"Hello darkness, my old friend. I've come to talk with you again..."
I don't know how to take this. All I saw was one team that wanted it more than their opponent, and they executed enough to show that, especially in crunch time.
And unfortunately for Buckeye fans, that team wore Maize and Blue today. Michigan defeats Ohio State for the third straight year, and they cap off a perfect 12-0 regular season, while also notching win #61 in The Game. Ohio State hasn't beaten the Wolverines since 2019.
Michigan has officially brought the rivalry back full circle. The Wolverines have figured the Buckeyes out. How'd they do it in the 119th edition of The Game? Let's take a look.
Capitalizing on mistakes
This game was bookended by Kyle McCord's two interceptions. One early on that allowed Michigan to stake themselves to a 7-0 lead, and one late as McCord was trying to lead the Buckeyes to a game-winning touchdown.
But either way, Ohio State didn't force Michigan into any turnovers. With the way this game went, Michigan had their way with the Buckeyes for most of the afternoon. Especially when it came to physicality. But we'll get into that later.
But there comes a time in a game like this, that if you're simply not playing well enough straight up, that you have to force the opposing team to make a mistake to even things out. A fumble, an interception, a pick six, SOMETHING. And Ohio State couldn't do it.
The first big Buckeye mistake gave Michigan the lead. The second one? It gave them the game. The Wolverines took care of the football and came out of this one completely clean. The Buckeyes were -2 in turnover margin today.
Early down efficiency
We all knew Michigan probably had the better running game between the two teams coming into this one. But seeing how they handled the Buckeyes in the second half really opened my eyes.
It wasn't even that Michigan did all that well on third down or fourth down. They didn't. They were a combined 6-15 in those situations.
It was what the Wolverines did on first and second down that gave Ohio State no chance to complete the comeback. Their offense in early down situations absolutely killed the Buckeyes. Especially in the second half.
I know they don't measure "first down/second down efficiency" like they do in the money downs. But this was where the Wolverines controlled the Buckeyes and eventually won the game.
Ohio State has a good defense. But it's hard to be able to pin your ears back and bring major pressure when the Wolverine ground attack consistently gained 4-5 yards on first and second down. It's just tough to defend.
This is why it drives me crazy when I see a defense give up that much yardage early. The Wolverines were never really forced to operate in long yardage situations most of the day.
And when a team as good as Michigan only has to convert on second and 5 or less, or third and four or less a lot of the time, with the kind of athletes they have? The outcome is almost inevitable. It's incredibly hard to stop a team that's in extremely manageable offensive situations like that.
Michigan was the aggressor for most of the day
Perhaps Ohio State couldn't afford to be as aggressive as we normally expect them to be, since the game hinged on just a few big plays. But is it just me, or did Michigan just have the swagger, desire and extra "oomph" we've become used to seeing from the Buckeyes over the years?
I saw it and felt it. Ohio State did fight to get back into the game late. I'm not taking that away from them. They deserve credit there. But it just seemed like Michigan had that "extra gear." When they needed to make a big hit, run with a bad attitude, or get home to finish big plays, they seemed to be able to do that.
I saw glimpses of this aggressiveness from the Buckeyes with the touchdown drive that tied the game at 17 in the third quarter. But that was about it. After the Wolverines answered right back, it seemed like the wind went out of everyone's sails. Michigan imposed their will on Ohio State. Plain and simple.
Urban Meyer was absolutely right two days ago on Thanksgiving. He said in an interview that the team that was more physical was going to win The Game. And that's exactly what happened today.
Perhaps Lou Holtz was right after all. Was Ohio State soft? I'll let you guys decide that one for yourselves. All I know is what I saw. And what I saw was this: The Buckeyes weren't as physical as the Wolverines, and they lost.
Where do the Buckeyes go from here?
Aside from Ohio State not going to Indy, I really don't know the answer to this one. I do not think Ryan Day should be fired. I am bitterly disappointed today like every other Buckeye out there, but I don't know who Ohio State would get that would be better than him. Mike Vrabel? Brian Hartline? Urban Meyer coming back? I really don't know.
I do like Ryan Day as a person, and he has done fantastic here as a coach overall with a 56-7 record. But it's the seven losses that bug every Ohio State fan. Georgia. Alabama. Oregon. Clemson. And now three straight to Michigan.
John Cooper is a College Football Hall of Famer. And he deserves to be recognized as such for his overall record and abilities as a recruiter. But he was 2-10-1 against Michigan in 13 seasons, and 5-9 in postseason bowl games.
At this point in his career, Day has done better than Cooper. But those concerning stats are still there that seem to mirror his 90s predecessor. He's 1-3 against Michigan, 2-3 in bowl games, including 1-3 in the College Football Playoff.
Coach Day's lone signature win was against Clemson in 2020 in the College Football Playoff. In that game, he led a fired up bunch of Buckeyes, and made Dabo Swinney truly regret ranking them 11th in his final poll.
I loved seeing that kind of fire and emotion from Ohio State, but it just doesn't seem to make an appearance as often as it should these days. And I don't know how Coach Day fixes it. I don't have an answer.
In the meantime, I just need to continue decompressing. I hope the rest of Buckeye Nation is too. This one hurt more than most, but sometimes when you get beat, you just have to tip your hat to your opponent, and get ready to move forward to the next one. Whatever that may be.
Congratulations Wolverines fans. You've earned this one.
Statistical Leaders
Kyle McCord: 18-30, 271 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
TreVeyon Henderson: 19 carries, 60 yards, TD
Marvin Harrison Jr.: 5 catches, 118 yards, TD
Source: ESPN
Picture Credit: fox45now.com
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