What They’re Saying About Ohio State’s Loss To Michigan

Local and national pundits react to the Buckeyes’ 45-23 loss to the Wolverines on Saturday.

Ohio State saw its undefeated season come to an end with a 45-23 loss to Michigan on Saturday. It marked the Wolverines’ second straight win in the series and their first victory in Columbus in 22 years.

Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns in defeat, but also tossed a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions, while his counterpart, J.J. McCarthy, finished the game with 263 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

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Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg led Ohio State with seven tackles, but the Buckeyes’ defense gave up 216 yards on the ground to running back Donovan Edwards, including 75- and 85-yard touchdown runs that turned a 31-23 game into a blowout.

With that said, local and national college football analysts shared some of their thoughts on the game, and BuckeyesNow has compiled some of the best reactions below:

Richard Johnson, Sports Illustrated

“There is no way to sugarcoat it – the Buckeyes got absolutely dominated by rival Michigan at home in the game’s biggest regular-season contest. There is an outside playoff chance for the Buckeyes, but they don’t control their own destiny anymore.”

Pat Forde, Sports Illustrated

“The beatdown in the ‘Bus turns the tables on this great rivalry. Michigan is in charge now. Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh has emphatically taken over after his finest moment yet at his alma mater. 

“His team shrugged off injuries to key players, weathered an early storm, gained confidence and instilled doubt in Ohio State, wore down the opponent and turned a close upset into a second straight rout of the program that once tormented him. The tougher, more resilient, more focused team won.”

Bill Bender, The Sporting News

“Michigan is a tough matchup for the Buckeyes. A revenge game turned into a reckoning for Ohio State instead, but this isn't a (John) Cooper situation yet. That era stretched from the Poll Era through the infancy of the BCS era, and those upset losses to Michigan ended national-title seasons – especially through a particularly painful stretch from 1995-97.

“(Ryan) Day is in his fourth season as head coach. He has a 45-5 record – a 90 percent winning percentage with a recruiting pipeline that pushes out more than enough seen-on-Sunday-talent across the NFL. It's just for the first time since Cooper, the Buckeyes have a worthy adversary in Michigan.”

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

“After falling to Michigan for the second straight year, Ohio State must wait a week to see if it lands a playoff berth as an at-large team. The Buckeyes have wins against Notre Dame (home) and Penn State (road) in their favor, but their second-half shrivel against Michigan certainly hurts their profile. 

“If Ohio State misses the playoff, it will land a New Year's Six bowl spot, although Stroud said he isn't sure if he would play in a non-CFP game. Ohio State should regain some healthy bodies at running back for the postseason, but the team's immediate concern is figuring out what went so wrong on defense in the Michigan loss.”

David M. Hale, ESPN

“The beauty of the showdown Saturday between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan is that it was not simply a matchup of playoff contenders in a heated rivalry game, but such a stark contrast in styles.

“Ohio State is the sports car, all flash and speed with more skill position talent than the average Big Ten team has in a decade. Michigan is a Jeep, a rugged machine designed for brute force. The Wolverines win not by sprinting past opponents, but by running over them.

“While Ohio State was unable to maneuver the foothills in its souped-up sports car, Michigan showed it can sling it around the field, then run it down your throat. And while the Buckeyes were knocked from their place atop the list of contenders for Georgia's throne, Michigan may well have delivered a statement that reverberates beyond Big Ten country. This team is for real.”

Barrett Sallee, CBS Sports

“Ohio State gave up 21 points in the fourth quarter and 530 total yards to a Michigan team that isn't exactly known for its explosive offense. Going into the weekend, it seemed like the loser of this game would still have a legit chance at making the CFP, but that might not be the case after that 45-23 beatdown.”

Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports

“The clock has officially begun ticking on Day. A warmth is just beginning to spread on his seat. That's what happens at Ohio State when fans and administrators, a few hours after being on the precipice of a likely Big Ten championship and berth in the College Football Playoff, see the No. 2 Buckeyes get outplayed for a second straight season by their chief rival in one of college football's most hotly contested regular-season games.

“That's what happens when No. 3 Michigan outmans you in nearly every phase of the game while severely out-coaching you in the process. The Buckeyes fell to the hated Team Up North 45-23, blowing a 20-17 halftime lead to lose The Game in Columbus for the first time since 2000.”

Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic

“There’s no way to sugarcoat it. All season, both teams knew this was going to be the play-in game to the Big Ten championship game and College Football Playoff. It was all Ohio State thought about after losing to Michigan last year. Now it will have to think about a blowout at home for another year, and it has nobody to blame but itself.

“Ohio State had a chance to take control of the game in the first half when the defense forced two straight three-and-outs, but the offense couldn’t get anything going. But despite how poorly Ohio State played, it led by three points at halftime. Nobody came to play in the second half. The defense was terrible. The offense was out of rhythm. Day lost his aggressiveness as a play caller, and Michigan took advantage.

“Michigan had a good game plan and executed, but the Buckeyes will look back and believe they had every chance to take the game. They just never did.”

Max Olson, The Athletic

“The Wolverines earned an awful lot of respect with another dominant second-half display in their 45-23 rout of No. 2 Ohio State. Last year’s game in the snow in Ann Arbor was a referendum on toughness and physical football. This one felt more like a 7-on-7 game at times and was decided by explosive plays.

“Michigan gained 428 of its 530 yards on nine plays. McCarthy took a big-time step in his maturation in leading the program’s first win in Columbus since 2000 and doing so without the help of running back Blake Corum. And once again, an Ohio State team with a roster purportedly built to win a national championship couldn’t keep up in its most important game.”

Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press

“Welcome to Jim Harbaugh’s previous life, Ryan Day. This is the way things go at the top of college football’s food chain. If you can’t win the most important game on your schedule, there will be questions about whether you are the right man for the job.

“For the second straight season, Harbaugh’s Michigan team pummeled Day and Ohio State. Day is 45-5 at Ohio State as Urban Meyer’s replacement, but he is 1-2 against Michigan.

“Under Day, Ohio State has become a quarterback and wide receiver factory. Stroud almost certainly will become the third straight Buckeyes passer to be a first-round NFL draft pick next April. Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best receiver in the country. He is part of a room full of blue-chippers that produced two first-round picks in the last draft.

“The talent doesn’t stop there. According to 247Sports Composite Rankings based on recruiting stars, Ohio State has the third-most talented roster in college football behind Georgia and Alabama. Michigan? No. 14.

“So, of course, it must be the coaching, right? And whether it truly is the coaching is not the point. Michigan (12-0) planted its flag right in the middle of Ohio State’s Block 'O' at the 50-yard line after the game. Somebody is going to be held responsible for letting that happen.”

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