Undefeated Ohio State will take on undefeated Indiana in the Big Ten championship game after the Buckeyes’ win over Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Gregory Shamus via Getty Images)
Michigan’s four-game winning streak over Ohio State is over.
The No. 1 Buckeyes moved to 12-0 with a convincing 27-9 win over the No. 15 Wolverines. It’s Ohio State’s first win over Michigan in 2,191 days — remember, the 2020 game was canceled — and the first victory against the Wolverines for any player on the Ohio State roster.
Advertisement
Michigan simply didn’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with Ohio State. The Buckeyes effectively ended the game in the third quarter when QB Julian Sayin found Carnell Tate wide open for a 50-yard TD in the snow and a 24-9 lead.
It was Tate’s first game back since the start of November. He’s been one of the best deep threats in college football all season, routinely making deep catches like he did against Michigan. Star WR Jeremiah Smith returned from injury on Saturday too, and he caught a 35-yard TD on fourth down in the first half that may or may not have actually been a score.
Michigan punted the ball away on its next drive and Ohio State then ended any chance of a comeback. The Buckeyes only added a field goal on the drive, but Ohio State went 81 yards in 20 plays and took 11:52 off the clock.
Advertisement
As Ohio State’s offense is led by two star wide receivers and a Heisman front-runner at quarterback, another standout emerged too. Freshman RB Bo Jackson rushed for 117 yards on 22 carries as he continued to establish himself as the lead rusher in the Ohio State backfield.
It was the ninth straight game that Jackson had at least 10 carries and the fourth time in the last five games that he eclipsed the 100-yard mark.
The victory also sets up a Big Ten title game between 12-0 Ohio State and 12-0 Indiana. The two programs are the last two undefeated schools at the top level of college football and the winner of next weekend’s game will get the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff after No. 3 Texas A&M’s loss to No. 16 Texas on Friday night.
The loser, however, is also likely to secure a bye as it’s hard to see how the committee will drop a 12-1 team below fourth in the rankings.
Advertisement
A cathartic win for Ohio State
Even as Ohio State stormed through last year’s playoff as a No. 8 seed to win the national title, the losses to Michigan have haunted Ryan Day. That playoff run after a 13-10 loss as a three-score favorite was a much-needed boost for Day, even as his win percentage at Ohio State is nearly .900.
That 2024 team was national championship or bust with star players like TreVeyon Henderson and Emeka Egbuka returning, and Caleb Downs (Alabama) and Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss) arriving via the transfer portal. But after the loss to Michigan and the ensuing fight on the field, it was hard to see how Ohio State was going to win four games for a national title.
Instead, the Buckeyes easily beat Tennessee before blowing out Big Ten champion Oregon and taking down Texas and Notre Dame for the title.
Advertisement
Fourteen players off that title-winning team were taken in the 2025 NFL Draft and both coordinators left for other jobs. Yet this Ohio State team may actually be better than it was a season ago. After Sayin threw an interception on the Buckeyes’ first drive and they trailed 6-0, it was Ohio State’s largest deficit of the season.
The Buckeyes defense has been the best in the country and showed why on Saturday. Every time Michigan even thought about a touchdown, the offense stalled. The three first-half field goals the Wolverines had to kick put them at an 11-point halftime disadvantage.
The offense, meanwhile, is more dangerous down the field with Sayin at QB. He’s on track to break Bo Nix’s single-season completion record of 77.4% and was 19-of-26 passing for 233 yards and three touchdowns against Michigan.
Michigan’s 2026 goal: Bryce Underwood’s growth
The Wolverines could have snuck into the College Football Playoff with a win over Ohio State. Instead, Michigan’s focus turns to a bowl game and the 2026 season.
Advertisement
Figuring out a more dynamic offense for QB Bryce Underwood should be the Wolverines’ biggest goal. Underwood was one of the most prized recruits in the class of 2025 and chose his home state school Michigan over LSU.
Underwood has shown flashes throughout the season. But he was overmatched on Saturday and Michigan’s offense didn’t have an answer for Ohio State’s attack. It didn’t help that the Buckeyes ran significantly more plays than the Wolverines, but Ohio State ran more plays because it was able to consistently move the ball. Michigan was not.
As Underwood gets better, so will Michigan’s offense. But how much will the Wolverines’ offensive philosophy evolve in Sherrone Moore’s third season? That could hold the key to just how good Michigan can be next year and beyond.