Ohio State 62, Michigan 39
There’s a door just off the eating area in Ohio State’s press box, the frame of which is plastered with small pieces of red “evidence” tape on its left side. I did not understand this at halftime. I get it now: Ohio Stadium is a crime scene.
An inauspicious three-play, one-yard drive to open the contest was the harbinger of things to come in a game so nightmarish the only thing recognizable as belonging to this 2018 Michigan team were white uniforms and winged helmets. And that was with the fourth quarter left to play.
The nation’s best defense was shredded time and again by crossing routes and could generate no pressure; the passing game saw Michigan’s surehanded tight ends suddenly dropping passes while predictable passing situations allowed Ohio State to get pressure on Shea Patterson much of the afternoon; and even special teams played a part with a blocked punt that seemed to hang in the air for eternity before dropping into the waiting arms of Sevyn Banks, who jogged 33 yards into the end zone. You play the game to keep your goals in front of you and Michigan did that for 11 games. Then, in The Game with the most optimistic forecast in almost two decades, the wheels came off in spectacular fashion.
[After THE JUMP: words]
[Upchurch]
Michigan’s man coverage could not handle Ohio State’s crossers on their first drive of the game, ceding 16 and 11 yards on such routes before true freshman Chris Olave got a step on fifth-year senior Brandon Watson on a 3rd-and-4 crossing route and turned it into a 24-yard touchdown reception.
The offense responded with two third-down conversions but was unable to procure a third, as Donovan Peoples-Jones dove for a Patterson pass on an out but came up two yards short of the sticks. Freshman kicker Jake Moody grooved a 39-yard kick through the uprights to put Michigan’s first points on the board in what was a continuation of last week’s offensive pattern.
Moody recorded the game’s next points as well after Michigan’s defense forced Ohio State into a three-and-out; Michigan’s offense subsequently went on one of their infini-drives, using up the last 5:32 of the first quarter and nine seconds of the second quarter, with Patterson putting a perfectly-placed ball in a basket for Zach Gentry only to have it ripped away by a defensive back on 3rd-and-6.
Michigan showed life after two drives on which the offense flat-lined and the defense’s sore spots were stabbed repeatedly en route to two scores. Down 21-6, Patterson and the passing game took over. Patterson hit Sean McKeon, who had stayed in to block before leaking to the flat, then found Donovan Peoples-Jones twice. A defensive pass interference call converted a third down for Michigan, a 15-yard Patterson tuck-and-run moved Michigan to just outside the red zone, and a beautiful leaping back-shoulder grab by Nico Collins closed the gap to 21-13.
Demario McCall let the ball hit him on the following kickoff, and the fumble was recovered by Nate Schoenle at the 9-yard line. Patterson hit Chris Evans on a tiny wheel route, the two-point conversion was blown up, and Michigan somehow trailed by just two.
Ohio State received the ball with 41 seconds remaining in the half. Three Michigan penalties pushed them down the field before a sorta-goal-line stand ended with a field goal.
[Bryan Fuller]
It was a tale of two halves for Michigan, only this tale is one that had yet to be told this season or under this coaching staff. Adjustments to the coverage worked on Ohio State’s first drive; Michigan’s offense followed with an incomplete pass, a one-yard run, and a short pass jarred loose after Karan Higdon got lit up in the flat.
Ohio State against got into a goal-to-go situation and again found themselves held out, a field goal their consolation on a run-centric drive that Michigan contained but for a 31-yard completion to Parris Campbell.
Michigan’s next drive ended with the aforementioned blocked punt returned for a touchdown. Their following drive lasted three plays, a three-and-pick turned into seven points after another crossing route put Ohio State a yard out, an option pitch the finisher. The game was over after Ohio State’s next drive, a one-play, 78-run from Parris Campbell on a jet sweep.
[Patrick Barron]
At this point, Zach Gentry had left the game with a concussion, Devin Bush was carried off with a hip flexor issue, David Long was carted away with something similar. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and then some. Patterson got hurt. Brandon Peters came in. Ben Mason scored. Joe Milton went in. Everything else is a blur, save this: damn near the entirety of Ohio Stadium on the field, a roiling red wave rejoicing to one of stadium rock’s most grating anthems, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”
I have no idea where Michigan goes from here. There’s a bowl game to be played, the emotional letdown of which is similar to but an order of magnitude greater than 2016. The Revenge Tour flopped, replaced by Urban’s Redemption Tour. That’s bullshit. So was this game.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:35 PM ^
The defense was hanging for dear life while the offense floundered for three quarters. The game was definitively lost by the punt-six and subsequent pick, which set OSU up around our 10. Once the game was 41-19, the rest of M's scoring was lipstick on a pig, the game was lost.
Blaming it on the defense is easy, but very much an incomplete reaction.
19 points in three quarters in a game like this is the reason we lost. I acknowledge the Paris Campbell 78 yarder was bad, but that should have occurred during competitive play, when M could recover. Because the offense failed so extremely, that TD was the end.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:50 PM ^
The coaches recruit the Jimmys and Joe's.
November 24th, 2018 at 8:57 PM ^
Maybe that's the problem? Harbaugh is recruiting "Jimmy's and Joe's," and Urban Meyer is recruiting "Demonte's, Braxton's, Hakeem's and Dwayne's."
I hate to add insult to injury, but feel compelled to add: OSU was also playing without possibly the #1 NFL draft pick, Nick Bosa.
November 24th, 2018 at 8:17 PM ^
Fuck the talent argument, Maryland scored 51 points on them last week. It's a matter of an offensive and defensive philosophy that is inept in today's college football game. Our Defensive philosophy doesn't work against good spread teams, and our offensive philosophy doesn't work against team's we don't outmuscle. Fuck it I'm over this shit.
November 24th, 2018 at 7:04 PM ^
Let’s hire Kapernick. He’d technically be part of the Harbaugh coaching tree and he’s be great for recruiting. AA would love him.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:47 PM ^
Harbaugh preaches results, competition, and accountability to his players, but then shits himself every big game.
He and his coaching staff looked terrible today. Time for accountability.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:51 PM ^
Every big game?
This is the problem. The goalposts are constantly moving. MSU-PSU-Wisconsin was a gauntlet that we passed with flying colors. 2016 and 2015 featured multiple big games we performed well in.
We just haven't beaten OSU. Yeah, that sucks. But let's just be realistic about it. OSU is the 2nd best program in the country. We aren't there yet. We are much closer than we were before Harbaugh got here, though.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:58 PM ^
Clemson is currently the 2nd best program in the country, but does it really matter. You can't live thinking it can't be anything better than what we have, when what we have hasn't won shit.
November 24th, 2018 at 8:36 PM ^
You know what, despite all the wailing and gnashing of teeth I agree with this.
November 25th, 2018 at 2:42 AM ^
The goal posts move as more data comes in. MSU and Wisconsin both suck ass this year. Penn State is a solid team and that was an impressive win.
November 25th, 2018 at 6:54 AM ^
It's not the problem. It's that sometimes you don't have all of the information.
Wisconsin is a 7-5 team that lost at home to BYU and Minnesota.
Michigan State is a 7-5 team that lost to Nebraska, Arizona State and almost lost to Rutgers.
Penn State is a 9-3 team that lost to the aforementioned MSU team at home and won't finish the season with a single win over a ranked team.
That's not a gauntlet.
And, as for being much closer....Harbaugh has two losses to them that were far worse than anything we ever saw under Rich Rod and Hoke, losses in historic magnitude.
November 25th, 2018 at 10:57 PM ^
People don't want to admit that B1G is a bad conference but it's clear that they are a bad conference. When you have a team who got boatraced by a meh Purdue team and an another team who lost to Akron playing in the B1G Championship game, that's not a good thing. There are two good teams which is OSU and Michigan and the rest are pretty bad.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:04 PM ^
Fire Harbaugh? No, that's not the answer.
But this is a loss for the ages. Hoke never got beaten this badly, and Rodriguez, well, no expected his teams to even come close to winning. The tools were all supposed to be in place to finally defeat OSU. No more excuses. Still, here we are.
There's a pattern, now, and it should tell us something. Maybe Harbaugh isn't what we hoped he would be. That doesn't mean that he's a terrible coach. It might mean that his teams have lower ceilings than we expected.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:08 PM ^
I don't even think that's true. In 2016 we were absolutely one of the best 4 teams in the country and came a literal inch short from a probable playoff berth.
This year we shit the bed in an important game but can probably play with most teams in the country. We haven't hit the ceiling yet.
November 24th, 2018 at 8:04 PM ^
Trust me, I hope that you’re right. I’m not very confident right now that this team is ready for the next step. Let’s see how the bowl game goes.
November 24th, 2018 at 8:12 PM ^
Dude, who the fucks cares about the bowl game. We just stunk up the world. That was the most embarrassing game in probably Michigan history.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:21 PM ^
I’m pretty sure the pattern is OSU offense > M defense when it counts. They played their best game all year. We didn’t. Offense scored enough to win, but D laid an egg.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:43 PM ^
This is part of the problem. Yes, they played the best game of the year in "The Game". This seemed to surprise our defense and defensive coordinator
November 24th, 2018 at 9:02 PM ^
I’m not implying Harbaugh should be fired ,but I’ve always said pep should be.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:28 PM ^
It was an execrable shitshow. What else can one say?
November 24th, 2018 at 5:28 PM ^
Sorry, accidentally hit the Save button twice. Please delete.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:29 PM ^
The announcers crying about how hard it's been for Meyer starting the season with a 2 game suspension was just way too much. He turned a blind eye to abuse. Stop acting like he's a victim.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:42 PM ^
And yet we could not compete.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:55 PM ^
Why would that have any bearing on if we can compete? if turning a blind eye to abuse is what it takes to compete, I'm good with 10-2 seasons.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:02 PM ^
I guess what he's saying is, we got our asses handed to us, and you are worried about the fucking announcers. At least I think that's what he's saying.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:49 PM ^
The game sucked, I was sad, but sorry I'm more concerned about real world harm than a football game I guess?
November 24th, 2018 at 8:51 PM ^
Stop acting like you care that much about Courtney Smith. You don't.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:00 PM ^
Yup, that's what happens when the 2nd most talented (at least) team on paper in the country plays out of their minds. Reality is that UM is still a good deal less talented and also got outschemed. I'd love to see any other defense try to stop that O when they're on their game.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:37 PM ^
Yes, that has so much significance for this season. Genius!
November 24th, 2018 at 5:30 PM ^
Eh, screw it. As I watched all our confidence bleed away in the second quarter, I came to understand that I will probably never see Michigan win The Game again. Some things are the way they are.
November 24th, 2018 at 7:15 PM ^
We’ll win again one day. Even the mighty, invincible Roman Empire collapsed on itself at some point. No one is immune to the effects of time, even Urban Meyer. The question is how long we’ll have to wait. And I can’t answer how long that will be. Could be next year. Could be fifty years. I don’t know.
As long as Meyer is around, we’re fucked in this game. Let’s not bullshit each other. When he’s around, we’re not winning this game. He has a team stockpiled with five star talent who treat the Michigan game as if winning is the difference between living and dying.
November 24th, 2018 at 8:56 PM ^
Good take. Meyer is, simply, superior to Harbaugh in every way when it comes to winning at football. Not as a human being but as a winner at football. If he stays, we're fucked.
November 24th, 2018 at 9:51 PM ^
Did people suddenly just realize that Meyer is leagues better than Jim Harbaugh?
I figured that out right around Meyer's 2nd national Championship.
November 24th, 2018 at 10:35 PM ^
Yeah, the expectations for Harbaugh when he was hired were ridiculously high. In part people simply haven't digested how rare the Urban Meyers are. I mean, this program hasn't had a coach as good as Meyer since Fielding Yost took the AD position about 100 years ago.
November 24th, 2018 at 10:53 PM ^
Leagues better? He's a hell of a coach. He also got blown out by purdue every bit as bad as he just destroyed michigan. Not five years ago. This season. And that's with a huge on-field talent gap in his favor.
Let me know when he's coaching in the superbowl. I think with our focus and passion for cfb, we sort of lose sight of the fact that to many players, the power five alliance is more or less the nfl development league. Big picture, when it comes to football, these guys are all coaching in the minors.
And we forget how mediocre most college coaches - saban for example - look in "the bigs".
I think there are plenty of arguments to be made that harbaugh is at least meyer's equal as a football coach. He wasn't today - and today sucked, it really did - but he's already played near equal games with osu several times with obviously lesser talent on the field. Because he can gameplan pretty damn well, even if today wasn't evidence of it.
Everyone needs to chill. Today was a kick in the balls. Shit happens. Michigan's trajectory under harbaugh is just fine.
Cheers.
November 25th, 2018 at 11:40 AM ^
"I think there are plenty of arguments to be made that harbaugh is at least meyer's equal as a football coach. "
Name one.
and don't give me any NFL bullshit. Michigan doesn't play in the NFL. If the NFL were that elite there'd be also-ran NFL coaches winning Divisions, Conference Championships, and National Championships left and right. NFL success is as much of an indicator for the college game as MLB experience lol.
There IS a player talent/recruiting gap, and that gap may never truly be able to be overcome. Coaching and program culture have to be able to make up the difference.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:30 PM ^
Dwayne Haskins on Michigan's D on film: "I was licking my chops, I see the one-high covers and that's a quarterback's dream. The biggest responsibility for me all week was to be able to pick up blitzes and protection, because we saw a lot of different fronts and exotic looks."
— Zach Shaw (@_ZachShaw) November 24, 2018
November 24th, 2018 at 7:53 PM ^
He's not wrong because OSU scheme played into Michigan's defensive scheme weakness which is crosser route because it's hard to keep up with a 4.3 athletes in man coverage. OSU OL played great against Michigan front 7 and kept Haskins upright
November 24th, 2018 at 10:20 PM ^
D. Brown has to develop the ability to run a competent zone package if OSU is going to have the same sort of offense next year.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:31 PM ^
There is no such thing as joy in the world. We will never beat them, we aren't even close. There is no better coach for us, and it doesn't matter, for the rest of my life all I expect is a loss to them every Thanksgiving weekend, forever. Even the Lions have a better chance of ever winning on Thanksgiving weekend.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:40 PM ^
M has never done well with former players as coaches. Oosterbaan had one good year with Crisler’a team, Bump has one good year in 64 and Kipke was a cheater. Moeller and Carr never played here. Our best coaches came from outside: Yost, Crisler and Schembechler came from outside the program. Harbaugh is Michigan’s John Cooper.
November 24th, 2018 at 7:03 PM ^
Carr had one good season. All of the rest of his seasons were what you'd consider a failure for Harbaugh. Please, don't let facts interfere with your narrative, though. SMH
November 24th, 2018 at 10:49 PM ^
Not done well?? He beat two ranked teams On the road this year! 20-3 in his first two years when the previous 2 were 13-13 and getting worse! He is a great coach. He’s having a huge provlem getting over that hump with OSU but what the hell!
November 24th, 2018 at 5:46 PM ^
Ya, M is the new Honolulu Blue & Silver, maybe we should swap unis?
November 24th, 2018 at 5:32 PM ^
You know it's a bad game plan when my 72 year old mother is asking why Patterson isn't running to slow down the "guys blitzing" into every run play.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:58 PM ^
We scored 39 points. It wasn't Patterson not running the ball that was the issue.
November 24th, 2018 at 7:47 PM ^
The problem was 20 of those points were in garbage time after they were down 41-19. It was right out of the old Carr playbook - stick with the inept offensive gameplan until you are down a couple scores and then finally decide to open it up. As usual it was to little to late.
November 24th, 2018 at 5:32 PM ^
That was like watching a 7 on 7 scrimmage. Didn't pressure Haskins one time
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