The University of Michigan defeated Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio on November 30 in one of the largest upsets in the game’s history. Ohio State was favored by 20 points and was playing at home. The Michigan team was only 6-5 and nobody gave them a chance. However, that is why they play rivalry games.
This is the fourth loss in a row for Ohio State against the University of Michigan. Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day is now being compared to John Cooper, another Ohio State football coach who could not beat Michigan. It cost Cooper his job and may cost Day his. A coach must defeat his main rival. Day looked scared on the sideline when the camera panned to him, and a football team follows their head coaches lead.
Did Will Howard Play With a Concussion?
Ohio State Quarterback Will Howard, who led the nation in passing accuracy, has been unstoppable. Howard was injured in the second quarter of the game with Michigan. The injury came on a hit by University of Michigan Defensive Back Makari Paige. Howard briefly left the game as backup Quarterback Devin Brown subbed for him, but he re-entered the game after a few plays. Howard looked woozy for the rest of the game. He missed wide-open wide receivers and threw a second interception. He threw one as well before his injury. Nevertheless, he looked unsteady and maybe should not have been out there.
Unimaginative Play Calling By Chip Kelly
Ohio State’s Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly was a head coach in both college and the National Football League. He has a ton of weapons at his disposal, but against the University of Michigan, he made two curious decisions. First, he ran the ball up the middle often. This is despite the offensive line for Ohio State being banged up and despite the fact the defensive tackles for the University of Michigan, the interior defensive linemen, may both get drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Ohio State had only 77 rushing yards on 26 attempts.
Second, oddly, Kelly displayed a consistent lack of imagination throughout the game. This game was a place to experiment with trick plays, but Ohio State used none. Third, inexplicably, freshman superstar Wide Receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is all-world, was not targeted in the second half.
Ryan Day Unable To Beat Michigan
Ryan Day is now 1-4 against Michigan and runs the risk, with the lack of success against his rival, of being labeled as another Ohio State head football coach who could not beat rival Michigan, just like John Cooper. That lack of success cost Cooper his job, he was replaced with Jim Tressel, who stressed the importance of the Michigan game for Ohio State.
Ohio State was ranked No. 2 in the most recent CFP poll, but its hopes of making the Big Ten Conference Championship game are over. Ohio State will probably still make the 12-team college football playoff as an at-large team, but if they play like they played yesterday, they will lose their first game.
University of Michigan Game Notes
- The kickoff temperature was 27 degrees making it the fifth-coldest kickoff temperature in the history of the Ohio State game against Michigan.
- Jeremiah Smith’s first-half touchdown catch was his 10th of the year, becoming the 17th Ohio State receiver to reach that milestone in a season. Yet, he was not even thrown to in the second half.
- Randy Gradishar was honored for his National Football League Football Hall of Fame induction during a TV timeout in the second quarter, and so was OSU’s national championship-winning women’s hockey team. Ohio State’s national championship-winning men’s tennis doubles team was honored during a third-quarter television timeout.
- 106,005 people were in attendance for the game.
- Michigan outpossessed Ohio State from 33:35 to 25:26.
University of Michigan Game Scoring Summary
There was not much scoring in this defensive battle, but it is worth going through. To summarize, Michigan’s placekicker is great. Ohio State’s placekicker, who missed two short field goals, is not. In the first quarter, Ohio State’s placekicker successfully kicked a field goal. In the second quarter, Michigan scored a touchdown and then kicked a long, 54-yard, field goal. Ohio State answered with a touchdown of its own from Jeremiah Smith, for a 10-10 tie at halftime. The only scoring in the second half was a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left in the game from the Wolverines.
Conclusion
Ohio State, following its bad loss to the University of Michigan, will still likely make the 12-team college football playoff, but there is no telling how this loss will affect them. Nevertheless, it has become clear that Day cannot beat the University of Michigan. He is 60-10 all time, and four of his losses have come to the University of Michigan.
