate running a right-breaking route on the first play, Zeke Berry trailed his man perfectly, getting leverage inside to break up the pass. On the very next play, Sayin targeted his star wideout Jeremiah Smith in the flat, but failed to notice Wolverines DB Jyaire Hill trailing underneath, and the safety made him pay with an interception in Ohio State territory.
Michigan’s drive after the Sayin interception began at the OSU 39 yard line and made its way inside the 10 in quick order. With less than five minutes of game time off the clock, Michigan was already positioned to go up two scores in a matchup that has haunted Ryan Day for the last five years. Was this a fait accompli? An outcome destined to play out again and again, regardless of the players that either side puts on the field or the quality of each side’s game plan? The answer, of course, was no.
This matchup, just like all the others between these two perennial powers in modern history, was determined by the same variables that have always tipped the scales in one side’s favor. It’s been a test of which side is better equipped to win the battle in the trenches. For the last four years, that side has been Michigan. But, like all things that start to feel too sweet, it’s only a matter of time before the taste in your mouth turns sour. And today, that dominance for the Wolverines on both sides of the line was coming to an end.
Unable to convert on 3rd & Goal from the Buckeyes 6 yard line with an incomplete pass to Donaven McCulley in the corner of the endzone, Sherrone Moore would send Zvada back out to kick his second field goal of the day from 25 yards out, giving Michigan a 6-0 lead less than halfway through the opening quarter. And while Ohio State drew within breathing distance of the goal line on their next drive with six consecutive goal-to-go plays, the Wolverines defense showed its mettle early, denying CJ Donaldson and the Buckeyes rushing attack on each attempt, leading to a false start on 4th & 1 that forced Ryan Day to bring out the field goal unit.
But, unlike last year’s miraculous 13-10 win in Columbus as a 20-point dog, this is where the Cinderella story would start to derail.
Where last year’s OSU side lost sight of their personnel advantages against Michigan in the heat of this rivalry, Julian Sayin & Co. didn’t squander their opportunity to rewrite the script. The first key was an obvious one: getting the ball to #4, the Buckeyes most explosive playmaker. Facing a 4th & 5 from the Wolverines 35-yard line, Sayin, whose pass protection from the O-line arguably provided Ohio State’s most significant advantage of the day, found Jeremiah Smith creating separation with a nasty in-and-out seam route against Zeke Berry. The touchdown catch, which appeared to be slightly bobbled by Smith as he crossed the goal line, was ruled a touchdown on the field and would stand after review.
