Ohio State head coach Ryan Day walks off the field after the loss to Michigan Saturday. The Buckeyes fell to the Wolverines 13-10. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
The Wolverines have completed one of the biggest upsets in the history of Ohio State and Michigan’s rivalry.
In a game where the Buckeyes closed as a 20-point favorite across most major sportsbooks, an unranked Michigan (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) defeated No. 2 Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) 13-10 on a Dominic Zvada field goal with just 45 seconds remaining.
Here are 10 difficulties that led to Ohio State’s loss to Michigan.
Early Buckeyes banter builds animosity
Defensive end Jack Sawyer, cornerback Jermaine Matthews Jr. and defensive end Eddrick Houston were among those chirping at Michigan players while heading into the locker room before “The Game.”
Will Howard goes down
Five minutes into the second quarter, Wolverines defensive back Makari Paige delivered a devastating hit to Howard while he was diving for the first-down marker, leaving the Buckeye quarterback on the ground for over a minute.
Howard’s game-changing mistakes
Early in the second quarter, Michigan defensive back Aamir Hall picked off Howard and took the ball back to the Ohio State 2-yard line, leading to a Wolverines score.
When the Buckeyes later threatened to score deep into the third quarter, Howard gave up another interception, this time to Paige in the red zone.
Missed kicks
The Buckeyes were unable to capitalize and score touchdowns on multiple trips inside the red zone.
That left kicker Jayden Fielding to attempt two field goals, missing the first wide right from 38 yards and the second wide left from 34 yards.
Offensive line struggles
Ohio State’s injury-riddled offensive line broke down in big ways Saturday. The Buckeye run game averaged a mere 3 yards per carry, with just three runs of over 10 yards, while Howard consistently faced pressure from a strong Wolverines’ front seven.
The Wolverines executed their game plan: stuff the run and run the ball
Michigan held the Buckeyes’ rushing offense to just 77 total yards, persistently thwarting Ohio State running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson.
Wolverines running back Kalel Mullings rushed for 116 yards and a score, while Michigan’s offense hit 172 total rushing yards as a team.
Passive play calling
With a shaken-up Howard, the Buckeyes didn’t have the confidence to throw the ball downfield.
Ohio State completed just one pass of 15-plus yards in the second half and took no deep shots of 20 or more yards in the same span.
Fourth quarter failures
In a 10-10 rivalry game, Ohio State mustered just 10 yards of total offense. Michigan had 101, which led to the Wolverines’ game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter’s final minute. Ohio State was held scoreless in the second half.
Too many men
In a key moment with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Wolverines were positioned on the Buckeyes’ 9-yard line on a third-and-2.
Before the play, there was confusion on the Ohio State sideline, and the Buckeyes were penalized for an illegal substitution. This gave Michigan a first down inside the 5.
The fallout
Following the game, chaos erupted.
There was pushing and shoving, harsh words, an attempt to plant a Michigan flag at midfield and police deploying pepper spray against players. The rivalry’s deep-seated hatred truly shined in the game’s immediate aftermath.
Multiple players from both teams were involved in a scuffle, including Sawyer. The senior defensive end ripped the Michigan flag from the Wolverine attempting to plant it on the Block O.
Law enforcement responded, with players, staff, and others being pepper sprayed on the field.
This heated ending certainly reflected the frustration felt by Ohio State’s program and its fans.
