ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan shocked the college football universe on Saturday by going into Columbus as a three-touchdown underdog and beating Ohio State for the fourth year in a row.
I have so many thoughts about this game and the aftermath, so let’s dive right in.
Why this was such a big upset
I obviously have not been alive for all 119 editions of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, but I can confidently say that this is the biggest upset I’ve witnessed in The Game.
And many with more experience are calling it the biggest upset in the rivalry’s history.
Michigan closed as a 19.5-point underdog going into Columbus. But it wasn’t just the point spread that made this such an unlikely outcome.
This Michigan team lost dozens of players and coaches to the NFL during the offseason, but there were five key returners who made up the foundation of this year’s roster.
Two of those players didn’t even suit up for this game. Michigan’s best defensive player, Will Johnson, and best offensive player, Colston Loveland, were out due to injury. And Donovan Edwards, who haunted Ohio State last time Michigan came to Columbus, went down early in the game.
So not only was Michigan by far the worse team -- it also had to play shorthanded.
Then you add that Ohio State had much more to play for. The Buckeyes could have locked up a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and ensured themselves at worst a home game in the College Football Playoff. Meanwhile, Michigan had already clinched a bowl game, and the difference between 7-5 and 6-6 is basically just aesthetic.
On top of that, Ohio State has had to listen to perhaps the most obnoxious fan base in the sport talk trash for three long years. Surely, that would be enough motivation for them to dominate this game while they had the chance?
Every single factor seemed to point in favor of Ohio State going into the game. But it still wasn’t enough.
Playing right into Michigan’s hands
There was only one way Michigan could pull of this upset. It needed Ohio State to play a very specific brand of football.
And that’s exactly what happened.
The Buckeyes are built on elite skill position players -- especially considering their injuries along the offensive line. Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate make up probably the best receiver trio in the nation.
The one time Ohio State abandoned the run and simply let Will Howard air it out, the Buckeyes went 75 yards in 1:45 for a touchdown. Every play but one was a pass on that drive.
But in key spots throughout the second half, Ohio State insisted on running the ball right at the one spot Michigan had the advantage.
This year’s Ohio State team was better than Michigan at almost every position -- but not defensive tackle. Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are the best interior defensive line duo in the sport, and Ohio State played right into Michigan’s hands by attacking them.
Again, this was Ohio State’s game plan even after their starting line got decimated by injuries.
If the Buckeyes had stuck to what they do best -- especially without Johnson on the field for Michigan -- they would have scored more than 10 points and won the game.
Why did Day let this happen?
There’s only one explanation for why Ryan Day came in with that fatal game plan: Jim Harbaugh’s words are still ringing in his ears.
When Harbaugh said that Ohio State wasn’t a tough team after that first win in 2021, Day took it personally. And Michigan has had a psychological edge in the rivalry ever since.
Day genuinely sounds broken when he talks about his losses to Michigan. Last week, he said those defeats were the worst moments in his life behind losing his father.
It’s almost as if he needs to beat Michigan at Michigan’s own game to prove to himself that Harbaugh’s words weren’t true. But in doing so, he himself has fulfilled the prophecy.
Ohio State will always have a more talented roster than Michigan, but as long as Michigan is allowed to dictate the style of play, that talent advantage is neutralized.
‘Fake tough’
Since the game went final, everybody is talking about how Ohio State is made up of “fake tough” guys. And I don’t have a hot take on this. I completely agree.
It starts with Day, who wants so badly to erase the lack of toughness from his reputation that he’s willing to risk losing this game year after year.
But it also extends to his team and beyond. During the Urban Meyer years, Ohio State was tough. Think about guys like Ezekiel Elliot and J.T. Barrett. But along the way, the Buckeyes and their fans got used to everything going their way.
And gradually, the culture started to shift. Day took over as the head coach already standing on third base, and while the talent has remained elite, the toughness has slipped without Meyer’s leadership.
Excuses
We’ve established that Ohio State’s culture lacks toughness. One of the pillars of that problem is a lack of accountability.
Day and his program just can’t help but make excuses every time Michigan kicks their you-know-what.
In 2021, it was the weather. And the flu.
In 2022, it was, “Oh, Michigan only made a couple big plays.”
In 2023, it was, “But they had a guy taking cellphone video from the stands!”
Yes, rival fan bases cope with Michigan’s success by pretending that Connor Stalions had a real, meaningful impact on games. But if anything, this year’s win should have legitimized the past four years even further.
Instead, Day went right back to making excuses.
In his postgame press conference, when asked about the offensive game plan and two missed field goals, Day pointed out that it was “windy.”
Did Dominic Zvada have any trouble with the wind when he nailed a key 54-yard field goal? Did Davis Warren have trouble with the wind during a 15-play drive in which he converted three third-and-long passes?
Then there was the penalty for 12 men on the field. Day whined that Michigan sprinted onto the field and the refs didn’t give Ohio State enough time to substitute in response.
But the tape doesn’t lie, Ryan. Michigan broke its huddle like any other play (out of an Ohio State timeout, no less!) and the Buckeyes were set in formation with 12 players on the field.
Sure, it starts with Day. But Ohio State’s problems go beyond him, too. Until the entire program can start taking accountability, this will keep happening.
Chip Kelly
One of the heroes of The Game for Michigan was Chip Kelly, who drew up the offensive game plan that played right into Michigan’s strength.
Honestly, when you think about it, we shouldn’t be surprised. Kelly fits perfectly into Day’s soft culture.
We’re talking about a guy who quit on UCLA because the going was about to get tough. He knew how much harder his job would be when the Bruins joined the Big Ten, so he pulled a Kevin Durant and took probably the easiest job in the country: Ohio State offensive coordinator.
Fans call players quitters when they transfer to somewhere they can start. Well how about a head coach who recruits players to come to his school and then bounces at the first sign of adversity?
It seemed odd that a head coach as accomplished as Kelly stepped down to take a coordinator job. But now it makes sense.
Dominic Zvada: Best Michigan kicker ever?
It sounds crazy, since Jake Moody left just two years ago, but Zvada is the best kicker in Michigan football history.
Sure, Moody accomplished more because he was in Ann Arbor for four full years. But nobody has been more effective than Zvada.
On Saturday, he made the two biggest kicks of his career, hammering home a 54-yarder to give Michigan a seven-point lead and then the eventual game winner with under a minute left in the fourth quarter.
Making those kicks in the Horseshoe is no easy task. But Zvada was as automatic as ever.
He’s now a perfect 7-for-7 on field goals over 50 yards. He’s only been in the Maize and Blue for one year, but Zvada has already left his stamp.
Money
Let’s talk for a moment about the perception of spending money for players in college football.
Now, we don’t have official numbers, but let’s just pretend that the reports are true: that Ohio State spent $20 million to improve its roster this offseason and Michigan spent $10+ million on Bryce Underwood.
Michigan took a lot of flack in those reports. It “reeked of desperation” or showed what Michigan had to do to get a QB from its own backyard. But how is it different than what Ohio State did this offseason?
Michigan has a terrible quarterback situation, so it did what it had to do to fix that. Meanwhile, Ohio State had a Michigan problem, so it did what it had to do to fix that.
Well, tried to fix it, anyway.
There’s a double standard when it comes to the perception of Michigan and Ohio State. Let’s get into that a little more now.
Flag planting
Everybody wants to talk about the flag planting, and I get it. Seeing two teams fight after the game is always going to be a talker.
So who was in the wrong: Michigan or Ohio State? How about neither?
Michigan earned its right to plant the Block M on that field. The Buckeyes had four quarters to put up a fight, and they fell short. If you don’t want the flag planted, win the game.
That being said, Ohio State had every right to defend the Block O. That’s what they should do. I have no problem with it.
But don’t act like Michigan was out of line. Texas and Oregon both planted flags at Michigan Stadium after wins this season, and you didn’t see the Wolverines causing a brawl.
Nobody defended Michigan when Dan Lanning -- who’s yet to win anything meaningful as a head coach -- called timeout just to let his players wave goodbye to fans leaving the Big House.
So that’s fine. Gamesmanship is part of the game. But then don’t be upset when Michigan does it, too.
Ohio State asks for it
Let’s not pretend that the Buckeyes don’t deserve whatever comes to them in this game. They got so comfortable over 20 years of winning that they started to think they could do whatever they wanted.
Did you see the videos of Ohio State players along the sideline leering at Michigan players as they entered the stadium? It was an intimidation tactic, which, again, is all part of the game.
This. Is. A. Rivalry. The best in all of sports.
These types of pre- and post-game scuffles are part of The Game. Woody Hayes went for two because he “couldn’t go for three,” and Ohio State fans adore that story. Fifty-some years ago, Buckeye players ripped down the Michigan banner pregame. Last decade, Marcus Hall flipped off fans at the Big House after being ejected.
And let’s not forget that high-and-mighty Ohio State just last week ran up the score on Indiana, punching in one last touchdown with 35 seconds left while up 31-15. So save us the indignation -- nobody’s buying it.
Michigan and Ohio State hate each other, and that comes with these types of encounters.
Don’t whine about lack of rivalries then whine about good ones
Here’s what I really don’t understand about the national outrage following the Michigan-Ohio State scuffle: Isn’t this what everybody wants?
How often do we hear people moan and complain that conference realignment and the transfer portal are killing rivalries? These matchups are what make college football so great, after all.
The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry has everything anyone could want. History, high stakes, and yes, two teams and fan bases that despise each other.
I don’t understand why people whine that there aren’t any good rivalries left in the sport and then turn around and complain when a rivalry delivers exactly what they wanted.
Ryan Day’s war metaphor
Hey, if you want to understand Michigan’s flag plant, look no further than Ryan Day’s own words before Saturday.
“This game is a war, and anytime there’s a war, there’s consequences and casualties,” Day said. “Then there’s the plunder and the rewards that come with it. That’s what it is.”
You’re right, Ryan. To the victors go the spoils. The problem is: When he made these comments, he thought his team would be the one enjoying the “plunder.”
When it didn’t turn out that way, it’s amazing how fast his tune changed.
‘We’re going to hang 100 on them’
“Michigan better hope for a mercy rule this year, because we’re going to hang 100 on them.”
Those words will go down in Michigan-Ohio State lore. Day’s comments during the 2021 offseason haven’t aged particularly well, as his team is 0-4 since, with a combined 84 points scored in 240 minutes of football.
Jack 0-4yer
Jack Sawyer was one of the Ohio State players who returned for his senior year so he could experience a win against Michigan.
In the famous words of Will Ferrell in The Other Guys, “Did that go the way you thought it was gonna go? Nope.”
All Sawyer could do was shout across the field at Graham postgame as his record against Michigan fell to 0-4. He did so much talking about what he was going to do with his gold pants, but, you know, “best-laid plans” and whatnot.
The lasting memory of Sawyer in the Michigan-Ohio State game won’t be his interception. I’ll always remember the former five-star recruit lying helmetless beneath former walk-on Max Bredeson as Michigan plowed into the end zone.
Walk-ons
Speaking of walk-ons, let’s tip our cap to Michigan’s band of misfits going out and winning this game against the finest roster money could buy.
Warren didn’t have a great game -- only 62 passing yards to go with two interceptions. But he made a handful of key plays and came out as the winning quarterback.
We already talked about Bredeson -- a team captain and one of the toughest guys in the country. But how about fellow former walk-on Peyton O’Leary?
In a game that featured the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 class in Smith and two other former five-stars in Egbuka and Tate, it was O’Leary who made the catch of the game.
With Michigan facing a third-and-eight from its own 43-yard line, Davis scrambled to the sideline and threw downfield to O’Leary, who made a diving grab for an 18-yard gain.
Who would have thought? It’s kind of symbolic of Michigan’s win.
🤡 Gus Johnson
It’s incredible that in a game that featured Ryan Day running the ball 20 times into the teeth of Michigan’s defensive line, Gus Johnson still managed to come away looking like the biggest fool.
When Michigan ran onto the field after the game, Johnson couldn’t help but try to take away from the moment.
“An unsportsmanlike gesture by the Wolverines,” Johnson bemoaned. “Unnecessary. They’ve won the game, no need to be disrespectful.”
Yeah, OK, Gus. I’m sure you would have called out the “world-famous Ohio State Buckeyes” if the roles were reversed.
If you’re going to be the voice of the Michigan-Ohio State game, you need a little historical awareness. Think about all the iconic rivalry spats we referenced earlier. This is all part of what makes it “The Game.”
I wonder if Johnson showed the same outrage when Texas planted its flag on the Block M? That was a FOX broadcast, too!
But he didn’t stop there. Johnson went out of his way to bring up the sign-stealing saga during Sherrone Moore’s postgame interview.
“Sherrone Moore says, ‘We didn’t cheat this time,‘” Johnson said.
He’s long been one of my favorite broadcasters, especially since he’s a local legend, but Johnson badly missed the mark on this one.
Michigan fans aren’t happy, and it’s hard to blame them.
