5 things we learned from loss

Here are five things we learned from Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan on Saturday:

There is a real Michigan problem

The sympathetic view of the Buckeyes’ losing streak in The Game was that their setbacks were due in large part to the rise of their arch-rivals.

Jim Harbaugh rebuilt the Wolverines after a debacle in 2020, culminating in them winning their first outright national championship since 1948 last season.

In each of the previous three meetings, the Wolverines were ranked at least No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings, creating matchups of equal Big Ten heavyweights.

But Ohio State didn’t face any opponents in that weight class. Harbaugh left for the NFL in January, the roster rotated with 13 players taken in the draft, and they exited with a 5-5 start to this season. Just last weekend, Michigan even secured bowl eligibility, mired in a transition under Sherrone Moore, who was promoted to replace Harbaugh at the helm of the program.

However, the tenor of the rivalry hardly changed. The Buckeyes suffered their fourth straight loss as coach Ryan Day’s record fell to 1-4 in the series.

As in previous defeats, they couldn’t find an end in the final minutes. Michigan running back Kalel Mullings bounced off a bunch of defensive linemen, gained 27 yards and reached Ohio State’s 17-yard line, setting up the Wolverines for their game-winning field goal.

It was the first time since 1993 that the Buckeyes lost to an unranked Michigan team and only the eighth time in the Associated Press poll era that began in 1936.

Even though the quality of competition in this rivalry is decreasing, the results have not changed.

The trenches are of utmost importance

In each of the four straight losses to Michigan, the Buckeyes have been outrebounded on the ground.

Their recent fate was no exception. The Wolverines ran for 172 yards. The Buckeyes accumulated 77 rushing yards, their fewest in the game since 2021.

Even when Day hired Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator and left the game management to his coaching mentor, the problem persisted.

Nine of the 22 runs between running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins were stuffed with no gain or loss of yards. Only two went longer than 10 yards.

The impact of losing potential All-America center Seth McLaughlin, who tore his Achilles tendon a week earlier, wasn’t felt against Indiana.

This was accomplished against Michigan, which had a defensive tackle tandem of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant that made it difficult for the interior of the offensive line to control the line of scrimmage.

“We have to run the ball, especially in this game,” Day said. “We didn’t succeed. We tried a few different schemes. Couldn’t quite get into the rhythm.”

The Buckeyes might have been better off picking up the tempo, as they did on their only touchdown drive late in the second quarter, when they covered 75 yards in under two minutes and picked up nearly all of it, with quarterback Will Howard taking the lead talent based on their ability position.

But they still needed better support from their ground game.

Special teams remain a factor

It was late in the second quarter when Michigan’s Dominic Zvada attempted a 54-yard field goal.

Zvada’s attempt went just over the crossbar, allowing him to remain perfect on field goals of 50 or more yards this season.

The leg of Zvada, who also made the game-winning 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left, contrasted with Ohio State’s Jayden Fielding, who missed attempts from 38 and 34 yards after making his first from 29 yards .

Fielding’s inconsistency wasn’t the Buckeyes’ only problem on special teams.

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Henderson mishandled the opening kickoff of the second half, causing them to start a drive at their 6-yard line instead of the 25-yard line when he had at least signaled a fair catch.

There was also Joe McGuire’s 31-yard punt that gave Michigan possession at the Buckeyes’ 39-yard line in the second quarter. The Wolverines gained just 3 yards before Zvada made his 54-yard field goal.

Ohio State lost hidden yards. The average starting position on the field was the 28-yard line, while Michigan’s position was 36.

The defense deserved better

One of the lasting images of this chapter of the rivalry will be Mullings’ 27-yard run in the fourth quarter.

But the Buckeyes’ loss shouldn’t be blamed on their defense.

Michigan’s first two scoring drives were largely the result of favorable field position. The Wolverines gained just 5 total yards on those possessions in the first half.

The Buckeyes also made several stops deep in their own territory.

They had a goal-line stand early in the second quarter when they stuffed Mullings at their 3-yard line for no gain.

Defensive end Jack Sawyer also intercepted quarterback Davis Warren on the doorstep of the goal line in the fourth quarter.

Between Sawyer’s interception and one by safety Caleb Downs early in the third quarter, it was the first time they forced two turnovers against the Wolverines since their last win at Michigan in 2019.

They just never capitalized.

Determination is required

Ohio State could potentially win the national championship in seven weeks.

The loss to the Wolverines prevented the Buckeyes from reaching the Big Ten Championship Game, but did not push them out of the College Football Playoff race.

There’s a good chance the Buckeyes, who were No. 2 in the selection committee’s rankings last week, will play in a first-round game on Dec. 20 or 21.

After expanding the group to 12 teams, losses are more forgivable. Even in a bitter rivalry, this is the new reality of this era.

But Day must rebuild a locker room that has hit rock bottom and navigate a more challenging postseason path that involves winning four straight playoff games to win the sport’s biggest prize.

The players said the right things after the loss.

“We need to lick our wounds and regroup,” linebacker Cody Simon said, “but nothing hurts more than this.”

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5 things we learned from loss

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