MY THOUGHTS.....Michigan

 

The winning streak over Michigan came to a screeching halt as Michigan outplayed and outcoached the Buckeyes en route to their first win in the series in ten years. The law of averages was bound to take place in this rivalry sooner or later. It began to take shape from the start of the game. Michigan easily controlled both sides of the line of scrimmage. The offensive line found themselves overwhelmed on passing downs, giving up four sacks. Despite the terrific pressure, quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for almost 400 yards and two touchdowns and no picks. This while under the weather during the week and his loss of voice, so Stroud proved his toughness against a legit defense in a hostile environment. Unfortunately, Stroud was not helped by the running game. TreVeyon Henderson managed 74 yards and a touchdown yet averaged a mere 4.4 yards per carry and Miyan Williams only managed 20 yards on seven carries and Master Teague was absent. The offense did have two receivers in double-digits. Jaxson Smith-Njigba had 11 catches for 127 yards and Garrett Wilson chipped in with 10 receptions for 88 yards including a circus catch for a touchdown which gave Ohio State a short-lived lead in the second quarter.

                Ohio State’s defense was pushed around all day, shades of the Oregon debacle as they gave up five rushing touchdowns by Michigan RB Hassan Haskins and 487 yards of total offense. Ronnie Hickman led the way with 12 tackles and Bryson Shaw saved an almost certain Michigan touchdown when he got an interception deep in OSU territory. But the defense gave up nearly 11 yards per play in the second half and did not get a single stop, save for a kneel down that ended the game. Not only did they fail to record a sack, but they also didn’t register a tackle for loss.

                So now, Ohio State awaits their bowl destination which will be announced on Sunday December 5. A New Year’s Day bowl against a quality opponent is still out there, but with the pesky problems that keep popping up on the defensive side of the ball, they could be in for another shellacking unless something changes.