Ohio State Routs Rival Michigan to Finish Regular Season Undefeated

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1 Ohio State rival beat No. 13 Michigan 56–27 on Saturday at The Big House to finish the regular season undefeated at 12–0.

Michigan wasted no time trying to make a statement at home against its rival when Giles Jackson ran for 22 yards to score on the Wolverines' opening possession. However, Quinn Nordan missed the extra point.

Ohio State answered by scoring on its first chance thanks to J.K. Dobbins' five-yard run. Both sides traded touchdowns near the end of the first quarter, with Ohio State taking a slight 14–13 lead and leaving questions of whether Michigan's missed extra point would later haunt the Wolverines.

However, the Buckeyes started to pull away in the second quarter, with Dobbins continuing to shine. After he fell forward on a run play, Michigan defensive linemen Carlo Kemp and Aidan Hutchinson trolled Dobbins by reaching over to untie his left shoe as he laid on the turf. They pulled off his cleat just before he rolled over. Kemp received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and Dobbins finished the nine-play drive by scoring his second rushing touchdown of the game.

The Buckeyes continued to capitalize on the Wolverines' mistakes when Shea Patterson fumbled on Ohio State's 16 and Robert Landers recovered the ball. Justin Fields and Dobbins put together a nine-play, 84-yard drive that ended with the wide receiver running for a five-yard touchdown.

On its next possession, Michigan failed to score on third-and-goal and settled for a field goal to enter halftime down 28–16.

The Buckeyes suffered a scare late in the second half when Fields went down after having his left leg rolled up on after a complete pass to Austin Mack. Fields walked off the field under his own power and backup Chris Chugunov came in to connect with Hill for a first down. Chugunov helped drive Ohio State down to Michigan's 30 before Fields returned to throw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson to take a 42–16 lead.

Michigan added a field goal after Wilson muffed the punt and continued to narrow the Buckeyes' lead by scoring on Hassan Haskins' two-yard touchdown run. Haskins went for the two-point conversion to bring the game to 42–27.

Fields finished 14-for-25 with 302 yards and four scores. Dobbins sparkled with 31 carries 211 rushing yards with four touchdowns to record the most all-purpose yards against Michigan by an Ohio State player.

First-year coach Ryan Day recorded his first win in The Game, while Michigan's John Harbaugh moves to 0–5 in the rivalry. The Buckeyes have beaten the Wolverines for eight consecutive years.

Ohio State will face either Wisconsin or Minnesota in the Big Ten championship game next weekend in Indianapolis. The Gophers host the Badgers in Minneapolis on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET.