ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was too easy for too long. Michigan was due for difficult, and difficult has arrived, right on schedule.
The Wolverines expended every gasp, every second and every kick to dispatch Illinois on Saturday. The Buckeyes did the same to outlast Maryland, setting up the latest clash for the ages. Michigan and Ohio State haven’t met as 11-0 peers since 2006, and that No. 1-versus-No. 2 showdown ended in a 42-39 Buckeye victory.
Dare we say, this one is even larger? The winner goes to the Big Ten championship game, possibly to face undaunting Iowa. Win there, and it’s on to the playoff. Michigan’s 19-17 victory against Illinois in blustery Michigan Stadium was a display of grit and grimace, and afterward, Jim Harbaugh bubbled with uncommon joy, calling it “one of the biggest wins ever.”
Hyperbole? A bit. But it wasn’t about the opponent just beaten, but the opponent ahead, and the monstrous stakes preserved. The Wolverines and Buckeyes reached 11-0 the hard way, and when they collide Saturday in Columbus, it will take more than grit and grimace. Michigan lost Blake Corum to a knee injury Saturday, although he returned briefly in the second half. While handing out turkeys — purchased with his own NIL money — in Ypsilanti communities Sunday, Corum told The Detroit News, “I’ll be fine. I’ll be back.”
That would be huge. The third-ranked Wolverines were missing other key players, and the second-ranked Buckeyes have been without several stars as well, including receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, sidelined most of the season with a hamstring injury. Ohio State is an early 7.5-point favorite, and while there’s a slim chance the loser could make the playoff at 11-1, no sense debating it because everything changes weekly in college football.
The late-season strain was evident across the country, as some contenders got pushed hard (Michigan, Ohio State, TCU, USC) and others got shoved aside (Tennessee). Now, who’s ready for the next epic edition of The Game? Emotionally and mentally, pretty much everyone.
“We’re better than last year, we’re hungry,” J.J. McCarthy said on the ABC-TV broadcast. “We want it more than anything. We’re going to give it everything we got.”
Michigan snapped an eight-game losing streak against its rival last season in Ann Arbor, and the revenge-minded Buckeyes certainly aren’t holding back.
“Of course we’ve been licking our wounds for 365 days, hearing all the laughing and everything that everybody’s been saying,” quarterback C.J. Stroud told reporters Saturday. “Man, we’re very excited.”
But who’s ready physically? Ah, the tougher question. The Wolverines showed they can play over and through challenging elements (gusty winds, frigid temperatures) and circumstances, with running back Donovan Edwards and tight end Luke Schoonmaker both out, later joined by Corum. Harbaugh had no updates after the game, but the guess is, everyone will give it a shot.
“We'll see,” Harbaugh said. “Knowing our guys, they're gonna want to play, they're gonna do whatever, give it every bit of treatment and healing power they can this week. If they're gonna be ruled out, they’ll be out. If it's on the fringe, I bet you see them attack with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”
Running 'scarred'
Harbaugh delivered his favorite phrase with extra bite and glee after the taut victory over Illinois, when super-clutch Jake Moody nailed the last of his four field goals, a 35-yarder with nine seconds left. Ohio State also went down to the final minute before beating Maryland 43-30, and leaned heavily on freshman running back Dallan Hayden. Starter TreVeyon Henderson tried to play through a foot injury, then retreated to the sideline. Their other dynamic back, Miyan Williams, didn’t play.
Beyond the physical aches, the Buckeyes confess to a year-long emotional angst, since Michigan won in Ann Arbor 42-27.
“I think we’ve been scarred,” coach Ryan Day said. “We’ve been on a 12-game run coming off that game, and we were highly motivated this season to get back to where we are right now.”
Michigan reignited the rivalry and it’s back on, hot as ever. Since the 2-4 pandemic season, the Wolverines are 23-2, rolling with a sturdy confidence, free of nagging doubts. Well, except for lingering concerns about the passing game, which have been deftly obscured by Corum’s dominance.
Harbaugh seems particularly unburdened, determined to wrap his team in the thrill of the hunt. After beating the Buckeyes last year, they stomped Iowa 42-3 in the Big Ten title game, then fell to Georgia 34-11 in the playoff.
The Wolverines haven’t lost their sight or poise all year. Helped by a weak schedule and mediocre Big Ten? Sure. But they’ve won nine of 11 by double digits.
“They're a together team, not anxious, not nervous, they don't play in fear,” Harbaugh said. “They don't flinch. they’re not angry. They play with joy and gusto every single time they go out there. … We’re on a happy mission. It's not a grim mission.”
It got grim for a while against the Illini (7-4), whose defense played up to its top-five national ranking. Chase Brown ran for 140 yards against a UM defense that was missing sack leader Mike Morris, who has an ankle injury but probably will play against the Buckeyes.
Corum also likely will play. After banging his left knee and fumbling with 1:36 left in the first half, he returned for one run in the third quarter, then sat. Edwards (hand) also could be back. In their absence, the Wolverines relied on an array of seldom-used backs, from C.J. Stokes to Isaiah Gash to Tavierre Dunlap. Corum rushed for 108 yards in one half, and his absence emphasized how valuable — and Heisman Trophy-worthy — he is.
In the 25-degree weather and strong winds, Moody’s performance was even more remarkable. One reason he was so desperately needed is Michigan’s sputtering passing game and stalled drives in the red zone. Again, don’t overlook the impact of the cold, and McCarthy did throw for 208 yards without an interception. He needs more help from his receivers, and he needs Schoonmaker to return, as expected.
The Wolverines didn’t cruise, but they were clutch. They converted three of four fourth downs, including McCarthy’s game-saving 8-yard toss to Gash on fourth-and-3 on the final drive. If clutchness is an intangible trait, the Wolverines have it. Toughness is a tangible trait, and they possess plenty of it.
So do the Buckeyes, who feel better equipped to handle Michigan’s physical trenches than a year ago, when Hassan Haskins ran for 169 yards and five touchdowns. Their defense is improved. It appears Henderson could be back Saturday. Stroud’s numbers are down from last season but he’s thrown 35 touchdown passes and only four interceptions.
A lot on McCarthy
The Wolverines can’t match Ohio State’s athletic explosiveness, but that was supposed to be an issue last year, and their power on both sides of the ball prevailed. The conditions in Columbus will be a factor (early forecast: 48 degrees, 13-mph winds, standard nastiness from Buckeye faithful). McCarthy’s completion percentage has dropped the past three weeks, as temperatures have dropped. Receiver Ronnie Bell said the Wolverines have left “meat on the bone” in the passing attack, but nothing that can’t be fixed.
A lot will fall on McCarthy, trying to become the first Michigan quarterback to win at Ohio State since Drew Henson in 2000. Harbaugh calls McCarthy an “iceman” for his coolness under pressure, and presumably, his heat in icy conditions.
“Obviously, we have so many high expectations for us as an offense, especially in the passing game,” McCarthy said. “So there's always going to be questions of why it isn't there, we should be throwing for 400 yards a game. But our identity is a smash-fest, and we love to run the rock, we love to inflict our force on any opponent. A lot of the meat on the bone is still on the bone and it's ready to come off next Saturday.”
The Buckeyes have their own bone to pick. The final step to 11-0 wasn’t easy for either team, which is how it should be. Every week has been a preamble to this week. The toughness has been tested, but as always, the toughest is yet to come.
