Following No. 3 Michigan’s monumental 30-24 victory over No. 2 Ohio State, the Wolverines’ record-breaking crowd of more than 100,000 fans stormed the field.
Rod Moore’s interception in Michigan territory with 25 seconds left sealed the Wolverine’s third straight victory over their archrivals.
The fact that Wolverines head coach John Harbaugh was not on the sidelines due to a suspension made the win an even bigger achievement for Michigan in a game that will likely go down as one of the biggest wins in program history.
Several players from the Michigan team were photographed celebrating with fans as they tried to break through the maddening scenes of joy.
Despite the win, it wasn’t all smiles for the Wolverines, as offensive linesman Zak Zinter was carted off after suffering an injury so gruesome that the FOX broadcast refused to show a replay.
More than 100,00 Michigan Wolverines fans stormed the field after beating Ohio State
Some of the team’s players were photographed celebrating the huge win with fans
The Wolverines’ JJ McCarthy, a third-year quarterback who was able to leave Michigan without ever losing to Ohio State, said Harbaugh’s message to the team Friday night was a reflection of his old coach, the late Bo Schembechler:
“The whole mantra: the team, the team, the team,” McCarthy said. He said Harbaugh told them, “We are that team.”
Moore’s choice caused a celebration on the home side’s sidelines. McCarthy took a knee, Michigan fans poured over the brick walls onto the field and the Wolverines (12-0, 9-0) headed to their third straight Big Ten title game.
In a season of high expectations that now has a championship-or-bust feel, Michigan is one win away from a third consecutive College Football Playoff appearance.
For head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1), it’s another year of lamenting a loss in the biggest game on the schedule for Ohio State and wondering what happened to the program that lasted a decade . and a half dominates Michigan.
The day is now 1-3 against the Wolverines. Before taking over for Urban Meyer, Ohio State had won seven straight and fourteen of fifteen against Michigan.
“We’re all disappointed,” Day said. ‘We know what this game means to so many people. Coming up short is crushing.”
McCarthy went 16 for 20 for 148 yards and a touchdown.
“In critical situations, I’m going to put the ball out of your hands,” offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore said, telling McCarthy before the game.
Michigan offensive lineman Zak Zinter was carted off the field with a gruesome leg injury
The 119th Ohio State-Michigan game was guaranteed to be memorable even before it started.
With Michigan under investigation by the NCAA over allegations of personal scouting and sign stealing and Harbaugh completing a three-game suspension imposed by the Big Ten, the circumstances surrounding The Game are historically unprecedented.
“There are a lot of thoughts and things I would like to say, but all I know is this team is as good as any team in the country and they prove it every week,” said Sherrone Moore, who plays Harbaugh substitutes for the fourth time this season.
The sign-stealing scandal has led fans across the Big Ten, especially in Columbus, Ohio, to question Michigan’s resurgence under Harbaugh over the past two years.
‘No one cried. No one was complaining,” Corum said. “The job has to be done no matter what.”
The only sign of Harbaugh was on the pre-game video board montage. Moore seemed to be making all the right moves.
Michigan went 3 for 3 on fourth downs, deployed its backup quarterback for a few plays to gain 22 yards on the ground and ran a halfback pass to set up a fourth-quarter field goal that put Michigan up 10 .
After Ohio State cut the lead to 27-24 with 8:05 left on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Kyle McCord to All-American Marvin Harrison Jr., Michigan ran seven minutes off the clock and James Turner kicked a 37 -yard field goal to make it 30-24 with 1:05 to go.
“We have to get off the field,” Day said.
McCord, Harrison and the Buckeyes had 1 minute to travel 81 yards without timeouts. They reached the Michigan 37 before McCord’s second interception of the day on a shaky pass to Harrison capped it off.
Roman Wilson #1 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates after the official review for the touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second quarter
As expected with two of the best defenses in the country, it took a while for the offenses to get going.
Will Johnson picked off McCord deep in Ohio State territory to set up a four-inch touchdown dive off Corum. Michigan converted two more fourth-and-shorts on a touchdown drive that ended when McCarthy threaded a needle to Roman Wilson from 22 yards out.
The Buckeyes weren’t sure if Wilson would last, but the call was confirmed by a video review.
In desperate need of a response, down 14-3 in the second quarter, Ohio State marched 73 yards and McCord hit Emeka Egbuka for a 3-yard score.
That’s how it went to the half after Day passed a fourth-and-2 from the Michigan 34 with less than a minute left in the second quarter, opting to attempt a 52-yard field goal that went wide left as time passed.
After Michigan opened the second half with a 50-yard field goal by Turner, Ohio State asserted itself with a 75-yard drive and topped it off with eight straight runs and a tying 3-yard touchdown by TreVeyon Henderson.
McCord was 18 for 30 for 271 yards.
Then it was Michigan’s turn for a long drive that Corum capped with a 22-yard touchdown, his school-record 22nd of the season.