Ohio State 31, Michigan 20
[Patrick Barron]
Michigan did not lack opportunity, or talent, or coaching. They just lacked a quarterback.
The Wolverines jumped out to a 14-0 lead, held Ohio State to negative-six yards in the first quarter, got 5.5 yards per carry out of their running backs, and had receivers running wide open through the Buckeye secondary all afternoon. The defense forced JT Barrett to be a one-dimensional runner, kept OSU's star quarterback under constant pressure, and eventually knocked him out of the game with an apparent knee injury.
With Brandon Peters and Wilton Speight watching in street clothes, however, John O'Korn missed far too may of those open receivers. When including sacks, O'Korn averaged only 4.1 yards per dropback. His only turnover came at the worst possible time. With 2:47 on the clock and Michigan down four points after a missed Buckeye field goal, Kekoa Crawford settled down underneath OSU's safeties for what could've been a significant first down. O'Korn read the play differently and chucked a deep ball directly to OSU's Jordan Fuller.
"It was an option route," said O'Korn. "[Crawford] did the right thing. It's all on me."
[Eric Upchurch]
There were plenty more reasons the Wolverines lost. The second quarter featured a momentous change in fortune when Josh Metellus let an easy inteception fall through his hands; two plays later, JT Barrett—with, perhaps, an assist from whatever official was in charge of watching Mo Hurst—scrambled 21 yards to make it 14-7.
Michigan's ensuing drive ended with a 23-yard change in field position after an illegal formation penalty negated their first attempt at a punt. KJ Hill returned the next one to midfield—again, with a potential penalty overlooked—and Barrett needed only three plays to tie the game on a 25-yard pass to Marcus Baugh.
The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, though Ohio State took a one-point edge thanks to a blocked extra point. That loomed large when Sean Nuernberger hit a 44-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. It loomed less large when O'Korn threw the interception.
With an average quarterback performance, Michigan wins this game. The gameplan couldn't have reasonably been better; any criticism of Harbaugh or the coaching staff about this game can be mocked with impunity. When it came down to it, Harbaugh couldn't throw the ball for his quarterback, and that proved to be the difference.
"The hardest part for me is you come here to win this game for the senior class and we couldn't do it," O'Korn said with tears in his eyes, before again putting the blame on himself. "It's the worst feeling in the world."
Better days are ahead. This one's still going to sting for a while.
November 25th, 2017 at 4:28 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 6:25 PM ^
Assuming better days await us against our rivals, our fanbase might not be there to see it. There should never be that much red in the stands at Michigan Stadium- that was an embarrassment.
I'm watching Auburn's home crowd right doing their best to suffocate Alabama's young quarterback with noise... Haskins should have been up against the same.
November 26th, 2017 at 7:48 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 4:30 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 4:35 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:51 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 6:05 PM ^
NOW I get it. NOW I know what it's like to be a Cleveland Brown's fan.
November 25th, 2017 at 4:44 PM ^
I'm not numb nor do I go into it thinking we are goint to lose. I'm sure there are lots of other fans that think the same way. I'm proud of the way they fought. We are playing with our 3rd string QB and game them everything they could handle. Chin up - this series will even out as soon as we start to get good to great QB play - and it is coming.
November 25th, 2017 at 5:33 PM ^
May this be the last time Michigan is ever this weak at the QB position. It's so odd that Coach was involved a time that the team was affected by the number 1 QB going down and have to go with an unproven backup as well.
November 25th, 2017 at 5:44 PM ^
Its something Else...face it the program is mediocre and nothing has changed under JH
November 25th, 2017 at 5:53 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 7:04 PM ^
Just based on the choice of words--two ten win seasons follwed by an 8 win season with a 3rd string QB is objectively not mediocre--it's good. That isn't open to debate. Now is it elite, no, nor is it as high as we want to go. But we went from mediocre under Hoke and RR and instantly became good. That is a fact.
November 25th, 2017 at 5:14 PM ^
I'm not numb to it. I was thoroughly pissed at the end of the game. Thought we had a good shot to win it. I'm just now ok to be around the wife and dogs.
November 25th, 2017 at 5:39 PM ^
either
November 25th, 2017 at 4:38 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 4:38 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 6:00 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 6:02 PM ^
see ya.
November 25th, 2017 at 4:30 PM ^
Feel bad for JOK. I can't even imagine what is running through his mind right now. Proud of his effort, it just wasn't in the cards for him.
November 25th, 2017 at 5:24 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:45 PM ^
he and Mettalus lo9st this game..HOK is AWFUL just AWFUl and the worst QB Ive seen at Michigan in 5 decades...Div 2 QB...maybe
November 25th, 2017 at 6:11 PM ^
you're the biggest dickhead i've seen on the board yet today. that's quite a high mark.
November 25th, 2017 at 7:07 PM ^
Honestly, this crosses the line and you are a terrible person. Yes, probably JOK cost us the game and with even average QB play we win. But he is a college kid, not a pro, and doesn't deserve the scorn you throw around. You however, deserve all the scorn we can bring.
November 25th, 2017 at 7:16 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 4:30 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 4:44 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:09 PM ^
You should be thanking us millennials that we even give a fuck about Michigan football given how shitty M football has been in our lifetime.
1-19 as underdogs since 2012.
2 for 17 against OSU
2 fof 10 against MSU.
But sure, we're bad fans.
Maybe the team should actually make a play in a big game so the fans can actually cheer instead of being let down yet again.
November 25th, 2017 at 5:22 PM ^
don't have to tell anyone that you're a millennial. It's obvious by your sense of entitlement and how whiny you are.
You are all very obvious.
November 25th, 2017 at 5:24 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:32 PM ^
I am not going anywhere. You may want to read what your generation posts(fire all of the coaches, the players suck, etc.) and you may want to have at least a reasonable football IQ before you start shooting your mouth off.
I mock you with impunity.
November 25th, 2017 at 5:43 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:46 PM ^
respectfully disagree.
November 25th, 2017 at 5:49 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:49 PM ^
See the thing is, we expect to lose to rivals. You older folks expect Ws hence the "unacceptables"
Don't get me wrong we do the same thing too, but most of us know Michigan will let us down no matter what so it's not as traumatizing.
November 25th, 2017 at 5:58 PM ^
I realize you've had tough luck in your fandom but we haven't, we experienced beating those cheaters year after year, it'll happen again, our friggin' shitty QB lost that game for the most part.
Things will be better and different and you young guns do come off really fucking whiny way too often, toughen up a little bit, I know you can do it, you're a Michigan Man, right?
November 25th, 2017 at 5:47 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:57 PM ^
You think only 10% of this blog is aged 18-34? You're out of your mind.
November 25th, 2017 at 6:00 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 6:04 PM ^
I'd be curious on the age split myself, but its just tough for me to believe that a blog about a college team doesn't have a significant number of college aged people reading and posting on it.
November 25th, 2017 at 6:35 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:40 PM ^
and thanks for reinforcing my point.
November 25th, 2017 at 7:04 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 6:21 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 4:44 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 4:44 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 4:44 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:03 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:12 PM ^
November 25th, 2017 at 5:12 PM ^
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