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3 takeaways from Michigan’s stifling win over Ohio State in The Game
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Michigan is still living large in The Game while Ohio State must hear the trash talk for another full year. The Buckeyes must also now sit and wait to find out if they will get a chance to keep playing for the national title.
On Saturday, Ohio State rolled into a home showdown vs. Michigan with a lot on the line. A win would have moved the Buckeyes into the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time since 2019, but the Wolverines had other plans.
Michigan scored 10 points in the first half, aided by a Will Howard interception back against his own goal line. Ohio State would eventually tie the game at 10-all entering halftime, but that was all the Buckeyes would score.
No, seriously. Ryan Day’s offense (engineered by Chip Kelly) managed a whopping zero points after halftime with Sherrone Moore’s unit getting a game-changing run from Kalel Mullings.
It led to an eventual game-winning field goal from the Wolverines inside a minute remaining for the 13-10 win. The victory sends Michigan into a historic 4-game winning streak vs. Ohio State while Day faces some serious heat and questions moving forward.
As we wait to see what the rest of Week 14 holds, here are the key takeaways from The Game:
Michigan stays true to identity in epic performance
Michigan has one style of football right now. But on Saturday, the Wolverines executed that style to perfection.
Michigan finished the game with fewer total yards than Ohio State (252 to 234) and managed just 62 yards from the passing game. However, it was the ground attack (172 rushing yards) that gave the Wolverines the edge with Kalel Mullings leading the way with 116 yards.
Mullings was not especially effective in this one with 3.6 yards per carry, but it was the persistence that worked for Michigan. His 27-yard gain on 3rd-and-6 put the Wolverines into field goal range late and allowed the team to bleed the clock.
And how about the defense? Michigan registered just 4 total TFLs and did not register a sack, but the big play was non-existent for the Buckeyes.
Quinshon Judkins had the longest carry of the game for the Buckeyes with 17 yards, though the team would finish with just 77 yards rushing. Overall, Ohio State averaged 3 YPC as the Wolverines clamped down time and time again.
Ohio State’s playcalling was entirely questionable, but Michigan capitalized. The interior of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant combined for 11 tackles, including 5 solo stops from Graham.
The Wolverines did not give an inch inside, and the Buckeyes fell flat as a result.
Buckeye offense underwhelms across the board
There is no way to write about Saturday’s game and leave Ohio State’s offense — or Chip Kelly — coming out of the game looking positive. The unit underwhelmed all game long with some iffy performances and playcalling throughout.
Carnell Tate, usually a dynamic receiver, looked out of sorts. He ran a soft route on Will Howard’s early interception and later dropped a pass that should have been caught for a first down in the fourth quarter.
The running backs could not carve out much space against Michigan. However, that one is pinned more so on a beaten-up offensive line and a lack of overall creativity for Kelly’s game plan against Michigan’s defensive front.
Ohio State had 5 drives of 10 yards or less, including a disastrous sequence after a golden opportunity from the Buckeye defense. It was an interception by Caleb Downs that gave Ohio State the ball on Michigan’s 16-yard line, but the offense had nothing going.
So, whoever Buckeye fans want to be angry at, they can be. It was a horrific performance across the board in the biggest game of the season.
Ryan Day in jeopardy?
It’s time to have the conversation. Valid or not, it’s hard to comprehend how Ohio State can put on a straight face and keep rolling out with Day leading the program, even with the results in other areas.
The Buckeyes are consistently among the most-talented teams in the country under Day. And they win just about every game in the regular season not involving Michigan.
So, what gives?
Describing Day’s roster as the best in the country only magnifies the failure of 4 straight losses in The Game. And once again that discussion leaves us grasping at straws and looking at the totality of the Buckeyes on paper.
News flash, Ryan Day: The Game is played on the field. And he and his staff were woefully underprepared as a major favorite in Week 14.
The new Playoff might just be Day’s saving grace this season. Ohio State is likely to sneak into the final field of 12 thanks to a pair of top-10 wins this season, but the pressure will be on.
If Day cannot produce, with his best roster yet and a year of widespread parity in the sport, when will he?
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.