Ohio State suffers biggest upset in The Game vs. Michigan since John Cooper's Buckeyes of the 1990s
The Michigan Wolverines pulled off the unthinkable on Saturday, upsetting the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus despite being amid a nightmare season. The Wolverines were 21-point underdogs, and I'd wager that most viewers thought the Buckeyes would cover. Instead, Michigan outcoached and outplayed a veteran rival in The Game. Now, with four straight wins and […]
The Michigan Wolverines pulled off the unthinkable on Saturday, upsetting the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus despite being amid a nightmare season. The Wolverines were 21-point underdogs, and I'd wager that most viewers thought the Buckeyes would cover. Instead, Michigan outcoached and outplayed a veteran rival in The Game.
Now, with four straight wins and clearly breaking the Buckeyes' mentality over that span, the fallout in Columbus could be severe. But before moving forward, we're contextualizing just how big Ohio State's loss was within the rivalry. This wasn't just a 13-10 defeat that brought the worst out of both teams after.
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Here’s what happened after the game.
In terms of being a betting underdog, the Buckeyes had not lost to Michigan with a spread as large as this one since 1996. John Cooper's Buckeyes were ranked No. 2 and hosted No. 21 Michigan in Columbus. Michigan was a 19-point underdog but prevailed in a 13-9 win.
The three-loss Wolverines won with backup quarterback Brian Griese under center, coming back from a nine-point halftime deficit to win.
For Cooper, it was business as usual. While he created regular-season powerhouses, Michigan had his number. He was 2-10-1 against the Wolverines throughout his tenure, ending national championship aspirations in half of those losses.
Outside of The Game, Cooper was a tremendous positive for the program. But he could not get over the hump regardless of the insane talent that went on to star in the NFL after being All-American in college.
If that sounds like Ryan Day, then you'd be spot on with the comparison. And Day isn't helping himself with the narrative.
Michigan, under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore, deserves all of the credit. Going into Columbus with a mediocre roster, overcoming several bad interceptions, and still winning with their brand of football is remarkable. This is the stuff that rivalry legends do.
However, like Cooper, Day is failing when it matters the most for the Buckeyes. He's now 1-4 against Michigan and has not won since Jim Harbaugh called his program soft. Instead of playing his game and staying aggressive, Day continues to try to outmuscle a team that has a stronger will and physical play style.
It hasn't worked, and change is needed somewhere.
For Michigan, this was the perfect way to cap off a season where they righted a ship that was rudderless. Bryce Underwood is coming soon, and the 5-star quarterback will usher in a more exciting and effective offense.
