Michigan beat No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 as a 19.5-point underdog before a postgame battle at midfield

Ryan Day is still looking for a second win against Michigan.

The Wolverines defeated No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday, dealing a devastating blow to the Buckeyes’ Big Ten title chances and hopes of a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

Dominic Zvada hit a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left to give the Wolverines the lead for good. Ohio State had a chance to tie the game or take the lead without a timeout, but failed to gain a first down.

After the game, a scuffle broke out when Michigan players went to midfield with a Michigan flag to celebrate. The argument appeared to be broken until a Michigan player cheered with the flag again and Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer ripped the flag from his hands. This reignited the crush as coaches, police and security personnel had to break up the conflict.

The reigning national champions entered the game as 19.5-point underdogs and have now beaten Ohio State in four straight games. All four joined Day as the Buckeyes’ head coach after Ohio State won seven straight games against Michigan during Urban Meyer’s tenure. Day’s only win against Michigan came in 2019.

It is the first four-game winning streak for Michigan since Ohio State’s victory in 1992, ending a streak for Michigan that dates back to 1988. Sawyer and other Ohio State players had clearly expressed their desire to beat Michigan before their careers ended. Instead, the Buckeyes simply couldn’t do anything on offense.

Not only did Ohio State fail to score a first down on its final drive, but the Buckeyes also failed to score a first down in the entire fourth quarter. OSU’s final first down came with 8:24 left in the third quarter when Will Howard hit Emeka Egbuka for a six-yard gain on third down.

It was an ugly offensive performance for both teams. Each QB threw two interceptions and three of those four picks ended up in the red zone. The most egregious one was thrown by Michigan’s Davis Warren as Sawyer picked him off at the goal line.

It was an ugly offensive performance for both teams. Each QB threw two interceptions and three of those four picks ended up in the red zone. The most egregious one was thrown by Michigan’s Davis Warren as Sawyer picked him off at the goal line.

The two offenses combined for a total of 486 yards and 29 first downs. Michigan threw for just 62 yards on 16 attempts and rushed 42 times for 172 yards. Howard completed just 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards and Ohio State managed 77 yards on 26 attempts.

A mistake that potentially cost Ohio State time

Ohio State would have had well over 45 seconds left after Zvada’s field goal if it hadn’t been for a personnel error.

The Buckeyes took their first timeout with 1:55 left and Michigan faced a third down. After the timeout, Ohio State didn’t have the right defensive personnel on the field and Day tried to call a second timeout. But college football rules now prevent coaches from calling consecutive timeouts.

The resulting illegal substitution penalty gave Michigan a first down and allowed the Wolverines to run the clock over a minute longer than they would have if Ohio State had been able to stop UM on third down.

Ohio State University’s playoff hopes

It’s not a huge exaggeration to say that Ohio State’s renewed offense failed miserably on Saturday. Yes, the Buckeyes played the game with an offensive line that was missing two starters. But Howard and RB Quinshon Judkins were brought in to beat Michigan en route to a national championship. Judkins ran 12 times for 46 yards.

However, a national title is still likely to be in play. However, it’s possible the Buckeyes will have to hit the road to start the postseason. Given the losses among the SEC leaders and Clemson’s loss to South Carolina on Saturday, the Buckeyes should still be safely in the 12-team playoff field at 10-2.

However, a Big Ten title may be out of reach. Ohio State must lose both Penn State to Maryland and Indiana to Purdue to reach the Big Ten title game against Oregon.