Michigan 45, Ohio State 23

Michigan 45, Ohio State 23


November 27, 2022
Donovan Edwards (image via DraftKings)

I was wrong. I predicted a 35-24 Ohio State victory, and it went almost exactly the opposite way. I didn’t expect Michigan’s offense to be able to keep up with Ohio State’s, especially if Blake Corum was unable to play. Oops.

Pound the rock. Ohio State held up very well against the run for much of the game. In the first half, Michigan rushed for just 20 total yards, including just 6 yards on 2 carries for Blake Corum. They also used C.J. Stokes on 2 carries for just 5 yards. The second half turned into a completely different story. An injured Donovan Edwards, wearing a cast on his right hand, took over the game, carrying the ball in his non-dominant hand. He finished with 22 carries for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns. One was a 75-yarder where he outraced safety Lathan Ransom, and the other was a patient attempt where he waited for a crease and then gashed the Buckeyes for 85 yards. Even though Michigan wasn’t successful in the first half, they seemed to wear down Ohio State’s front.

Hit the jump for more.

Big plays galore. This was addressed repeatedly on the broadcast, but it’s impossible to ignore that Michigan struggled to create big plays outside of Blake Corum all season, and suddenly everyone was scoring on long plays. Here’s a list of Michigan’s 6 touchdowns:

  • 69-yard reception by Cornelius Johnson
  • 75-yard reception by Cornelius Johnson
  • 45-yard reception by Colston Loveland
  • 3-yard run by J.J. McCarthy
  • 75-yard run by Donovan Edwards
  • 85-yard run by Donovan Edwards

Five the six scores came from 45+ yards out. Those types of explosive plays seem to come only against MAC teams at the beginning of the year. This type of thing happening for Michigan against OSU is unheard of. (And no, I’m not saying Ohio State is a MAC-level team; they’re very talented, which is why this was so surprising.)

J.J. McCarthy played a great game. McCarthy wasn’t flawless. There were some questionable decisions and some inaccurate throws. He finished 12/24 for 263 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, plus 6 carries for 27 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground. But when there were opportunities for big plays, he made them. Earlier in the season, McCarthy would have overthrown guys like Johnson and Loveland. In this one he made catchable throws to wide open receivers. The first touchdown to Johnson was outstanding, because he had pressure right in his face and threw the ball outside to where only his receiver could catch it. Johnson was able to do the rest as he broke a tackle and he outraced the rest of the defense.

The pass rush was predictably bad. Michigan managed just 1 sack and no other quarterback hits in the game. The one sack came late in the game from Eyabi Okie. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud did force 2 interceptions late in the game to defensive end Taylor Upshaw and safety Makari Paige, but that was in desperation time. He finished 31/48 for 349 yards, 2 touchdowns, and those 2 picks, but for the most part, the defensive backs did a good job of keeping things in front of them. The big exception was a one-on-one fade ball to Marvin Harrison, Jr. against Gemon Green, and Green had pretty good – not great – coverage where it was just a perfect throw and catch.

What a weird path for DeaMonte Trayanum. This past off-season, Michigan was looking for help at running back after Hassan Haskins left. Arizona State running back transfer DeaMonte Trayanum was available in the portal, and Michigan offered him a chance to play running back. Instead, the alum of Akron (OH) Hoban decided to pick the home state Buckeyes to play linebacker. Fast forward to the Michigan game, and he ran 14 times for 83 yards with 1 catch for 14 yards, whereas he made just 12 tackles on the season.

Speaking of position switchers. How about linebacker/running back Kalel Mullings? Mullings played running back in the spring when injuries were an issue, and he looked pretty dang good in the spring game. Jim Harbaugh told us over the summer Mullings would play both, and that was a big fat lie . . . until Saturday. There were reports this past week that Mullings was back to repping running back some. His first snap was a telegraphed short yardage run that we have seen Michigan get probably 25 first downs or touchdowns over the past couple seasons. It rarely fails, but Ohio State knew exactly what was coming and Mullings had no chance to gain a first down. Later in the game, Mullings lined up in an offset I formation for another short yardage run . . . except it was a jump pass to tight end Luke Schoonmaker, which went for 15 yards.

What does it all mean? It means Michigan is better than Ohio State. The Buckeyes have not felt the sweet taste of victory over Michigan since 2019. It also means Michigan should end up in the College Football Playoff, even with a loss in the Big Ten Championship to Purdue. You can’t leave two one-loss teams from the Big Ten out of the playoff, and since Michigan won the head-to-head against Ohio State, Michigan is almost certainly in even if the Purdue game goes south. Michigan has a chance to be 13-0 going into the playoff. The CFP rankings after this week should be something like this:

  1. Georgia (12-0)
  2. Michigan (12-0)
  3. TCU (12-0)
  4. Ohio State (11-1)/USC (11-1)

Michigan has now won 24 games over the past two seasons, the best two-season win total in school history. Go Blue!

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