How Michigan Football got beat at its own game vs Ohio State

Starting fast is important in any big game. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. So when Jordan Marshall ran right through the teeth of Ohio State’s vaunted defense on the first play from scrimmage for 36 yards, it felt like Michigan was going to cruise to its fifth consecutive victory over Ohio State.

But Michigan wouldn’t move the ball much further after that, gaining just 12 yards on the next four plays and settling for a field goal. You’d love to take advantage with a touchdown on the opening drive, but 3-0 is alright considering the alternative.

Ohio State looked for a big start of its own with a deep ball to Carnell Tate that was broken up by Zeke Berry to get the crowd to its feet. Superstar receiver Jeremiah Smith was the intended target on the next play, only for Jyaire Hill to jump in front Julian Sayin’s pass to set up Michigan with another golden opportunity. Despite driving inside the Ohio State 10 yard line, Michigan settled for another field goal and the tension started to build inside Michigan Stadium.

The script flipped from there, and a familiar sight in this rivalry came back into focus. One team dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. One built a run wall. One grounded and pounded its way through the other’s front seven at will and with greater ease as the game progressed.

The problem was it was the team wearing scarlet and gray this time.

Michigan led the game 6-3 at the end of the first quarter, and it looked like the Wolverines would be capable of winning a game in a similar style to how they did last year. Unfortunately, Michigan was a victim of its own game this time and the Buckeyes asserted their dominance over the last three quarters to regain control of the rivalry.

“We started off fast, I thought we started off with good rhythm offensively,” a dejected Sherrone Moore told reporters after the game. “But we didn’t execute in the red zone and then in the second half, not being able to get in a rhythm offensively. We’ve gotta be much better.”

The rest of the way, Michigan totaled just 83 yards of offense and another field goal in the second quarter. Marshall re-aggravated the shoulder injury that had kept him out against Maryland, and Bryson Kuzdzal and the offensive line couldn’t repeat their great performance from a week ago. Running the ball has been something Michigan’s offense has done with ease for much of the last five years, even against good fronts. But not this time.

“When you face the No. 1 defense in the country and you’re kind of one-dimensional, it puts a lot of pressure on the other guys. As an offensive line, we take accountability for how the offense didn’t execute well enough,” said fifth-year center Greg Crippen.

Meanwhile Andrew Marsh, the freshman phenom wide receiver that has burst onto the scene, was a total non-factor — no receptions and no targets.

On the other side of the ball, Michigan’s pass rush was non-existent, allowing Sayin plenty of time to pick apart Michigan’s secondary and complete long touchdowns to both Smith and Tate. From there, the Buckeyes took on a “boa constrictor” mentality to salt the game away. Ohio State leaned on freshman Bo Jackson, who had 117 yards and was an integral part of the Buckeye’s back-breaking 81-yard, 20 play drive that spanned nearly 12 minutes across the third and fourth quarters.

“I thought we would’ve been better at stopping the run there and late in the game, they did a really good job of leaning on us,” Moore said.

Through Moore’s first two years, Michigan has made it clear it wanted a continuation of what was built in the final years of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure. Beating Ohio State was a staple of that, as was physical play on both lines of scrimmage, a great run game and imposing its will on opponents late in games. On Saturday, though, it was clear Ohio State was the better team at all those things, snatching the rivalry back in almost boringly-dominant fashion on Michigan’s home field.

Even now two years removed from a national championship, the Wolverines have perhaps been able to hide behind the shortcomings they’ve had since Harbaugh and a supremely talented roster departed for the NFL. Michigan has lost games since then, but the tone was different on Saturday — perhaps because it was a shock to the system Michigan needs to get truly clicking again.

When asked what there was to be learned from a loss like this, Moore talked about a need for reflection, as well as the importance of young players like Bryce Underwood using the current sting as fuel for growth.

“I just want (Underwood) to feel the feeling like he feels right now — that’ll motivate him enough to be as good as he can be,” Moore said. “That stinging feeling that he has, as well as all the players and coaches. Embrace that feeling that you have of that loss and it will motivate you throughout the year.”

There’s no doubt Michigan has the ingredients for a bright future with young talent across the roster, but it needs to spend the next nine months seriously considering how it wants them all to come together.