2014 ohio state
the end

Ohio State 42, Michigan 28 Comment Count

Ace


Eric Upchurch/MGoBlog

For the second straight year, a plucky Michigan squad that had no business hanging with a powerful Ohio State outfit did just that.

Unlike last year, however, the Wolverines couldn't stay in it until the bitter end. Despite the best efforts of Devin Gardner, Devin Funchess, Drake Johnson, and the defense, Ohio State pulled away late. The backbreaker came on a fourth-and-one touchdown run from midfield by Buckeye running back Ezekiel Elliott, who burst through the left side of the line and sprinted 44 yards untouched to the end zone, giving OSU a 35-21 lead. Any hopes beyond that were dashed when Joey Bosa stripped Gardner and Darron Lee returned the fumble 33 yards for the final Buckeye score.

The Wolverines played much better than expected, especially considering the disastrous start to this game, an ugly Gardner pick that led to a swift six-play touchdown drive for the home team. Michigan struck back; a long completion from Gardner to Funchess beget a touchdown pass to Jake Butt when the Buckeyes blew a coverage.

Michigan took the lead on a Drake Johnson scoring plunge, but OSU returned the favor mere seconds before the half on a JT Barrett scramble; the rivals headed into the half knotted at 14, to the surprise of all but the most paranoid (and, for the second straight year, prescient) Buckeye backers.

The teams traded rushing touchdowns early in the second half before the game's most lasting and terrible moment occurred. Barrett was folded back by a couple M defenders and suffered what appeared to be a severe ankle injury; he exited on a cart after receiving words and gestures of support from both sides, including a touching moment between him and Gardner.

Cardale Jones replaced Barrett, and while he wasn't as effective, he didn't have to be after Elliott's scoring dash. Michigan added a final, highlight-worthy score on a pass from Gardner to a toe-tapping Freddy Canteen, but it was too little, too late.

That sums up today for Brady Hoke, as well. Even if Michigan had managed to pull this out, it's hard to imagine he would've been retained for making a late-December bowl game; with the loss, his fate appears sealed. His final season goes into the record books at 5-7, with M going 3-5 in the Big Ten for the second straight year.

Fire up FlightTracker. The Harbaugh vigil now begins in earnest.

Comments

snarling wolverine

November 29th, 2014 at 5:53 PM ^

The thing that's irritating is that all three times we've faced Meyer, the game was there for the taking, even though only side of the ball showed up.  In '12 it was the D, in '13 and '14 the O.  

 

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 98349

west2

November 29th, 2014 at 6:31 PM ^

on a not so positive M football day.  Michigan is currently ranked 38th nationally in 2015 recruiting, 5th in the bgtn with only 7 commits.  All of the top ten ranked team's have 20 plus players and 1 team (miss state) has 29 commits.   We will be fine and right back in the thick of things with the right coaching hire.  You can bet all of the team's in the bgtn are watching Michigan's next moves.  It's going to be an interesting 4-6 weeks!   Thanks to this year's senior players that will be getting their degrees and represented Michigan with dignity and class.  

Joined: 01/23/2011

MGoPoints: -998175

Gene

November 29th, 2014 at 8:04 PM ^

38th nationally in recruiting is not a positive. 38th means you're below all of the schools with a pulse, and only above a gaggle of power conference bottom-dwellers and mid majors without national profiles. 38th in recruiting is decidedly negative.

That said, it not unexpectedly bad given the performance of this team, the concussion controversy, and the imminent departure of the HC. A prompt and good hire (knock on wood) will inject optimism for the future and should be able to salvage at least some of the recruiting class.

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: 443

jenaedwards50

November 29th, 2014 at 6:57 PM ^

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Joined: 11/29/2014

MGoPoints: -6

bluewoody

November 29th, 2014 at 7:42 PM ^

That deal sounds awesome. Please sign me up. Oh, as you are so astute in all business matters, could you maybe coach a football team? Thanks for your great post. My family in Nigeria, who is royalty, has a great check for you. Please go punch yourself in the dong.

Joined: 02/19/2012

MGoPoints: 1100

Soulfire21

November 29th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^

The dynamic I have between football and basketball is astounding.  The 'Nova game (early November!) had my heart pumping, adrenaline going, I was excited, I was sad, I was hootin' and hollerin' and the loss absolutely sucked, but it was emotional!

I'm so numb to the football team now, I just expect to lose except against the worst of the worst.

Joined: 03/18/2010

MGoPoints: 22716

chewieblue

November 29th, 2014 at 7:34 PM ^

so tired of watching this team.  I love the players, especially Gardner and Jake Mo-fo Ryan, but damn these last two years sucked donkey balls.  Thank God this year's over.  F all things Ohio.

Joined: 04/29/2010

MGoPoints: 5573

Ryno2317

November 29th, 2014 at 7:51 PM ^

I am honestly excited. Imagine what it will be like watching a team that is well coached next year? Harbaugh, Miles, Graham, whoever. We have talent on this team and a good coach -- not great -- will get immediate results. Go look at the schedule, tell me that a well coached team won't win lots and lots of games. I am not impressed with OSU and we can beat them next year ....

Joined: 10/14/2013

MGoPoints: 12486

Der Alte

November 29th, 2014 at 8:04 PM ^

Got to the Denver Airport a little after 10 their time, so I caught some of the first half on airport Wi-Fi and ESPN Watch --- strong signal, great reception. Then the boarding process and the wait until we got to 10,000 ft so the GoFlight Wi-Fi could become operative. By that time I figured the third quarter was about over so I chose the four-buck, 30-minute Wi-Fi option. The screen would freeze then go dark. I could sometimes get the audio only. But I did get both audio and video a couple times. Once when Elliott ran the ball in from about 40 yards or so, and once when Gardner's fumble turned into the last-nail-in the coffin Buckeye TD.

Worst four bucks I ever spent.

Joined: 07/30/2010

MGoPoints: 1925

PublicSector

November 29th, 2014 at 8:54 PM ^

Amazing how much worse we immediately became when our 3rd string RB (4th string before Green was injured) was injured yet OSU didn't miss a beat without their Heisman candidate QB. I'd love to hear Hoke explain why he didn't notice the Drake was WAY better than the 3 guys ahead of him. I believe Hoke did what bad coaches do - he anointed his RB depth chart based on recruiting services' lists. Wonder where we'd be if the Drake was the feature back from game one?

Joined: 11/11/2009

MGoPoints: 128

Amutnal

November 29th, 2014 at 8:40 PM ^

His stubbornness and refusal to acknowledge any of his many deficiencies with specifics is why I began to almost hate the man. In the face of setting records of futility the last couple years he says this in (sorry) a freep article...

"When asked about his status after the game, Hoke defiantly said that he was the Michigan coach for next season. But that's only because nobody has told him otherwise.
Yet.
"We'll worry about that Monday," Hoke said, ADDING that he had NO REGRETS and wouldn't have changed ANYTHING."

In addition,
"The players insisted there was nothing melancholy about the postgame mood in the Michigan locker room. Although a relieved exhale would've been understandable. An acknowledgment that a season that often bordered on the absurd was over. "Team 135" becomes only the third Michigan team in the last 40 years to not make a bowl game."

Joined: 02/05/2011

MGoPoints: 2294

danmac24

November 29th, 2014 at 9:21 PM ^

or not doing the little things like snapping the ball to punt at the end of the first half with 15 seconds left on the play clock then allowing a TD with 7 seconds allowed in the half is 8th grade coaching??? How did these guys ever get to this level of coaching? It doesnt take a genius to snap the ball and eat up as much clock as possible, this must just be easier for a fat guy to see sitting on his couch watching this wanting to puke on a weekly basis!!

Joined: 11/29/2014

MGoPoints: 6

michigandune

November 29th, 2014 at 10:10 PM ^

Hoke out with little more than a whimper....  and "I can't hang on to the football" Gardner about the same.   Glad to get this mess behind us.  Just trying to find something positive to hang my hat on for the future.  It's Jim Harbaugh or bust?

Joined: 03/10/2011

MGoPoints: 1543

samdrussBLUE

November 29th, 2014 at 11:04 PM ^

If you honestly think we had no business hanging with them, I don't know what to say. Were they favored, have they had a much better season and won games and are widely considered a much better team? Yes. But we always have business hanging with them and beating them. That's what teams do, or try to do, especially with rivals



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Joined: 01/21/2012

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Ali06michallday

November 29th, 2014 at 11:27 PM ^

If it's Harbaugh that we want, let's DO something about it!!!! With modern technology and the 24:7 news cycle, we as the fan base can send Jim a LOUD message. www.hireharbaugh.com Sounds like a lot of us would invest a few dollars to bring Jim back to Ann Arbor. Let's start a movement!

Joined: 11/24/2014

MGoPoints: 29

blt2416

November 30th, 2014 at 12:34 AM ^

I just sent my dad a message (an Ohio fan) "remember when Ohio vs mich was this fun" while watching the bama auburn game. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago so there was no good college football going on while I grew up in the area. I turned on nd, and was told I was not aloud to turn that crap on. I turned on abc and saw Desmond Howard. I became a Michigan fan for life. It was fun. I watched a team that actually won other then my bears and Cubs who continually lost ( I was 3 when the Bears won) and I grabbed on to a team that I used my outlet. Well, Michigan they will win but I fell in love in 97. I started going to games and had plans on moving and convincing my whole family to move there because of Bo. Yup. That's the end of the story. Here is the deal. They need to really not mess up this next hire. Urban Meyer will continue to kick your arse if you let him. The end

Joined: 08/11/2014

MGoPoints: 5

Jack Hammer

November 30th, 2014 at 2:30 AM ^

I entirely enjoyed reading about your courtship with UM. Grew up outside AA. I have a similar story and was fortunate enough to graduate from the school. I was in the student section at the game Desmond caught the pass against ND and later saw the pose. Also went to grad school and saw the 97 team. And also saw the Fab 5 live. Was at Lloyd's last game against UF. Now living in Seattle so I don't see shit live but love B1G Network. Point: have irrational loyalty to UM & am so sad about the state of the football program. I have moved on from Hoke and hope they score a top candidate to restore our pride. But at the pit of my stomach all I feel is sadness about what Bo built.

Joined: 11/25/2014

MGoPoints: 24427

ragtimepiano

November 30th, 2014 at 2:47 AM ^

For those who still want to talk about RR:  Few of us do.  Enough already.  May God bless and keep RR---FAR FROM US. 

There are other good coaches available so let's not fixate on Harbaugh.  It wouldn't hurt to take a good look at the MAC---  head coaches, and assistants too.

 

Joined: 10/01/2014

MGoPoints: 4

section17

November 30th, 2014 at 8:28 AM ^

I agree totally. Keep him where he is wanted, supprted and respected. You ass clowns in Ann Arbor never deserved such a good coach. Hoke is all you deserved and that is why you supported bringing him to AA. He was one of your inbred Michigan Men. No coach worth a crap is going to come to AA. After you crapped on one of the best and well respected coaches in the country you wonder why you ended up with that ass hat Hoke.You arrorgant fools deserve everything you get.

Joined: 08/26/2011

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