Recap

The sting of the third straight loss will last awhile, and knowing what was at stake for the Buckeyes will forever drive fans mad at what could have been. Ohio State had everything it needed to give themselves the best chance, but it came down to one coach being aggressive, and another coach playing not to lose, and the aggressive coach won this game. There will be decisions by Ryan Day that will be questioned, like going for a field goal and letting the clock drain at the end of the first half when they could have attempted to get closer or have enough time to go for a touchdown if they converted. 

Last year, the post game recap was a vent session, and this year will be similar, so if you want to chime in with a comment or vent, please feel free to do so. This is a safe space, and the frustration of losing to your rival is a bitterness that will carry for another 365 days until next years version of The Game.

The Buckeyes still have a slim chance at making the playoff (which is broken down later in this post) but there is a good chance they will be heading to the Orange Bowl with a shell of a team they had, and it could feel similar to the 2021 Rose Bowl game when they were without Olave and Garrett Wilson. If Florida could have defeated Florida State after giving the game away, or iff Auburn stopped Alabama from their 4th and 31 attempt that resulted in a touchdown, I think I would be feeling a little better about the Buckeyes playoff chances. It still comes down to though with the 4 team playoff format, if you want to make it, dont leave it up to chance, and a win against Michigan would have ended any doubt or discussion. There are a lot of questions about this teams culture and coaching staff as to how in a 4 year span, the Buckeyes approach to The Game is different, and I know that the low hanging fruit is that Ryan Day is not from Ohio, but that shouldn’t matter. Ohio State is as defined by Michigan as Michigan is defined by Ohio State. The Game should always matter.

This off week and off season will be about a lot of reflection on what went wrong, and the defense who had been solid all year were not as aggressive as they could have been, and allowed the Wolverines score on all but 1 of their second half possessions, but the Buckeyes were the more talented team for the third straight year, but Michigan was the more disciplined. This could all be moot if the NCAA decides to strip away the wins and titles from Michigan from this sign stealing investigation, but at the same time, we will not forget each loss. 

Turning Point

The Buckeyes cut the lead 27-24 with over 8 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, but then the Wolverines chewed the clock away and drained 7 minutes off with a field goal to take a 6 point lead. Ohio State has a few key passes to cut the distance, but a challenged throw from McCord to Marvin Harrison Jr was thrown short and was picked off by Michigan to seal the game. 

Stars of the Game

To match what the team does, there is no Buckeye leaves earned in a loss. It was a very close game and the Buckeyes had a chance with the last drive to win it, but ultimately fell short. 

Playoff Picture

The Buckeyes put themselves in a position where they will need help, but it will be a strong possibility they will be left out. For the Buckeyes to make the playoff, they will need to be ranked 5th or 6th this week from the CFP Committee to situate themselves in a position to fill in a spot. They will need Georgia, Michigan, Washington, Louisville, and Oklahoma State to win this weekend, with the key games being Florida State losing to Louisville, and Oklahoma State beating Texas, which would likely eliminate the Big 12 and ACC from the Playoff. If that is the case, then the Buckeyes will be a 4 seed and play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, while Michigan will face Washington in the Rose Bowl. Ultimately, next year, the Buckeyes would have still played Michigan once again for the Big Ten title, and/or put themselves as one of the 12 best teams, but I know the loss of losing still stings. 

Looking Ahead

Ohio State (11-1) will wait to see where they are heading for their bowl game on December 3rd.

Michigan (12-0) will take on Iowa (10-2) for the Big Ten Championship Game at 8pm on FOX.  

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images