Is... is this what it feels like to watch my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Michigan Wolverines?! The last time the boys in Scarlet and Gray got the job done in The Game, Tom Brady was still under center for the Pats, and I still was a somewhat baby-faced guy in his late 20s. Now I'm a crusty, edgy, salty Buckeye in his mid 30s.

And coming into this one, I'd had just about enough of every Wal-Mart Wolverine's smack talk! Those dudes can shove it where the sun don't shine, fire up the PlayStation in mama's basement and cope harder!

Things had gotten so bad that I started to think I was the problem! There's an awesome guy who hosts Ohio State/Michigan watch parties at his place every year with his wife, and they're both Wolverine fans.

I've gone to the watch party the last three years before this. I was beginning to think I was bad luck. But it turns out the Maize and Blue demons just needed exorcised from that place, and he needed to put on a Buckeye jersey after this one. All is right with the world again!

But how did Ohio State counter the bad mojo? How did they get the job done? How did the Buckeyes finally vanquish the Sons of Satan in the Maize and Blue Jerseys? Let's take a look at the Keys to Victory!

Matt Patricia and the Silver Bullets

Can I just say how refreshing it is to see Ohio State's defense continue to play aggressively like they've been doing all season long?

It just drove me crazy seeing this defense play well under Jim Knowles, and then crapping the bed against the Wolverines for whatever head-scratching reason.

The way this game started, I was worried history would repeat itself with first-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. Michigan ran the ball well early and they tacked on a couple field goals to take an early 6-0 lead.

Folks, at that point I was nervous the Wolverines would burn the Buckeyes with a deep shot or big rushing touchdown and go up 13-0 or 14-0. I know Ohio State has the tools and talent to unleash some serious firepower if a big comeback is needed. But Matt Patricia's defense needed to prevent that from happening in the worst way. if they hadn't, I think it might've psychologically broken the Buckeyes.

There's no getting around it: Michigan has been in Ohio State's heads for the last four years. Ohio State has been the better team on paper every single previous matchup, but they either failed to execute, or failed to stop the Wolverines from executing. I was genuinely scared it would happen again.

But instead of allowing Michigan to build on their early 6-0 lead, Matt Patricia's unit shut the Wolverines down completely. 6-0 was the only real lead the they could muster before things drastically swung back in the Buckeyes' favor.

Bryce Underwood, Michigan's hyped up freshman quarterback, was held to just 8-18 for 63 yards and an interception.

Even the Wolverines' powerful rushing attack was held in check. Yes, Michigan ran for 100 yards. But a good chunk of those yards came on an early 36-yard run by Jordan Marshall. Take that run out, and 64 yards rushing is definitely not Michigan's recipe for success.

The Buckeyes held Michigan as a team to just 163 yards of offense, and a combined 1-10 on third and fourth down.

Ohio State didn't have that problem. In fact, the Buckeyes racked up 419 yards of total offense, and excelled in the clutch!

Execution in clutch situations

As a fan, that space before third and fourth down plays makes me nervous. I just get anxious. But Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes were cool, calm and composed all game long. They may as well have had ice water flowing in their veins.

Not only did the Buckeyes go a combined 12-20 on third and fourth down, but Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline also dialed up perhaps the gutsiest call all season long!

With Ohio State trailing 6-3, and staring at a fourth and five from the Michigan 35-yard line, they didn't try to kick a long field goal. They left the offense out on the field. They didn't fake it either. They pushed all the chips into the center of the casino table with the jackpot on the line.

And as soon as he had time to load up and let go, Julian Sayin fired a BEAUTIFUL bomb right to Jeremiah Smith to put Ohio State up 10-6!

That play right there showed me that the Buckeyes weren't playing or coaching timid. They weren't playing or coaching not to lose. They were playing and coaching to win!

They didn't look unsure or scared. That play call on fourth and five sent a message: "We see something we really like. Try to stop us if you can. We dare you!" Michigan couldn't and didn't.

Not only that, but late in the game, Ohio State went on an 11-minute, 81-yard drive, and Jayden Fielding capped it off with a 23-yard field goal right down Broadway to put Ohio State in front for good, 27-9.

It was just one of those tough, gritty, nasty drives that salts games away. Not unlike the five-minute drive that helped Michigan edge out the Buckeyes in 2023. Football is a physical game. The more consistently physical team that imposes their will, wins. That's how it's meant to be played. Ohio State played like that on the game-clinching drive.

The Buckeyes weren't intimidated, scared or conservative at all. They were physical in the trenches, stout running the ball, and our top two wideouts each hauled in a touchdown pass. Jeremiah Smith had the 35-yarder, and Carnell Tate hauled one right in stride from 50 yards out!

Bo Knows Ball

Coming into this game, I admittedly was a little nervous that Brian Hartline would try to run it too much early on before really getting the offense in a rhythm. It's the dumbest thing to try to "out-Michigan" Michigan. I still don't know what Chip Kelly was thinking last year. I think he had money riding on that game...

But the Ohio State offense took what the Michigan defense gave them, played to their strengths through the air, and the running game eventually got going naturally. It wasn't forced.

And Bo Jackson ran with a bad attitude all day too!

I don't know what that Wolverine defender said to him early in the game. But it seemed like it fired him up, ticked him off, and made him run with an edge. He's 6 foot, 200 even. But he ran like a guy that's 6'4 and 240 pounds. He carried the rock 22 times for 117 yards.

His running kept Ohio State in manageable offensive situations for most of the day, and really set the tone throughout the game. He didn't score a touchdown, but he led the charge for a Buckeye ground game that churned out 186 yards on 47 carries (four yards per carry).

And Ohio State kept an interesting streak going: The team with the most rushing yards has now won each of the last 24 games between Ohio State and Michigan. Ohio State had 186, while the Wolverines had 100.

VICTORY! FINALLY!

But the most annoying streak of all is over. The Michigan Wolverines have been a thorn in my side, and the side of every other Buckeye out there. That ends at least for the next 364 days. Ohio State cements a dominant 27-9 win in the 2025 edition of The Game, and inches closer in the overall series, which now stands at 62-53-6 in favor of the Wolverines.

The next game? November 28th, 2026 at the Horseshoe in Columbus.

Until then, bask in this one. Savor it! Revel in it! The Buckeyes not only defeated the Wolverines, but they punched their ticket to Indianapolis and the Big Ten Championship Game on December 6th, 2025 against the second-ranked Indiana Hoosiers! Party this one up!

GO BUCKS!

Statistical Leaders

Julian Sayin: 19-26, 233 yards, 3 TDs, INT.

Bo Jackson: 22 carries, 117 yards

Carnell Tate, 5 catches, 82 yards, TD

Source

ESPN

Picture Credit

espn.com