Countdown To Kickoff 2022: Ohio State Embarrasses Michigan, 62-39
There are many ways to countdown to the upcoming college football season, though none may be more popular than naming the best player in school history by jersey number.
We've decided to do something a little different, though, and will be counting the days until Ohio State's season opener against Notre Dame on Sept. 3 by the number of points the Buckeyes scored in some of their greatest victories.
For example, Ohio State scored 48 points in its win over Utah in the Rose Bowl back in January. That game could very well be highlighted when there are 48 days remaining in the offseason.
We understand that this approach won't allow us to do a daily countdown, especially with higher point totals, but we're hopeful that looking back at some of the more notable games in school history will build anticipation for the upcoming season.
With that said, let's continue the countdown...
Ohio State 62, Michigan 39 - Nov. 24, 2018
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins threw a school-record-tying six touchdown passes – including two to freshman wide receiver Chris Olave, who also blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown – as No. 10 Ohio State embarrassed fourth-ranked Michigan, 62-39.
The Buckeyes finished the game with 567 yards of total offense, the most yards the Wolverines had allowed under fourth-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. The 62 points, meanwhile, were most points Ohio State had ever scored against Michigan, as well as the most points the Wolverines had ever allowed in regulation.
“We just played as hard as we possible could and kept going and kept going and kept going,” said Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer, who was suspended for the first three games of the season for mishandling allegations of domestic abuse against former wide receivers coach Zach Smith.
“Our guys, obviously, showed up and played great today. I’m extremely proud of our players, the way they’ve fought through it … There was some adversity earlier in the year. Not some, (but) big-time adversity, and to come back against your rival and play like that, that’s a focused team that loves each other and cares about each other.”
Haskins’ fourth touchdown of the game – a 78-yarder to fifth-year wide receiver Parris Campbell – was his 40th of the season, which passed former Purdue quarterback Drew Brees for the most in a single season in Big Ten history. He finished the game with 396 yards on 20-of-31 passing.
Campbell caught six of those passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, while Olave, who had just five catches on the season, broke out with two receptions for 48 yards and the two scores, while his third-quarter punt block was returned 33 yards by freshman cornerback Sevyn Banks to start the rout.
“The team we beat today was very good. That was a very, very good team with excellent players all over the field,” Meyer said of Michigan, which came into the game with the nation’s top-ranked defense, allowing just 234.8 yards per game. “The team we beat, that’s a heck of a team we beat.”
The win marked Ohio State's seventh win in a row over Michigan and 16th victory in their previous 18 meetings. It also sent the Buckeyes to the Big Ten Championship Game for the second straight year.
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