Ohio State football lost 30–24 in the Big House to Michigan, its fiercest rival, for the third consecutive year.
The Buckeyes lost heartbreakingly, missing opportunities to take advantage of their chances. There were errors made all over the field, but quarterback Kyle McCord’s two interceptions were the most significant.
Like I do after every Ohio State game, I review the players who performed well and those who didn’t. There were far more bad things than nice things for the first time this season.
Discover who contributed the most, five stars, and the least, one star, to Ohio State’s heartbreaking defeat to Michigan by reading the list below.
You lose, and it is inexcusable for anyone to be competing at this high level. It hurts that the Buckeyes were unable to complete the task at hand. An more year of the same story will be excruciating. It pains to do this. Awful.
The Wolverines reacted immediately after Zach Zinter, the guard from Michigan, was hurt. It wasn’t the Buckeyes. From that point on, they outscored the Buckeyes 13–7, demonstrating whose side was playing with more confidence. Ohio State did not have one. In Ohio, today is a depressing day.
The defensive line was the only Buckeyes unit that performed admirably today. Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer, and Mike Hall Jr. all had strong comebacks to the game. When they were on the field, they produced plays, and they made the crucial stop to give the offense a final-quarter opportunity.
Trust your players to get the tough yards; let them leave it on the field. Day took it out of their hands, and it cost them dearly. Day made a number of poor decisions, the most of which came at critical times. Not going for it on fourth-and-short situations hurts not only the bottom line but also the morale of the team. The field goal at the end of the half reminded me of the last try against Georgia.
Despite the Michigan defense’s best efforts, McCord was unable to defeat them. There were several interceptions that were dropped. His first selection resulted in a touchdown and a relatively short field for the Wolverines. His final selection guaranteed Michigan’s victory. McCord also missed a few fairly simple passes. In a game like this, you have to play well from the outset, and the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes didn’t. Today, McCord disappointed his team.
