Parris Campbell outruns Michigan's Devin Bush; Bush was injured on the play
gone [Eric Upchurch]

Ohio State 62, Michigan 39 Comment Count

Adam Schnepp November 24th, 2018 at 5:20 PM

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]

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[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.

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[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.

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[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. 

Comments

JamesBondHerpesMeds

November 24th, 2018 at 5:27 PM ^

I kept refreshing MGoBlog, waiting for this game column.

i don’t know why. Maybe it’s because the only solace I have right now is the mutual long-suffering of fellow Michigan fans, and reading this would somehow provide some catharsis, knowing that the void is full of other mourners.

Nope, i still feel like shit. Hello, darkness.

Detroit Dan

November 24th, 2018 at 9:25 PM ^

Yeah, I'm not so impressed with Haskins.  He had time and receivers who can run after the catch.  Patterson has the better all around game, but had to scramble a lot.  Our wide receivers were good, but Gentry's several drops hurt.

Goggles Paisano

November 25th, 2018 at 5:32 AM ^

Perhaps we watched different games.  Haskins hit everyone of his receivers in stride which is where all that YAC comes from.  He was outstanding yesterday.  Shea was throwing balls short and behind.  Our receivers would catch the ball and fall down.  One of those left us with the 4th and 2 that then led to the false start.  

Winchester Wolverine

November 24th, 2018 at 5:54 PM ^

Well said, fellow mourner, Michigan fan, masochist. We do this to ourselves. We're mocked, laughed at, torn apart every year. 

I agree. The only form of solace that I can get, is that I'm not alone in this. Maybe all this suffering together will pay off one day. Maybe it wont. 

Either way, thank you all for hanging in there like me. Misery loves company.

Midukman

November 24th, 2018 at 9:01 PM ^

Every player on OSU s roster was offered by Bama and that’s the difference. They came together for one game. If I’m a buckeye fan I’m pissed at what could have been. Us on the other hand had players that got their asses kicked and were flopping around like fish out of water. 

JFW

November 24th, 2018 at 10:25 PM ^

Because it falls into the overly simplistic idea that we are “just that one coach away...”

Harbaugh is, by his 38 win over 4 years, including 2 big wins on the road this year, an objectively good coach.

prior to him we sucked. Badly. Free tickets with two cokes badly. 

No, a half price coach couldn’t do that. 

No, any of the coaches who *might* make a different wouldn’t come if we ditch Harbaugh after everything he’s done and the measurable improvement we have seen. Why would they? Most are independently wealthy anyway. Why deal with a bitchy fan base that always listens to hawt takes and is always one game from calling for your head?

we’ve done the hot lightnin’ boy coach with RR. It failed. We got the loyalist with Hoke. It failed.

now we have a big time coach who has us in a winning trajectory. A guy who actually seems to give a shit about his kids academic futures. A guy who so far runs a clean program when our chief rivals are mired in serious shit. A guy who has bought in and brought his family here. A guy who brings in the beat coaching talent he can find because he wants to win and doesn’t have a huge ego. A guy who took a team of doldrums under RR and Hoke and has us doing great things...

and you want to piss that away because OSU beat the shit out of us at home. Well, screw you. UM football means more to me than one game.

today sucked. But in the balance it’s small potatoes. OSU feels great but they still have Zach Smith. I’m very proud to be a UM alum, something my dad dreamed of. And I’m proud of the well rounded football program Harbaugh has built. It’s something that will happen over time. It is happening now. We’ll get there. And entering to coaching carousel now is just completely stupid. 

I'mTheStig

November 24th, 2018 at 11:30 PM ^

All that writing, and @JFW cannot answer the questions.

If you're okay with beating up on Cupcake U and losing to rivals, so be it. 

JH is in year 4 and hasn't built shit.  His record is who he is.  The difference between JH and Hoke is Michigan doesn't lose to the MAC anymore.

 

BlueHills

November 25th, 2018 at 1:11 AM ^

Three ten win seasons out of four is ‘hasn’t built shit’? 

I understand being frustrated by today’s game, but we haven’t had a coach this good in a very long time. Yes, OSU has his number. He needs to improve on that and adapt his playcalling, Maybe get a great O.C.

I’ll bet he addresses it with changes in the offseason. Harbaugh’s shown that he will move his assistant coaches along to correct problems. Right now, the offensive game plans aren’t flexible enough to effectively gameplan OSU.

But let’s not talk about throwing out the baby with the bath water.

I'mTheStig

November 25th, 2018 at 1:34 AM ^

But let’s not talk about throwing out the baby with the bath water.

I'm not.  It's called FACTS!!!

Let me enlighten you:

JH against tOSU: 

  • 0-4
  • JH is the first coach in Michigan history to lose his first four games against Ohio State. 
  • The 62 points yesterday was the most allowed by a Michigan team in the history of the U-M-Ohio State rivalry.

THIS HAS ZERO to do with fandom.  It has everything to do with results.

I dare you to debate the record above.

Three ten win seasons out of four is ‘hasn’t built shit’? 

You continue being happy with false ten win seasons of beating up on Hawaii, Western Michigan, Cincy, et al. 

I bet your bedroom is decorated with participation trophies.

RJWolvie

November 25th, 2018 at 7:43 AM ^

The record against all the better teams is:

PSU 3-1

msu 2-2

wisky 2-1

iowa 0-1

bowls 1-2

and, yeah, 0-4 vs OSU

so we’re one of the second tier now, and just at the moment and by the last 4 years head-to-head record, the best of that second tier.

If somehow that doesn’t look like turn around in 4 years to you after the previous 8, well whatever man. Sucks losing to OSU & getting blown out sucks even worse, but if you’re thinking Harbaugh is the problem instead of part of heading in right direction and the best damn option we’re ever going to have, by an enormous margin, then you’ve lost your mind. You are neglecting how low we’d sunk and how much distance OSU, & even MSU & PSU, put on us & the rest of the field during that stretch.

JFW

November 25th, 2018 at 1:06 PM ^

"hasn't built shit".

Here are some facts for you. 

UM Football record 2008-2014: 46-42. The last two years ('13-'14) were 7-5 and 5-7, so things were going downhill. 

Michigan State *embarrassed us* physically and otherwise on the field prior to Harbaugh. 

UM Football record 2015-2018: 38-13. 

Prior to Harbaugh we hadn't defeated a ranked opponent since '06 under Carr. We did this year. 

Let's compare the records of the first four years of Harbaugh to other coaches: 

39-12 -Carr

36-9-3 - Moeller

38-6 - Bo

17-18 - Bump Elliot

Harbaugh has built plenty. 

Throwing him out for blind hope that we find an up and comer, or blind hope that an existing coach can come here and make us instantly successful is S T U P I D. It throws out everything we've gained in the past four years, whether you can see it or not. It makes us a coaching carousel location, and thus less attractive for the type of coach you want. 

You simply don't want to admit how bad we were. You simply don't want to recognize the progress we've made. You simply want a scape goat and a target for your anger. And in the meantime you're advocating cutting your nose off to spite your face. 

I'mTheStig

November 25th, 2018 at 3:33 PM ^

Harbaugh has built plenty. 

Your reading comprehension is about as good as Harbaugh's record against the rivals.

If you're satisfied 10 win seasons with 5, 6 shit teams on the schedule, so be it.

You simply want a scape goat and a target for your anger

Oh, so you can read my mind now.  LOL.  You have no idea what I want.  If you think I have "anger" over a bunch of 18 - 23 years olds, go troll elsewhere.  You're hilarious... you present opinion as fact all the while making assumptions about other people you've never met.

No, the difference between me and you is you're okay with JH beating up on Hawaii, Oregon State, Cincy, and struggling against SMU, NW, and IU... and think that's progress.

I can face it that Michigan isn't elite... and won't be elite with JH at the helm.  You keep dusting off your participation trophies instead.  LOL.

wolvorback

November 25th, 2018 at 6:31 PM ^

You keep using the participation trophy reference.  It’s not getting any more clever with each use.  It’s coming off as you really think it was a good burn on the other guy and it just hasn’t been noticed yet.  So you think the solution is to keep using it and someone will congratulate you on the fantastic dig.  Good job, buddy.  You got him good. 

victors2000

November 24th, 2018 at 5:51 PM ^

Defensively, we were out talented. No one was going to stop OSU today, they were running on all cylinders. A V-12s worth. You and all the other sad saps who think we suck need to remember just how much talent the Buckeyes are playing with. 'Bama is the only other school with as many 4 and 5 star talent as they do; they may have more. Haskins is the real deal, that dude is ready for the League right now. I only hope he leaves else we'll get beat next year. That O-line played like the 4 and 5 stars that they are. Hell, that whole team played like they could. They said this was the year that Coach has his players, well he needs to get more of his players. We were out-talented.

plamonge

November 24th, 2018 at 6:17 PM ^

This.  I watched the product of top physical athletes beat the crap out of us. And it will always be like that I’ve realized.

im not down on the team or coaches. Five and four stars are superior and always will be. This game was my last straw with playing osu. No more, we need to cry uncle and leave this game for good. We just can’t have an automatic beat down guaranteed on our schedule every year. If you don’t like what’s happening then change the situation.  Seriously.