Ohio State 42, Michigan 41
The lasting image of this game will be Devin Gardner, injured, spent, and devastated, flat on his back after his pass on the potential game-winning two-point conversion found Buckeye instead of Wolverine.
It's a shame, really, as Gardner gave one of great performances in the history of The Game today, leading a Michigan offensive explosion beyond anybody's wildest predictions. Gardner threw for 451 yards and four touchdowns, rushed for 34 yards and another score (above, Upchurch), and did all this despite clearly playing at less than 100%. The trio of running backs combined for 137 yards and another score on 24 carries; Al Borges, the offensive line, and the skill position players all had their best performances in over a month—603 total yards against the 13th-ranked defense in the country.
After Gardner lobbed a two-yard jump ball to Devin Funchess to make the score 42-41, Brady Hoke asked his seniors if they wanted to go for two and the win; Taylor Lewan said after the game that, to a man, the answer was yes. In a game that calls for cliché, they left it all on the field.
Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog
The Buckeyes did too, of course. The Michigan defense simply couldn't find a way to stop Braxton Miller (153 yards and three rushing TDs) and Carlos Hyde (226 yards and a score on 27 carries) on the ground; when OSU went to the air, they didn't hit often—Miller finished just 6/15 on the day—but when they did it went big, as Miller's six completions went for 133 yards and two more touchdowns. Missing safety Jarrod Wilson and weakside LB James Ross, not to mention focusing heavily on stopping the run, the defense repeatedly allowed big plays over the middle. By the time the Buckeyes got the ball with five minutes left and the game knotted at 35, the defense looked gassed and played like it, ceding a one-yard scoring plunge by Hyde to cap a six-play, 65-yard drive that featured exclusively runs.
Gardner was masterful in the two-minute drill, finding Funchess, then Drew Dileo twice, then Joe Reynolds, Justice Hayes, and Toussaint to move the Wolverines 82 yards before netting the final two and six points on the lob to Funchess. Michigan tried to free up a receiver on a rub route on the two-point conversion; the Buckeyes had it covered, though, and Gardner's hopeful throw landed in the arms of Tyvis Powell.
Michigan didn't just give Ohio State a fight—quite literally, in a couple instances (above, Fuller)—they played their part in an instant classic. Devin Gardner might've ended the game on his back; I'll remember all the times he got up before that, and what he did while he was standing, above all else.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:31 PM ^
Thanks for the laugh. Been a long time since I got challenged to a bar fight, and here I am in my living room. Kind of incogruous.
Oh wait...that's probably a little hard for you. How about..."Fuck you, man. You wanna go, just give your purse to your boyfriend and step outside." That better?
November 30th, 2013 at 5:12 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:21 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:49 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:03 PM ^
We aren't that bad?
OSU isn't that good?
A bit of both?
Guess we will find out a bit more next week. I think MSU beats OSU by 10+
November 30th, 2013 at 5:09 PM ^
Know how the game will play out, but with Gibbons having his tweak, quite probably three points were left on the field.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:10 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:10 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:42 PM ^
to be frustrated with losing to OSU after scoring 41 points and amassing over 600 yards of offense? Maybe you shouldnt be so fast to label those frustrated with a defense that was non-existent allowing 8.5 yards a carry. Seriously if you are objective, that defensive performance was one of the worst in the programs history. How can you feel good about OSU only passing one time in the 2nd half (a touchdown) and yet UM not having any chance to slow down the run? This was reminiscent of the Wisconsin game from a few years ago when they ran like twenty some straight times. DEMORALIZING. You can go celebrate this loss if you like, but dont label those not whistleing past the graveyard. 7-5 YAY
November 30th, 2013 at 6:18 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:10 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:13 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:16 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:22 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:36 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:15 PM ^
I was pleased with the way the game went, as were most people. It was enjoyable to watch up until the failed two-point attempt.
That said, I think it's fair to question the sentiment. People are taking hell here for saying that we shouldn't be happy with any type of loss to OSU, but I agree with the minority, too. We just lost our chance to hold serve and stop the bleeding against OSU. Yeah, we were underdogs, but you could argue that we were underdogs by our own doing. Everyone on this board, during the preseason, predicted we'd beat OSU. We have the players. Our expectations were lowered by virtue of our terrible in-season performance.
Good for the guys for going out and playing to their potential today. But that should be the expectation.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:33 PM ^
I'm not sure who you're including in your statement that "Everyone on this board, during the preseason, predicted we'd beat OSU," but my recollection is almost everyone predicted at least 2-3 losses, including a likely loss against OSU. Yes, the team has fallen short of expectations for the season by a few games, but anyone who preseason thought this would be an undefeated or one loss team by this point in the season was delusional.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:15 PM ^
I was exaggerating, but I remember all the preseason prediction threads, and virtually no one on here had us losing to OSU. My point is just that our expectations in the week leading up to this game had been historically lowered by our awful performance. It's the rare point in time that Michigan fans are happy with a loss at home to OSU. And that says something about where our program is.
November 30th, 2013 at 7:28 PM ^
Everyone had us losing to OSU last week, the week before, the week before that, after our shaky fear-inducing wins against crappy opponents; even after CMU & ND people still figured this might be a loss.
Hell, at the end of LAST SEASON most people thought it might be a loss, and at best the odds were 50/50.
Everyone seemed to notice they were undefeated last year, right?
December 1st, 2013 at 5:53 PM ^
I don't think I'm nuts. My point is that at the end of LAST SEASON most people either thought it might be a loss, the odds would be 50/50, or that we would win.
Nobody, before the Akron game this year, predicted we'd get crushed by OSU. Those predictions and expectations came after we self-destructed. Which was mostly our staff's doing, in my opinion.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:37 PM ^
In all fairness that was before we saw them play. I was on record for thinking we'd go 9-3 and lose to ND, NW, and OSU. I also thought we could beat PSU, MSU, and Iowa which didn't happen. But, that was all based on paper. We have never really seen a team just like this one before so it was somewhat of a mystery. Remember we had all these question marks that could either way, like the o-line, the RB, the pass rush, the safeties, etc? Those predictions were before we realized the offseason hype on the defense was just that, before we realized how bad our interior o-line is, and how little help our experienced tackles are to them. I'm not sure anyone would have expected the season long regression of the offense and the offensive line. That's coaching. Before the season I thought we'd lose a close game because I believed if the 2012 game was at home I thought we would have won and both teams were pretty similar coming back this year. But, prior to the start of the game I thought we'd get blown out based on what this team has shown us most of the year.
November 30th, 2013 at 8:00 PM ^
Sure. There are question marks before every season, though. I see those question marks as the areas that are most affected by coaching--those are the areas where coaches really earn their (considerable) paychecks. Any schmuck OC can run Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams 40 times a game (just for example). What do you do with the uncertainties?
For the record, I thought we would beat OSU preseason, too, because we should be able to beat our rival at home most years with a respectable team. We ended up not having a respectable team, and I put that mostly on the staff, partly for scheme, partly for teaching, and partly for motivation.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:15 PM ^
He really took a beating, both physically and mentally, all year long. I really hope he has the opportunity to grow from this in the bowl game and next year. I would really like to see him get some big wins to make up for this season full of struggles...even dare I say a win in Columbus. I think it's ripe for the picking next year as OSU's defense will be young, no more Hyde, and a young offensive line.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:25 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:32 PM ^
Bottom line: Yet another loss to the hated team down south. It's sucks beyond belief. The coaches and players should be really sicken about today. Nothing good came out of today because the end result was a loss.
November 30th, 2013 at 7:06 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:25 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:32 PM ^
Greg M. is overated. Its been a oong time since we've had a lock down defense. 97 was the best defense we've had in the modern era, 1 year after Mattison. If you you are objective you have to see that he has given up touchdowns time and time again at the end of halfs and end of games. I think he's a great guy personally and a great coach but not elite!
November 30th, 2013 at 5:34 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:35 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 6:03 PM ^
http://rivals.yahoo.com/michigan/football/recruiting/commitments/2010
http://rivals.yahoo.com/michigan/football/recruiting/commitments/2011
That's a fatal flaw that will be in the past soon.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:32 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 6:39 PM ^
...and I've been looking at these lists all year...but what got me was Nessler's comment as they came to touch the banner that "17 seniors will be playing their last game in Ann Arbor today."
How the hell do you only have 17 seniors? There's, what, 120 on the roster?
November 30th, 2013 at 10:59 PM ^
OSU only had 18 seniors this year, which is about average, I think.
December 1st, 2013 at 11:32 AM ^
Are you talking overall, or just scholarship players?
December 1st, 2013 at 12:12 PM ^
He's right, that's the overall count.
November 30th, 2013 at 11:24 PM ^
shows only 16 Sr and RS Sr on the roster, and that includes Hagerup. It would be interesting to see who is included and not.
BTW, 59 players on the roster are either FR or RS FR, 23 SO &RS SO, and 16 JR & RS JR.
So, of 114 players only 32 are upper classmen
November 30th, 2013 at 5:38 PM ^
Great effort but at the end of the day, and the season, the story remains: 7-5, two rivalry losses, and next to last in the Division.
Yet, the prevailing emotions here are pride and elation.
As I watched Carlos Hyde today, my recurring thought was ... that used to be us... we used to have the tailback who was a man among boys. Well, here's some sobering news guys -- Derrick Green ain't going to get it done.
How far the once mighty UM has fallen. Moral victories in losses to OSU.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:43 PM ^
December 1st, 2013 at 1:29 AM ^
both look like they have promising futures.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:46 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:42 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:44 PM ^
who never played sports on this blog including Brian. At least Brian expects the best even though he couldn't hold the jock of the average high schooler. Most of you pussies are happy with a 1 point loss to Ohio State because you never played sports. If you did you would have a little pride and know that a 1 point loss is the same as a 20 point loss. If you are offended by me calling you a pussy, you know that I'm referring to you. Thanks
November 30th, 2013 at 5:49 PM ^
...to go back to the old format for 10 minutes and neg this d-bag into oblivion? Because that would be fun.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:54 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 8:09 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 8:37 PM ^
November 30th, 2013 at 5:49 PM ^
The kids played really hard and with passion. They knew they had a chance from the opening bell. Unfortunately, it still ends up an L against OSU. Moral victories don't count.
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