ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football’s win streak over Ohio State has ended at four.
Behind a sluggish day on offense and defense that had trouble slowing down Ohio State’s explosive passing attack, the Wolverines lost in dominating fashion, 27-9, to the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes.
The loss at Michigan Stadium dashed Michigan’s hopes of vying for a spot in the College Football Playoff field and playing for a Big Ten title.
The Wolverines (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) mustered just 163 yards of total offense to Ohio State’s 419, with Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin throwing for 233 and three touchdowns.
Carnell Tate, sidelined for much of the month of November, led all receivers with five catches for 82 yards. Jeremiah Smith added three catches for 40 yards.
Michigan got on the scoreboard first with a 45-yard field goal from Dominic Zvada, then intercepted a Sayin a pass and added a 25-yard field goal.
But the Wolverines’ inability to finish drives early and move the football as the game wore on became problematic. Redshirt freshman running back Jordan Marshall ran for 61 yards but missed a portion of the game after re-aggravating his prior shoulder injury.
Quarterback Bryce Underwood, while mistake-free, was ineffective: He finished just 8 of 18 for 63 yards passing, and ran for 1 yard.
He had little help through the air, with Ohio State’s No. 1 defense limiting the Wolverines’ receivers. Donaven McCulley caught three passes for 46 yards, while freshman Andrew Marsh was held without a catch.
After the first-quarter interception, Ohio State responded by scoring on five of its next six drives, including back-to-back touchdowns before halftime. The Buckeyes’ first TD, on a 35-yard pass from Sayin, was reviewed after Smith appeared to juggle the ball as he crossed into the end zone.
Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) outscored Michigan, 27-3, to close the game. The Buckeyes capped off the scoring with a 20-play drive that wiped 11 minutes, 56 seconds off the clock.
The Michigan defense had trouble applying pressure on Sayin all game. Ohio State’s redshirt freshman quarterback finished 19 of 26 and worked with plenty of time in the pocket. The Wolverines did not record a sack.
Michigan will have to watch now as the rest of the season plays out. Sherrone Moore’s team is eligible for a high-level Big Ten bowl game, to be determined next Sunday, Dec. 7.
