During the first three quarters of one of the best, most intense editions of The Game that anyone has ever seen, the Ohio State defense struggled to contain the Wolverine offense.
Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight was performing much better than anyone had expected given his apparent serious (?) injury, and while inconsistent, the Michigan running game was able to move the chains on a regular basis. By the end of the third quarter they had built a 10 point lead on the back of a touchdown conversion after an incredibly ill-advised fake punt by Urban Meyer, and it could've been even more had Speight not fumbled at the Ohio State two yard line.
| Michigan yards before Baker INt | Michigan Yards After Baker INT | |
|---|---|---|
| PASSing | 182 | 22 |
| rushing | 66 | 25 |
| total | 248 | 47 |
Then Jerome Baker changed everything.
Snatching a Speight pass out of the air and returning it 22 yards, not only did that interception kill a Michigan drive, it led directly to an Ohio State touchdown two plays later and gave the Buckeyes new life.
Just as importantly, it also signaled the defense beginning to play downhill; including the drive that led to that interception, Michigan had four drives to finish the game that totaled a mere 30 yards. They punted three times and had two three and outs, and including overtime, only managed two more first downs for the rest of the game. Notably, for the entire 4th quarter and two overtime periods, Michigan had 25 yards of rushing. It was a massive turnaround for a defense that allowed a 55 yard touchdown drive at the end of the first half and looked to be on its heels.
And it all started with a relative unknown making one hell of a play.
