This is unfamiliar territory. Haven't experienced this since I was a kid. Michigan beats Ohio State for the second year in a row. And they also win in Columbus for the first time since 2000. The last time Ohio State lost in Columbus, I was nine years old, and I remember the postgame following a similarly embarrassing 38-26 loss to the Wolverines. Ohio State didn't even let John Cooper get to that Sunday. Hours after that game, he was shown his walking papers. I don't think Ryan Day is in danger of that quite yet. But I'd say the monkey is officially on his back. Not only do you not lose that game, but you also don't lose it in the fashion he's lost it twice in a row, and not expect to get grilled.
He'll be fine...for now. But if he loses next year in Ann Arbor to make it a three-game slide? There would probably be rumblings to replace him. John Cooper had 13 seasons in Columbus and only won two games against the Wolverines in 1994 and 1998. Ryan Day won't have that long of a leash.
Where exactly did things go so horribly wrong for the Buckeyes today? Let's take a look at the Keys to Victory.
Shut down the Wolverine ground game
No Blake Corum for Michigan? No problem. The Buckeyes did contain Michigan in the first half on the ground. I think the Wolverines ran for a grand total of 10 yards...before busting the game wide open in the second half, on the way to 252 yards rushing and three touchdowns. I am still left scratching my head over this one. I have rarely seen Ohio State get pushed around like they did today. Congratulations to whoever calls the plays for the Wolverines. They manhandled the Buckeyes up front today.
Use the ground game to keep Michigan honest
The Buckeyes actually did a pretty solid job here. They ran for 143 yards on 29 carries. That's normally a decent day on the ground. But with how bad the defense was today, that negated a fairly good running game for Ohio State. When you're down late by as much as Ohio State was, you're naturally forced out of running the football, and into chucking it up, and hoping you come up with big pass plays through the air.
Keep CJ Stroud upright and clean
The offensive line did a good job of keeping Stroud clean, as he was only sacked once. But they failed miserably in another way: they didn't control the line of scrimmage for the ground game. Ohio State never really got physical with the Wolverines either. Michigan was clearly the agressor most of the day both in the trenches and elsewhere. And in order to win this game, physicality is the number one thing that an offensive line needs. The team that imposes their will, and plays clean, disciplined, fundamentally sound football usually wins. Ohio State lost badly in that area of the game today.
Don't let the moment get too big
I don't think the Buckeyes let the moment get too big, but they certainly didn't seize it the way the Wolverines did. Not even close. Up until today, Michigan hadn't won in Columbus since 2000. They hadn't had a two-game winning streak against the Buckeyes since 1999-2000. And they really hadn't had much to be confident in, when it came to consistently beating Ohio State. Now they have all of those things. Jim Harbaugh is slowly morphing from John Cooper in khakis and retro glasses, to Bo Schembechler 2.0. That's not good.
But I'm just gonna say it: Michigan played hungry, physical and nasty. They wanted it more than Ohio State, and it showed in how they played. They were the better team today, and have been for the last two years.
I still love the Buckeyes and will be a diehard fan until my last day. But I truly question the "want to" and heart this team has after today. I don't know where it went, but I truly hope they look at themselves in the mirror, and get angry every single day until they get another crack at Michigan. Unfortunately, that won't happen until November 25th, 2023 in the Big House. For now though, the Wolverines have taken the Buckeyes out back to the woodshed two years in a row. And until Coach Day and his stuff figure out how to adjust to Michigan, the Wolverines will keep doing it. They've figured something out. I'd say the rivalry is officially back, and Ohio State's dominance over That Team Up North is officially over.
Statistical Leaders
CJ Stroud: 31-48, 349 yds., 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Chip Trayanum, 14 car., 83 yds.
Emeka Egbuka, 9 rec., 125 yds.
Source: ESPN
Picture Credit: wpadmin.nitrobetting.eu
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