The stat that ultimately matters read Michigan 13, Ohio State 10 as Ryan Day dropped a fourth-straight decision to the Wolverines in the Shoe.
There were numerous reasons why Day's program was unable to get over the hump, as 19.5-point favorites no less, against a 6-5 Michigan squad playing without star cornerback Will Johnson and one of the best tight ends in the country in Colston Loveland.
Indeed, the post game autopsy is not a pretty one but here are three of the most important stats leading to another crushing defeat for Ohio State in The Game.
WILL HOWARD TOSSES TWO INTERCEPTIONS
Howard's full statline was bad as he completed just 19-of-33 passes (57.5%) for 175 yards with one touchdown but it was his two picks that killed Ohio State.
The first came with OSU backed up at its own 4 yard line facing a 3rd-and-9. Howard dropped back and stared toward Carnell Tate on a basic out route, telegraphing a pass that Michigan cornerback Aamir Hall picked off at the 13 and returned 11 yards to the OSU 2. The Wolverines scored two plays later to take a 7-3 lead with 12:37 left in the second quarter.
Howard's second interception came on another third down throw but this time the Buckeyes were deep in Michigan territory and threatening to break a 10-10 tie late in the third quarter. Dropping back on 3rd-and-7, Howard looked toward Emeka Egbuka but he was late and his throw sailed behind his receiver into the arms of Makari Paige for a red zone turnover.
The gift of points to Michigan with his first pick and the thieving of OSU points with his second highlighted a very bad, no good day for Howard.
FIVE RED ZONE TRIPS YIELD JUST 10 POINTS
Entering The Game as college football's most prolific team at scoring touchdowns in the red zone (84%) and ranked 7th in red zone scoring rate overall (93.2% of trips), Ohio State managed just 10 points across five red zone trips against the maize and blue.
Ohio State's first red zone trip, after having 1st-and-10 and the UM 16, ended in a 29-yard Jayden Fielding field goal giving the Buckeyes an early 3-0 lead.
The second visit, after facing 2nd-and-6 from the Michigan 19, saw Fielding eventually push a 38-yard field goal wide right from the right hash. The miss kept Michigan in front, 7-3, midway through the second quarter.
The third trip was the only strong one of the day as Howard found Jeremiah Smith for a 10-yard touchdown to cap a 9-play, 75-yard drive allowing Ohio State to tie the game at 10-10 just before halftime.
Ohio State would find itself in the red zone again late in the third quarter, set up with 1st-and-10 at the UM 19. Two predictable run plays later, OSU faced 3rd-and-7. On that snap, Howard threw the noted interception on a poor throw toward Egbuka to turn the Buckeyes away with zero points, leaving the game tied at 10 apiece with 4:51 left in the third quarter.
Finally, after a Caleb Downs interception gift wrapped a 1st-and-10 for the OSU offense at the Michigan 16 yard line, the unit promptly generated <checks notes> zero yards on three plays via a Quinshon Judkins run for no yards, a Howard incompletion to Gee Scott Jr. and a TreVeyon Henderson run for no gain. Cue another Jayden Fielding missed field goal, this time from 34 yards, as he lined up from the left hash and pulled the kick wide left keeping the score still tied at 10-10 with 1:58 left in the third quarter.
That proved to be Ohio State's last chance as the Buckeye offense generated 0 points and 10 yards on seven plays, taking 1:57 of game clock the rest of the afternoon while Michigan mustered three points via 134 yards on 27 plays, chewing up 15:01 of clock. Re-read that last sentence. Or maybe just go take a shot of gasoline instead.
MICHIGAN RUSHES FOR 172 YARDS, OHIO STATE MANAGES 77
The team that rushes for more yards in The Game is now 23-1 beginning with the 2000 matchup. Michigan is now 6-0 in that scenario since then after outrushing the Buckeyes 172 to 77 in its 13-10 victory.
The Wolverines didn't run over the Buckeyes, averaging 4.1 per carry but did enough to keep the ball away from Ohio State, particularly in the fourth quarter when they ran for 77 yards as the catalyst for possessing the ball for over 13 minutes in the decisive final quarter.
Kalel Mullings was the bell cow running it 32 times for 116 yards (3.6 ypc) and a touchdown.
Ohio State's defense entered the contest ranked No. 3 in both rushing defense (90 ypg allowed) and rushing yards per carry defense (2.7 ypc).
On the other side of the ball, Ohio State managed 77 yards on 26 tries (2.96 ypc). Quinshon Judkins wasn't bad, carrying it 12 times for 46 yards (3.8 ypc) but TreVeyon Henderson found no room to run tallying 21 yards on 10 carries (2.1 ypc) with a long of five yards. Howard, a serviceable running threat in recent weeks particularly in the red zone, also found tough sledding with four carries for 10 yards.
With the losses on Ohio State's offensive line and the strength of the wide receiver room, this was a year where it wouldn't seem fatal to lose the rushing battle but when you allow the other team to play keep away for the entirety of the fourth quarter as they run it 19 times and attempt just three passes, you're playing with fire.
