Ohio State record-setting quarterback J.T. Barrett was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, but the Buckeyes still found a way to beat arch-rival Michigan on Saturday, 42-28.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHIGAN | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| OHIO STATE | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
With Ohio State leading 28-21 early in the fourth, Barrett got twisted up and tackled on a second-down play and immediately stayed down on the field on his back. Cardale Jones entered the game at quarterback for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State got the ball back with 8:25 remaining in the game and a seven-point lead and Jones led the Buckeyes on an eight-play, 80-yard drive which was capped by a 44-yard touchdown run by Ezekiel Elliott on 4th-and-1 to give the Buckeyes the 35-21 lead.
Ohio State went ahead 42-21 when Joey Bosa sacked Devin Gardner and forced a fumble, which Darron Lee picked up and returned 33 yards for a touchdown.
Before Barrett's injury, he was 13 for 21 through the air for 176 yards and a touchdown, while carrying the ball 15 times for 89 yards and two additional scores.
Elliott finished the day with 121 yards on 17 carries with a pair of touchdown runs as Ohio State racked up 416 total yards of offense.
Up next for the sixth-ranked Buckeyes is the Big Ten championship game against the winner of today's matchup between Minnesota and Wisconsin.
GAME NOTES
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MICHIGAN |
|---|---|---|
| 416 | TOTAL YARDS | 372 |
| 233 | RUSHING YARDS | 121 |
| 39 | RUSHING ATTEMPTS | 38 |
| 6.0 | AVERAGE PER RUSH | 3.2 |
| 4 | RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS | 2 |
| 183 | PASSING YARDS | 251 |
| 15—24 | COMPLETIONS—ATTEMPTS | 23—33 |
| 12.2 | AVERAGE PER COMPLETION | 10.9 |
| 1 | PASSING TOUCHDOWNS | 2 |
| 20 | 1st DOWNS | 27 |
| 11 | RUSHING 1st DOWNS | 10 |
| 8 | PASSING 1st DOWNS | 14 |
| 1 | PENALTY 1st DOWNS | 3 |
| 63 | TOTAL PLAYS | 71 |
| 6.6 | YARDS PER PLAY | 5.2 |
| 3-3 | RED ZONE | 4-4 |
| 7-13 | 3rd DOWNS | 6-11 |
| 1-1 | 4th DOWNS | 1-1 |
| 9-84 | PENALTIES | 4-38 |
| 25:55 | POSSESSION | 34:05 |
- Ohio Stadium, leading the nation in average home attendance, packed in a facility record 108,610 people against Michigan.
- Ohio State, on a 10-game winning streak overall, extended its Big Ten record to 24 consecutive regular season conference wins. Florida State has the longest current win streak at 27 victories overall entering Saturday’s slate of games.
- Urban Meyer is the first coach in Big Ten history to go undefeated in regular season conference play three seasons in a row. Ohio State is the first team since Minnesota in 1933-35 to go undefeated in regular-season conference play and the Buckeyes are the first team in league history to win every game in Big Ten regular season play three consecutive years.
- With the win, head coach Urban Meyer improved to 39-3 in the month of November since the start of the 2003 season.
- J.T. Barrett’s pass to Vannett marked the 43rd touchdown he was responsible for this season, breaking Drew Brees’ Big Ten record of 42. Barrett extended his Ohio State record for total offense in a season to 3,683 yards.
- Vonn Bell’s first-quarter interception was his team-high fourth of the season and fifth of his career.
- Nick Vannett’s six-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was his fourth touchdown reception of the season and fifth of his career.
- Barrett’s two rushing touchdowns extended his team high to 11 on the season.
- Darron Lee had a career-high nine tackles after a pair of seven-tackle performances (last vs. Virginia Tech). Lee had two tackles-for-loss, including a sack.
- Lee’s fourth-quarter fumble return for a touchdown was his second this season and the Buckeyes’ third of the year. Lee also scored vs. Navy and Eli Apple took one back against Rutgers.
- Bell’s nine tackles set a career high, topping the eight he had vs. Indiana last week.
- Ezekiel Elliott’s 44-yard run for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was the longest run allowed by the Wolverines this season. He rushed for 121 yards in the win, his seventh career 100-yard game and sixth this season.
- Ohio State scored 40-plus points in the last two games vs. Michigan, the first time in the series between the teams either program scored 40 points in back-to-back games.
- Joey Bosa, a Lombardi finalist and Bednarik semifinalist, added to his Big Ten best totals with two tackles-for-loss (both sacks) on the day. He has 20 TFLs and 13.5 sacks this season.
- Ohio State scored twice in a minute in the fourth quarter to stretch a seven-point lead to 21. Elliott rushed for a score at 4:58 and Lee’s fumble recovery came at 3:58.
