Michigan powered over Ohio State 42-27: Quick reaction to the breakthrough game for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverine program.
Michigan 42, Ohio State 27
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The Michigan Lines Had This
Of course Michigan’s win over Ohio State will be about Jim Harbaugh finally getting that big win over the team he couldn’t beat.
It was about exorcising the demons, getting a shot to play for the Big Ten championship, and it was about the unbridled joy of the Michigan fan base that had to live with this Ohio State thing for SO long.
It was about Michigan being more physical than Ohio State, and that was the big question coming into the game.
The Buckeyes hadn’t dealt with anyone that was all that nasty with the ground game – Michigan State game aside after getting up so big so fast – since the first two games of the season against Minnesota and Oregon.
They got it done because the lines had this.
Michigan got the opening kickoff and pounded for 75 yards in ten plays for a long, grinding touchdown drive thanks to a great start from the offensive front.
The offensive line had this.
The defensive line did the job keeping TreVeyon Henderson in check, Aidan Hutchinson and the front four spent most of the game jumping CJ Stroud’s head – even though the Buckeye quarterback was fantastic under the pressure, throwing for close to 400 yards with two touchdowns and no picks – and it never let the Ohio State offense take over.
The defensive line had this.
Ohio State pulled to within eight late, and just as it seemed like it might be able to take over with one defensive stop, Michigan’s offensive line closed it out.
Five plays, five Hassan Haskins runs, touchdown, streak stopped.
The O line blasted away for a full four quarters for close to 300 rushing yards. The defense came up with four sacks, eight tackles for loss – Hutchinson with three of those sacks – as it did the job just enough on third downs against the nation’s No. 1 offense.
And that’s what’s going to be remembered as the most satisfying part about this for Michigan fans. It was the win that was a long time coming, and it was done by being tougher, nastier, and more physical.
Ohio State has more talent, it has the NFL receivers, and again, Stroud was and is magnificent. But this was Michigan imposing its will to get this done.
The Michigan lines had this, and now the team is one win away from having to make a trip into the College Football Playoff.
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