The Michigan Wolverines delivered a shocking blow to Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes, defeating them 13-10 at the Horseshoe and sending them into a downward spiral. After the game, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore made sure to get one last laugh over their opponents.
History is written by the victors. When it comes to the historic rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State, the former are the ones in control of the pen and paper.
It was Ohio State’s perfect opportunity to snap their three-game losing streak against Michigan. Ann Arbor’s program came off a deflating college football season and seemed as vulnerable as ever. However, the Buckeyes failed to take advantage and lost embarrassingly at home.
Ohio State’s offense was conspicuous by its absence. Will Howard and his talented receiving group failed to put up consistent drives and were a big reason for the loss. Michigan scored the game-winning field goal with less than a minute left and shocked the crowd in Columbus. However, the most memorable event of the evening took place after the clock hit zero and the visiting players celebrated on the field.
Head coach Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines looks on before a game against the Bowling Green Falcons at Michigan Stadium on September 16, 2023 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
A group of players on Michigan planted a flag on the midfield logo, causing an immediate reaction from the home team. All hell broke loose at the Shoe. It was pandemonium. Punches were thrown and amid the turmoil police officers unloaded pepper spray on some players. It was a horrible look on the NCAA’s most iconic rivalry game.
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It was also a bad image on Ohio State’s players who were dubbed ‘sore losers’. After the game, Coach Moore was asked about the incidents and whether Michigan would’ve shown grace if they happened to lose.
“We didn’t lose. We won. So I’m not going to worry about losing,” Moore answered, via On3.
Michigan RB Kalel Mullings sends strong message to Buckeyes
Kalel Mullings was the Wolverines’ biggest star during their road triumph against the Buckeyes. The running back finished the day with 32 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown. After the postgame’s chaos, Mullings took a shot at Ohio State’s antics.
“At the end of the day, some people, they’ve got to learn how to lose,” Mullings said. “You can’t be fighting and stuff just because you lost the game. All that fighting, we had 60 minutes, we had four quarters to do all that fighting. Now, people want to talk and fight. That’s wrong. It’s just bad for the game. Classless, in my opinion. People got to be better.”
Ryan Day falls to 1-4 record on ‘The Game’
The Buckeyes lost on each of their last four matchups with their rivals from up north. It seems crossing the Ms is not gonna cut it for Ohio State. Day led his team to victory over Michigan in his first encounter in 2019. However, he has lost to the Wolverines every year since.
This year’s defeat is the most deflating, without a shadow of a doubt. Ohio State was heavily favored to win, Michigan came off an irregular season, and the Buckeyes played on home ground. It didn’t matter. The Wolverines prevailed once again.
The frustration on the Buckeyes was evident towards the end of the game and it got out of control as Michigan planted their flag on the field. Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer ripped the flag off its pole and tossed it, causing a frenzy to break out. Day, however, didn’t directly condemn the aggressive reaction.
“I don’t know all the details of it,” Ryan Day stated. “These guys were trying to plant a flag on our field, and our guys weren’t going to let that happen.”
Although it knocked them out of the Big Ten Championship, the loss is not season-ending for the Buckeyes. It will definitely leave a mark, however, and it remains to be seen how the team bounces back heading into the College Football Playoffs.
