Michigan Cracks Buckeyes as College Football Finishes Regular Season with a Flourish
There will be more football-filled days as the season heads into the home stretch. Don’t expect any of them to approach Saturday for drama, program-altering performances, surprises and sheer entertainment.
If Saturday had been the last day of the season, I would be left wanting more. But able to say, ``OK. It was a great year that had it all. Especially that last day.’’
Topping the list, of course, was Michigan’s 42-27 shocker over Ohio State. There were so many levels to this passion play—starting, of course, with Jim Harbaugh, who had promised last summer to beat the Buckeyes or ``die trying,” finally getting his first win against the Buckeyes in six tries.
Oklahoma State’s back-and-forth 37-33 triumph over Oklahoma also was riveting, especially because what might have been the last Bedlam matchup in Stillwater was quickly followed up by the news that Sooners coach Lincoln Riley will join Traveler at USC.
Couple that with Texas’ miserable season—and the bad karma continues to accumulate over the impending alliance of Texas and Oklahoma with the SEC.
The only thing missing on this magical Saturday was Auburn coming oh-so-close to upsetting Alabama, but muffing the chance to complete a dramatic Saturday hat trick.
I have the utmost respect for Nick Saban. But if any other team had limped past four opponents, there would be no talk of a two-loss playoff entry. Especially because two of them—Florida and LSU—already have fired their coaches.
What is left to be decided? The national championship, of course. Either Georgia will march to the C [championship], adding another numbing SEC notch on what’s supposed to be a national championship.
Or [far less likely], the Dawgs, who have been dominant all year, will stumble. In which case, Kirby Smart’s stock will make like October, 1929.
Either way, not all that appetizing—unless you know how many Ugas have panted Between the Hedges.
Until the championship is decided on Jan. 10—in Indianapolis(!?)—what’s left? Arguing, most likely, about who deserves to join Georgia in the Final Four. Michigan and Oklahoma State are most likely to succeed, with Cincinnati sneaking in at No. 4.
Raise your hand if you’re more excited about Georgia-Cincinnati and Michigan-Oklahoma State than the feast that college football served up on Thanksgiving weekend.
No need to ask about conference championship games. With the exception of Georgia-Alabama, because of its playoff implications, the league title matches won’t be nearly as compelling as last Saturday. Nor will the undercard bowl games excite.
But people who like college football will watch them.
It wasn’t merely that the Wolverines beat Ohio State. They dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
The chinks that had often cast doubt on the Buckeyes’ highest hopes again were in evidence. The defense was torched for five rushing TDs by Hassan Haskins, the most ever against an Ohio State team. And freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has all the ingredients to become a great QB, just looked a little too inexperienced on a snowy, raucous day—especially behind an O line that didn’t hold up its end of the deal.
There was also a rarity at the Big House: Noise. Even though the stadium is the largest in America, sound usually travels up and away in this massive bowl.
Not Saturday. No wonder Michigan fans swarmed the field after the Wolverines’ great victory.
So now Michigan will play Iowa in the Big Ten championship. And barring a miracle by Iowa’s inoffensive offense, the Wolverines will earn their first Big Ten title since 2004. And head off to their first College Football Playoff appearance.
The truest cherry they could put on top of their Ohio State win would be the national championship. And even if they pulled that off, the conversation would revert to how Harbaugh and his squad entered the Promised Land by finding a way to beat the Buckeyes.
A big part of that conversation would center around how Harbaugh got his players to believe. They were sky-high against Ohio State, playing with the emotion of losing eight straight and 15 of 16 to their ``rival.’’
Which was huge. And which will be difficult to muster for their remaining games. That doesn’t figure to matter for Michigan against Iowa, which has an offense only a mother could love. That’s fitting because Hawkeyes offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz is the son of head coach Kirk Ferentz.
And speaking of feeble offenses, Wisconsin, needing only to handle underdog Minnesota to win the West, got just two field goals from its offense, scoring its lone touchdown on a Pick Six in a sleepy 23-13 loss to the Gophers.
With both teams’ running games struggling against two stout run defenses, the game came down to passing. And the Gophers accomplished senior, Tanner Morgan, got it done, edging Wisconsin’s under-achieving sophomore, Graham Mertz.
Even with the loss, the Badgers could have sneaked into the Big Ten title game if Nebraska hadn’t blown a 21-6 third-quarter lead and lost 28-21 to the Hawkeyes.
All credit to Iowa, which blocked a punt for a touchdown, notched a safety and then drove for the game-winning touchdown with 2:58 left.
The loss left frustrated Nebraska 3-9, with eight one-possession losses, an FBS record. More amazingly, the Huskers finished 1-8 in Big Ten play despite scoring 239 points, the same number they allowed. A 56-7 blowout of Northwestern set up the stat, which might be a record that goes far beyond college football.
And so, a weekend that began with Ohio State and Wisconsin as the favorites to meet in the Big Ten championship ended with Michigan and Iowa earning their slots during a roller-coaster finish to the regular season. Good luck to the post-season trying to top that.