Ohio State 56, Michigan 27
Michigan had the pieces in place. The offensive gameplan produced passing yardage in chunks, led by a healthy senior quarterback throwing the ball as well as he had all season. They scored on the first drive. When Ohio State hit the defense with consecutive scores, the offense hit back. The deep corps of receivers were up to the task of beating a Buckeye secondary missing their slot cornerback.
But the Wolverines could not overcome their mistakes, and there were many. Quinn Nordin missed the initial extra point because the team's swinging gate frippery caused them to get set late in the play clock. Carlo Kemp and Aiden Hutchinson meticulously untied and removed OSU running back J.K. Dobbins's shoe in full view of an official who had no choice but to call a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct. A crossing route from Justin Fields to Garrett Wilson went for 41 yards because senior Khaleke Hudson got picked in man coverage. Three plays later, Dobbins juked inside Hudson for a six-yard touchdown and 21-13 lead.
the beginning of the end [Patrick Barron]
Shea Patterson led the offense back down the field, only to drop a good snap, and OSU's Robert Landers dove on the ball to kill a precious scoring opportunity. When it appeared Michigan had stopped the following Buckeye drive to stay within a possession, Hudson jumped offsides on a fourth-and-four punt. Wilson beat Vincent Gray on the very next play for a 47-yard gain and Dobbins ran in his third touchdown of the half from five yards out.
Again, the Wolverines shot themselves in the foot. Patterson quickly got the offense into a goal-to-go situation and appeared to have his second touchdown pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones, but an official correctly ruled the ball came loose as Peoples-Jones went to the ground. Down 15 points, Jim Harbaugh decided to send out Quinn Nordin for a 23-yard field goal. Ohio State would get the ball back to start the second half with a 28-16 lead.
Yet again, mental errors doomed the underdogs. Hudson lost contain on a 41-yard Dobbins run, then Cam McGrone hit Fields late out of bounds, which combined with a Lavert Hill holding call to give OSU a first-and-goal. On third down, Fields hit KJ Hill on a quick hook, and the decision to kick the field goal before the half became, fairly or unfairly, more difficult to defend.
The next few drives functionally ended the game. Ronnie Bell dropped a Patterson dart between two defenders on third-and-16 near midfield, giving Harbaugh little choice but to give it up, and Will Hart's punt barely made it into the end zone. After a serious knee injury scare, Fields reentered the following series with a knee brace and found Wilson alone in the back of the end zone; for the second time, senior safety Josh Metellus had let a receiver behind his zone for a touchdown.
suboptimal [Fuller]
Michigan got a little life when Wilson muffed a punt after a three-and-out, only for the offense to go three-and-out again, then see Harbaugh choose a 45-yard Nordin field goal to cut the OSU lead to 23 points. I began writing this post shortly thereafter.
The fourth quarter was academic. The Wolverines managed to get within 15 on a short Hassan Haskins touchdown run, but after the defense gave them a potentially critical stop, the offense fell short when Haskins was stuffed on a fourth-and-one wildcat keeper—on which he missed a huge hole. Four plays later, Fields connected with Austin Mack for a 15-yard touchdown. Dobbins added a fourth touchdown on a 33-yard stroll to break the 200-yard barrier. You probably stopped watching well before this.
The only drama left was whether the Buckeyes would exceed last year's 62-39 beatdown. By margin, they accomplished that. A great Ohio State team left little room for error. Michigan made many errors. The Buckeye win streak is at an OSU-record eight games, passing the seven-game run from 2004-2010. Now it's time for a familiar, exhausting song and dance.
[Hit THE JUMP for the box score.]
November 30th, 2019 at 6:18 PM ^
He also had the good fortune to go up against the worst OSU team in recent memory.
November 30th, 2019 at 6:11 PM ^
He won't be let go. Never. As John Bacon observed this program was so moribund, if JH couldn't turn it around, who could? We can't compete against the decreasing available talent and with the SEC, ohio and a couple of high profile teams snagging the best players and coaches, we're relegated to second tier. We've now entered the era of the blind squirrel and every so often we might find and beat the nut.
November 30th, 2019 at 7:21 PM ^
+1 for the use of "moribund". That's not being used on 11W.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:01 PM ^
Just came home
Sped watched it. Offensive plan was good. TBH I kinda expected this sort of game. Truth is OSU has so much depth with talent. Just depth is no good. They got talent and depth. So players with names we don't know make plays.
Also we catch OSU with mismatch. Fields and Dobbins in backfield...HARD to stop.
No coach but not sure how to "fix" this. I'd say that if UM can convince WRs to stay and somehow Mcaffery is a good qb qe may have a chance. Still need great DTs though so...eh.
Need to keep recruiting top classes .
November 30th, 2019 at 5:02 PM ^
If you want to make an analogy to wealth, Michigan is old money that's doing just fine. OSU is fucking people in their ass with their giant cock of silver. Bama's is platinum and Clemson's is gold. The rest of us are just anuses of various sizes.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:14 PM ^
This is the material we need right now. Thanks for the laugh. The last line is perfect, literal lol (and I hate typing that shit).
November 30th, 2019 at 5:07 PM ^
OSU is more talented but that wasn't the major difference today. Michigan's bonehead mistakes turned what should have been a two score lead into a two score deficit at the half. And the final margin was padded by garbage time scores after Michigan gave up the ball multiple times on downs.
Michigan just seems to have some type of mental block against OSU.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:17 PM ^
Two things. Don Brown needs to go and we need a dback coach that can recruit like gang busters
November 30th, 2019 at 5:23 PM ^
let me synopsize...same ole same ole
November 30th, 2019 at 5:30 PM ^
They have always taken this series more seriously than we do. They get trophies for beating Michigan (the gold pants). We talk about how we're classier than they are. They cross off Ms, we chuckle at when they miss one. They care much more about this and the last two decades have proven that.
BPONE, sure, but until we take this rivalry, if we can call it that, as seriously as they do, both in their commitment to coaching and doing what's needed to be done to recruit, theres really not a point to Michigan football outside of it funding other sports.
November 30th, 2019 at 11:29 PM ^
To your point, in the Woody Hayes athletic center there is a board. On that board is the name of every player for Michigan recruiting along with a short synopsis of that player.
one coach watches M all year. On Wednesday’s he briefs the HC on what you did offensively and defensively.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:31 PM ^
They have always taken this series more seriously than we do. They get trophies for beating Michigan (the gold pants). We talk about how we're classier than they are. They cross off Ms, we chuckle at when they miss one. They care much more about this and the last two decades have proven that.
BPONE, sure, but until we take this rivalry, if we can call it that, as seriously as they do, both in their commitment to coaching and doing what's needed to be done to recruit, theres really not a point to Michigan football outside of it funding other sports.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:44 PM ^
Not sure if trolling or retarded.
November 30th, 2019 at 8:01 PM ^
We aren’t nearly obsessed with them the way they are with us. It’s partly because we have three rivals and they have only us, but everything they do involves us. there’s always more red in our stadium than blue at the Shoe. “The school up north,” The gold pants,the stomping out Ms, etc, what do we do that is like that?
November 30th, 2019 at 10:38 PM ^
I think it's funny you think they are obsessed with us in a year where they didn't need to beat us to make the playoffs.
December 1st, 2019 at 1:17 AM ^
You’re being intentionally obtuse if you don’t think they are.
December 1st, 2019 at 9:08 AM ^
If they take it more seriously than UM, that’s their priority. Good for them.
Do you want it to be UMs? Of MSU? Or ND?
People on here sound like toddlers wanting it all.
Gosh... enjoy a solid season with wins over MSU and ND.
OSU is in a different league and will be for a while. Get a grip.
December 1st, 2019 at 10:53 AM ^
OSU is in a different league, that sums it up.
In a day, or a few days, or a week, most U-M fans will have moved on. OSU fans reflect the culture of their institution, which is a singleminded obsession with Michigan.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:34 PM ^
The website encountered an unexpected error. Please try again later.
This site is about as reliable as Shea Patterson.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:52 PM ^
Come on y'all. I know everyone is in a bad mood and the site being slow is frustrating. This is the most well-written college sports blog out there - nothing compares - and it costs us nothing. We see the ads and click the Amazon link. I haven't seen this happen in a couple of years.
Otherwise, I find myself wondering if Michigan has had too many recruiting misses at DT. The most talented guys are freshman but it's tough to blame scheme when your best tackle ends up four yards downfield any time he is doubled. Ohio State is more talented to be sure but they were also a bad matchup. They are Wisconsin when they want to be. They are a spread team when they want to be.
Michigan never had a shot at stopping JK Dobbins with only Carlo Kemp. He's a fine rotation piece but this is a team that a few years ago had Ryan Glasgow, Mo Hurst, Matt Godin, and sometimes Chris Wormley patrolling the middle. Those tackles on this team makes this game a lot different. I suppose that comes down to recruiting, or more appropriately, recruiting misses. Perhaps Hinton and Smith are the next good ones?
November 30th, 2019 at 5:38 PM ^
0-5 and the margin is getting worse. Time for a new direction.
I love Coach Harbaugh as a symbol of the program, but he doesn’t have it in him to make the next leap and to beat OSU.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:45 PM ^
You can change coaches, and schemes, increase level of effort, level of wanting it badly enough, and level of preparation all you want. We’ll never be able to close the talent gap (4 and 5 stars stacked like rows of sharks teeth) until OSU stops caring, or there is some major interruption event causes a paradigm shift against the entrenched .1% teams.
At this point, redo the divisions and do not make the game a protected crossover - because it has become a pointless spoiled end to otherwise good outcomes. It is hard to enjoy Michigan Football anymore.
December 1st, 2019 at 9:12 AM ^
Decent points in the first paragraph. However, if you have trouble enjoying UM football, including wins over ND and MSU, this season, get a new hobby.
OSU is clearly better and will be for a while. Give em kudos for building that program and re-align your expectations. I mean, after last year, didn’t you think this could be a possibility. I was prepared.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:46 PM ^
There is clearly a talent gap but where the real gap is on their offense vs. our defense.
Problem is that Brown doesn't coach a more diverse defense so when UM plays a team with better skill position players then they can perform our guys.
If you are playing Lamar Jackson for instance. Let's talk a football analogy. He is too good running the ball so you have to basically alter your defense to take what he does best away. You can't play your normal schemes because he is too good.
Some guys or some teams are just better than your guys. The same thing when UM plays Purdue. The answer? You either recruit really well or you practice a different system to try and contain your opponent rather than beat them or dominate them.
Brown wants to beat you. He wants to dominate and control you but OSU is too good. It's like if he went up against MJ he wouldn't try and double team or deny him the ball. He wants to play on his terms and play you straight up. I will beat you straight up. Wrong strategy. You have to zone them.
You play Brady differently than LJ. You play Manning different than playing Mahomes and the Chiefs. You design AND practice a completely different scheme when you play OSU.
It's like UM should hire another DC just for the OSU game and keep this unique scheme only for OSU. They know what's coming. Did you notice how many times during the game a UM player lost containment on a play. OSU has too much speed for this defense.
Go 5 yards off the receivers. Flood the passing lanes. 3 man DL. You have to show them a completely different look and have them spend a half trying to figure it out and then show them something different in the 2nd half. Make them go the length of the field on 15 plays. You play high risk poker with them....you lose.
November 30th, 2019 at 7:42 PM ^
I see your point about scheme, but as it currently stands I think we are trying to plug 14 holes with 10 fingers. If we sell out to stop Dobbins, Fields will just hit deep balls. I’m convinced that the talent gap (I.e. recruiting) is basically insurmountable unless we either catch OSU on a day they don’t care (unlikely), a day the NCAA comes down on them (unlikely) or a day they are injured (probably the best bet)
November 30th, 2019 at 5:49 PM ^
Harbaugh was asked by Austin Meek in the postgame point-blank whether he wants to win The Game. He said yes, but if he doesn’t jettison the mustachioed flimflam man orchestrating his defense, his answer was really “no.” The last two years have been historically bad. The offense is on the right track. The defense, to paraphrase the Big Lebowski, has crashed into the goddamn mountain.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:51 PM ^
Keys to the game - recruiting. Urban’s take at halftime was spot on - OSU’s OL was way too much for our undersized DL. OSU’s push was 5+ yards every run play. We were never in this game. A Michigan team gave up 264 yards on the ground. Pathetic.
The other thing ? Our WRs packed it in during the second half. I counted EIGHT dropped balls. Just a stinko game by our “great” WRs. Shea was dealing and was let down by his mates.
November 30th, 2019 at 7:30 PM ^
Urban is fucking smart. He knows Ohio talent sucks so he goes out and gets out of state players. Sure they may not be admitted to UM but to OSU that is no problem. Get 5 stars and get them admitted. That is the key. Schlissel, where art thou?
November 30th, 2019 at 9:02 PM ^
Keep spouting the old, tired academic superiority trope - it’s cute. Results of the last APR release? OSU T12, UM T22. Let me guess: OSU finds a way to cheat at that, too?
December 2nd, 2019 at 2:10 AM ^
Getting A's in second grade is a lot easier than getting A's in college
November 30th, 2019 at 9:11 PM ^
Oh, and those majors at UM - wow, so many General Studies and “undeclared” scholars!! You all should/must be so proud of your superior academics... ?
December 2nd, 2019 at 2:09 AM ^
A general studies degree at Michigan is worth more than a horse breeding degree at OSU
November 30th, 2019 at 5:51 PM ^
It's ND/Navy now boys. It's not a rivalry it's a sideshow.
December 1st, 2019 at 9:15 AM ^
Excellent point. I’ll be using it.
At least, if you keep that perspective, you can enjoy the season. I enjoyed the season. Hope we have a good bowl game.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:52 PM ^
It was over on the second play of OSU's opening drive when Dobbins fumbled and it bounced back to him in stride for a big gain.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:59 PM ^
I'd say it was over when we missed the XP, that was a psychological blow, in all reality. Just kick the ball, why do that swinging gate crap?
November 30th, 2019 at 9:25 PM ^
That has been osu's luck in this game for years. Shit bounces always go their way.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:55 PM ^
Can't wait to see the articles on here in a few days defending Don Brown and saying it's the talent gap not the schemes, then acting like he's not responsible for the recruiting on defense.
November 30th, 2019 at 7:45 PM ^
Are you really denying that there’s a massive talent gap? Even Stevie Wonder can see that. The question is how to fix recruiting and I don’t think anyone has the answer (maybe a little extra $ would help though)
November 30th, 2019 at 9:01 PM ^
There's a talent gap, but you can still out scheme to fill the gap, such as when MSU was beating osu with 2 and 3 star recruits on defense a few years ago. Don Brown has proven he cannot do that and we need a DC who can. 62 and 56 pts is pathetic.
December 1st, 2019 at 10:56 AM ^
Not this isolated MSU example again...
Actually, you could make the argument that Don Brown outperforms the talent disadvantage we have against OSU.
November 30th, 2019 at 11:40 PM ^
Power Five Spending Ranking Among Schools ExaminedSchoolFootball Recruiting Expenses in FY182018 Recruiting Class Ranking2019 Recruiting Class Ranking4/5-Star Recruits in Last Two Classes
1Georgia$2,626,6221st2nd42 (30/12)
2Alabama$2,344,0575th1st41 (36/5)
3Texas$1,823,3073rd3rd36 (32/4)
4Clemson$1,790,9767th10th25 (19/6)
5Texas A&M$1,710,10117th4th29 (27/2)
6Florida State$1,581,34711th19th22 (22/0)
7Michigan$1,397,78422nd8th23 (21/2)
8Penn State$1,369,4286th13th33 (29/4)
9LSU$1,287,34415th5th27 (23/4)
10Oklahoma$1,264,809
ohio State is 20th at just under 1 mil.
December 1st, 2019 at 1:22 AM ^
Do you know whether this includes under the table spending?
December 1st, 2019 at 1:13 PM ^
Probably not. Lol. Theres an article out there, might be on Mlive, where are they talk about how much money Michigan is spending on recruiting and how much money the football program is bringing in.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:58 PM ^
It’s senseless to talk about replacing JH. Name the available coach that can get you 9-10 wins a season, year after year, in a division with OSU, MSU, and PSU.
If you think you can, name him. If not, STFU.
November 30th, 2019 at 6:14 PM ^
ohio jettisoned cooper with a .846 winning percentage because he couldn't beat M.
November 30th, 2019 at 6:27 PM ^
They take the rivalry more seriously than we do. Gold pants, crossing out Ms, all the shit we make fun of them about for being obsessed is why they have locked up Ohio and kick our ass every year.
That being said, unless you're hiring Urban (which again we never would as Michigan. Fans would never "stoop so low"), there's not really anyone who'd be better than Harbaugh. He needs to find his Venables.
November 30th, 2019 at 6:54 PM ^
ohio jettisoned cooper with a .846 winning percentage because he couldn't beat M.
Actually Cooper's winning percentage was .715 (111-43-4). Also, they let him coach there 13 years despite his terrible Michigan record. There's a lot of revisionism about the guy.
November 30th, 2019 at 7:31 PM ^
Ohio also admitted their in state talent can't beat Michigan. Hence they studs from out of state. It's recruiting place in and simple.
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