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Knowles dared JJ to beat them with cover zero.

Harbaugh managed to “break” Ryan Day with his comments last year.  He has truly created John Cooper 2.0, and it all started with Covid year.

Day has been so intensely focused on running the ball and stopping the run- all season- that he abandoned who he, their identity, how they got there.  If you win- who cares if your a “ finesse” team?  You recruited great skill players.  That doesn’t mean they are not tough.

That’s what made the game so hard to watch.  You could see it on the players and staff of the UM players- after Corum went out and Michigan couldn’t run it at all.  They knew they were in trouble. 

Then OSU had them in 3rd and nine in their own territory, and played a blitz with zero safeties back. UM hits that little out pass, needs to break one tackle and ties the game at 10. 

That breathed life into the UM bench, and planted the first seeds of doubt in the OSU bench.

Unbelievably- and Klatt said this- OSU did not change up their defensive scheme.  The ONLY thing that could really hurt OSU was deep balls. Yet they stayed with and gave up another. Johnson was so wide open that even a floating wobbler that made him have to slow down and wait- was still an easy TD. Again- more belief on one side of the field, and doubt on the other.

Still- a very close game at half.  But somehow, inexplicably- Knowles starts the second half with the same cover Zero- and again, UM gets a TE waaaayyy behind the defense.    Another easy throw any HS QB could make, and a lead UM would never relinquish. As Booger McFarland and Klatt said- all OSU needed to do was play a tight zone- make JJ throw into tight windows and drive the whole field, something he struggled with all season.

Meanwhile- Day turtles up and wants to prove how tough they are, and run.  He never attacked with his prized assassin of a QB/WRs.  He made OSU easy to defend.

you could read the players faces and the coaches faces and the game is pretty much over at that point.  The long runs at the end we’re nothing more than adding salt in a wound, and ironically was Michigan’s offensive coordinator taking advantage of the cover zero by motioning a player and leaving the right edge totally unguarded past the line of scrimmage. It was so bad that they ran that play three times. Got long touchdowns on two of them and almost broke one for a long touchdown in between.  And still- Knowles never changed the defensive play calls.

Congratulations to you Michigan folks and I mean that sincerely. The game yesterday was an eerie reminder of the Cooper years for those of us who were fans back then. Ohio State clearly had the horses to beat Michigan and probably substantially. But the coaches choked up and their tense approach to this game and the in game results made the players choke up as well.

Harbaugh, in three short years ( and I include the Covid year as that’s what started it) Has turned his weakness into his strength. He was 0-5
Versus OSU. Now he is 2-5, but clearly owns the space in Day’s head. You have to tip your hat to him. 

He created a self fulfilling prophecy in Day’s head.

also some quick thoughts on this one: 

seems like for YEARS that Ohio St has had better RBs than Michigan by a wide margin. Mike Hart was the last legit elite level college RB that Michigan had and he was a 6th rd pick bc he was 195 pounds and ran 4.7. That was back in 2007. 15 years ago. And right before him was Chris Perry in 2003 who was a 1st rd pick. So that’s like two LEGIT RBs in like 20 years.

That has shifted. This team has two LEGIT future NFL RBs on its roster right now in Corum and Edwards and both guys are better than any RBs on OSU roster by a good margin imo. 

Go read the OSU forums lol.  More than half want him gone now. 

yes- like all fan bases- they are overreacting and have been spoiled by 2 decades of dominance in the series.  I certainly don’t agree with them. 

The way the game unfolded is the main thing- it reminded me of the year Ron springs fell and Griese hit that short slant pass for a touchdown.

The players got so tested up they couldn’t function    That comes from coaching.  That kind of happened again yesterday.

The same players who took over every time they faced adversity this season came up limp.  These fans got used to the opposite in these rivalry games with Urban and Tressel.  It was the the Wolverines who stepped up their game- the fans aren’t used to that and are in complete meltdown. You have seen it on your side many times. 

But clearly- it can all be tied to coaching.

I hear. I just think it’d be a mistake to get rid of him even if he loses to Michigan in Ann Arbor but has 10-11 wins. He’s losing a lot, Michigan is returning a lot, and the game is in Ann Arbor.

I WOULD think 2024 would be his put up or shut up year with the game in Columbus and with him having a new QB that he’s developed over 2 seasons.

While true about the running backs, and Michigan does have better running backs in Ohio State by far, I actually don’t think that had anything to do with Yesterdays results. 

Michigans run game shined only when the outcome was pretty much decided.  And that’s my point.  Edwards was a non factor until UM was up 2 scores.  Michigan had defeated them already. Mentally.

I hear ya. Just used to OSU having the much better RBs for years and then having to watch them hit long back breaking runs in THE GAME- like they did with Beanie Wells, Carlos Hyde, Zeke, JK Dobbins, etc., etc.. OSU went on a nice run there pumping out 1st/2nd rd backs. Michigan finally has a pair that I think will go somewhere in the top 2 rounds in Corum and Edwards. I think Corum will go 2nd if he runs 4.4 and is 210ish. Edwards I think gonna be 1st rounder- that kid is speccccial. Problem is- they don't have much in the way after those two and Corum is off to the '23 NFL Draft. Have to try to flip a stud in 2023 or hit the portal hard. 

Thought Henderson was going to be NEXT at Ohio State after that great freshman year- but he's struggled with injuries this year and when he did play this year he doesn't seem any bigger or stronger or more physical or better at breaking arm tackles. Also seems to dance too much and try to bounce everything outside too much. Explosive as all hell but you need more than just that to be a great back. Miyan Williams is a really good but not great back- lacks that top end speed and acceleration that great ones have. Similar to Hassan Haskins- who was a really good back for Michigan- but not quite great. 

I truly think OSU is the more talented team

not sure I really buy this line of reasoning. Outside of WR and QB, where OSU has an OVERWHELMING talent advantage to Michigan (especially WR- and ESPECIALLY with a healthy JSN) - I think these teams are pretty much a push, slight Michigan advantage, or slight OSU advantage in terms of talent by positional units.  

Like I would take Michigan's DBs over Ohio State's. Rod Moore is the best pure safety that Michigan has had in ages. And he's just getting started. He's better in coverage than any safety on OSU's team. 5* CB Will Johnson has flat out balled out as a true freshman. Wouldn't take any of their CBs over him. DJ Turner is the best CB on either team right now. Mike Sainistril- HOLY shit that kid has been incredible at the nickel spot. He is a better nickel than their nickel, by a lot I think. 

The lines of scrimmage are pretty close. Both teams have rock solid OLs. Both teams have rock solid DLs. OSU probably little better at EDGE even with a healthy Mike Morris, Michigan is better at DT. LB probably a wash- both teams have pretty good- not elite LBs. Michigan has the better RBs. Michigan has the better TE depth- especially with a healthy Erick All.

The talent level on both teams is pretty close. Everyone just gets caught up in the QB and WRs because that's what is sexy. And OSU wasn't at full strength there and haven't been all year considering the best WR in CFB is JSN and he's barely played all year. OSU is a different team with a healthy JSN and Marv. Can't double both of them. And while I think CJ is REALLY good- he's also got A LOT of help. He has elite WRs and an elite OL. 

HB, on opposite sides of fanhood, we have traditionally seen eye to eye very often. Your long post describing what happened is so unbelievably similar to my stance with my college roommates last night via group text, who are all Buckeye fans. We share, eerily, almost an identical view on this topic and a couple of your points hilarious stand out to me, referencing Cooper, Day’s mindsets and also the crazy part of them not properly using the QB/WR combo which i saw as the deadliest in the nation.

Also, I pointed out the third down blitz and with no safeties and one broken tackle changing the entire mental state of the Michigan bench and team.

When I saw Corum hobble off the field, I text my brother and said, we are in trouble, we can’t run. I thought Michigan’s only chance to win was either going to be fully healthy Donovan, Corum and Mike Morris with some high winds or crummy weather and seeing Corum go out and no running game, Buckeyes and Day would be smart enough to just show how incredible Stroud, Marvin and Egbuka really are. I’ve talked to my buddies a lot this year and consistently said their biggest issue was a poor coaching Ryan Day, trying to make his team something they aren’t, while completely misusing some of the best talent in the nation. I truly think OSU is the more talented team, but John Cooper has come back with a beard and yesterday reminded me of so many games in the 90’s where the Buckeyes were the talk of the nation, yet stumbled to Maize & Blue.

So we’ll said SM.  It was so noticeable that the announcers kept talking about it. The body language changes with each play Michigan made.

Harbaugh, to his major credit had his team confident but relaxed. They on the other hand had his team so tense they became dysfunctional. How many times did they step on their own foot with critical penalties and critical times?  Their dB have not been great this year but they have not been horrible either, and yesterday they were completely lost and never even knew where the ball was when it was in the air. It’s called panic.  It totally totally looked likeOne of John Cooper’s vintage teams.

So we’ll said SM.  It was so noticeable that the announcers kept talking about it. The body language changes with each play Michigan made.

Harbaugh, to his major credit had his team confident but relaxed. They on the other hand had his team so tense they became dysfunctional. How many times did they step on their own foot with critical penalties and critical times?  Their dB have not been great this year but they have not been horrible either, and yesterday they were completely lost and never even knew where the ball was when it was in the air. It’s called panic.  It totally totally looked likeOne of John Cooper’s vintage teams.

The penalties were bad. The unsportsmanlike were blatant and so were the pass interference calls. Bad to the point there wasn’t even an argument to be made for a borderline call. Ohio State getting the ball at the 50, then suddenly it’s 1st and 35 was crazy. What might have been crazier was punting when it was 4th and 6 and Stroud clearly feeling it. That possession I believe was the nail, especially mentally.