The monkey is off Jim Harbaugh's back. No. 5 Michigan beat No. 2 Ohio State, 42-27, ending the Wolverines' eight-game losing streak to the hated Buckeyes while giving Harbaugh his first win over Ohio State as coach at Michigan. The win also clinches the Big Ten East title for the Wolverines, which will make their first appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game since it was introduced in 2011.
Michigan, which only had a split of the Big Ten East back in 2018, is also seeking its first Big Ten title since 2004.
The Wolverines were the better team from start to finish. They went 75 yards on the game's opening drive to take a 7-0 lead and never looked back. The Buckeyes briefly took a lead during the second quarter, but UM erased it quickly.
The key to the game was Michigan's rushing attack, led by Hassan Haskins, who finished the day with 169 yards rushing and an astounding five touchdowns. Aidan Hutchinson carried the load for the Michigan defense, picking up three sacks to set a new single-season program record with 13 takedowns.
Both Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11 receptions, 127 yards) and Garrett Wilson (10 catches, 119 yards) had huge days for the Buckeyes offense, but it wasn't enough to get the win.
1. This was a dominant Michigan performance: It wasn't a case of Michigan catching a break or two that decided the game or Ohio State having a bad day. Michigan was the better team from the jump and never took its foot off the gas. Every time Ohio State seemed to get a grip of the game, Michigan answered.
Every time Ohio State needed a stop on defense, the Wolverines relied on their offensive line and running backs to keep the game alive. It was remarkable how often the Wolverines were able just to turn around and hand the ball to Haskins or Blake Corum to keep moving the chains, and they delivered seemingly every single time.
The Wolverines were also the more disciplined team on the day. There was an interception from McNamara in the first quarter that killed an early chance to go up two scores, but other than that, the only blemishes were two penalties for 20 yards. Compare that to Ohio State, which never turned the ball over but lost 66 yards on 10 penalties. There were five false starts on the Buckeyes that hurt the offense, and on one defensive possession, they rewarded the Wolverines with first downs thanks to an offsides call and pass interference.
To beat a team as talented and dangerous as Ohio State, you must play a nearly perfect game. On Saturday, Michigan did just that, and it's going to Indianapolis because of it.
2. Michigan stayed on schedule, Ohio State didn't: Doing the simple things helps you win football games, and Michigan was much better at them than Ohio State. The Wolverines converted 5 of 8 third-down attempts in the game to keep drives alive, and the biggest reason was their performance on first and second downs. The average distance Michigan needed to get on third down in this game was 3 yards. Ohio State needed an average of 7.3 yards on its third-down attempts, which helps explain why they were only 8 of 18 (still pretty impressive).
The Wolverines were far more effective on first down, picking up 278 yards on 33 first down plays for an average of 8.4 yards per play. Ohio State managed only 5.1 yards on first downs, and there aren't many defenses you want to face less in third-and-long situations than this Michigan defense, which is why the Wolverines were able to sack Buckeyes QB C.J. Stroud four times and get eight tackles for loss.
Ohio State's defense didn't have a single tackle for loss in the game. Michigan's offensive line better not have to buy a meal on campus for the rest of the year.
3. This could cost Stroud the Heisman Trophy: He became the favorite for the award last week after tearing Michigan State apart, but the lack of a Big Ten Championship Game appearance could hurt his candidacy, as does losing this game, even though the loss was not Stroud's fault. Stroud completed 34 of 49 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover, but it wasn't enough. There are too many contenders, and the race is too close.
4. Ohio State's defense was its downfall: Earlier this season, when OSU lost to Oregon, it outmuscled. The Ducks rushed for 269 yards and three touchdowns that day, averaging 7.08 yards per carry. On Saturday, Michigan rushed for 297 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 7.2 yards per carry.
I had convinced myself that Ohio State was the best-equipped team to challenge Georgia in a potential playoff matchup this year because it was the only team with an offense capable of stressing the UGA defense. I was wrong. Ohio State's offense wouldn't have mattered because Georgia would've been able to run all over these Buckeyes just like Oregon and Michigan.
5. Harbaugh deserves this one: Think back to this time last year. Harbaugh was a dead man walking, and even when he restructured his contract, he was seen as a lame-duck entering the 2021 season. Instead, he's just completed his best regular season as the coach at Michigan and beat Ohio State for the first time.
There aren't a lot of coaches who would be willing to accept a pay cut to stay at a job, instead preferring to move on and start fresh elsewhere. But Harbaugh's decision showed that it wasn't about his pride or his ego. He came back to Michigan because he loves the school and wanted to restore a football program that had fallen on hard times. He made the changes necessary for it to happen, and he's been rewarded for it.
I'm sure Nebraska fans are looking to Ann Arbor and hoping the same thing can happen for them and Scott Frost.