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Michigan linebacker Devin Bush (10) and defensive line Rashan Gray (3) try to stop Ohio midfielder Demario McCall (30) in the first half at Ohio Stadium Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, November 24, 2018.(Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -There were close games and difficult calls, bad breaks and talent gaps. All kinds of reasons for all kinds of losses.
But there's never been anything like what happened Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium, where the Buckeyes did not just eviscerate and embarrass Michigan, they stole some of their soul.
And after looking at how far it has come, it's fair to wonder when and if the Wolverines will ever recover it.
It was supposed to be the year, right? It was supposed to be the game that cemented Jim Harbaugh's legacy in Ann Arbor and put U-M on the path to justice. Not to mention the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis next Saturday.
Well, forget all that.
It was a disaster, both in scope and in content.
Not only in the score – Ohio State 62, Michigan 39 – but in physical and psychological dominance, Urban Meyer landed on Harbaugh.
If not now when? If Harbaugh – who is now 0-4 against Meyer – could not beat him this year, when will he?
The Buckeyes were faster, more angry, sharper and better prepared, barely a week away from an almost disastrous performance in Maryland.
The Wolverines, on the other hand, seemed slow and obstinate, like an anachronism. Unwilling to enter the 21st century.
Harbaugh scored the points when he should have been successful and the passes when he should have run. He has rarely attacked the relative weakness of the Buckeyes' defense.
It was curious. But Michigan did not seem ready to play.
Outcoached. Outclassed. Outmuscled.
Again.
Michigan fans will cheer the Wolverines against Ohio State in the first half at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, November 24, 2018. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)
Michigan overrated?
Before playing the Buckeyes, the Wolverines faced two teams with good mistakes. They lost to one – Notre Dame – and almost lost to each other – Northwestern.
Which raises the question:
Was the Michigan defense overrated?
Yes of course. It's hard to argue with the facts.
But it's not so simple. The Wolverines have elite skills at several defense locations, including linebacker, defensive back and defensive midfielder.
The inside of the defensive line, however, does not disturb the pocket as it did a year ago.
This year's tackles are solid stops. But that is not enough against high level offenses. Haskins had plenty of time to pitch because of a lack of pressure in the middle of the field.
Michigan also needs to improve on safety and linebacker. Once again, the Wolverines have good players in these positions. Just enough little speed to manage a team with multiple downstream threats.
Don Brown's presence enriches the defense and the program. He is an aggressive defensive coordinator and his players love to do it.
It's all good. It's just not enough.
Brown – and Harbaugh – have to find a little more difference in defense if they want to win the conference and qualify for the playoffs.
Speed kills
For at least a month, the Buckeyes look fragile, which is strange to say about a team that has lost only once. But do you know what's lost in the story that the Ohio State was struggling as Michigan raged?
Speed.
The state of Ohio has more than any other member of the Big Ten, especially on the offensive.
Meyer has the fastest receiver group he has had since winning the title four years ago. He has a half-square – J.K. Dobbins – faster than anyone on the Michigan list. Parris Campbell Jr., he's just as fast.
The senior speedster kicked off a transfer early in the fourth quarter, sprinted to the corner, found himself on the court and ran 78 yards for a touchdown. The gap between Campbell and the Wolverines defender grew as his race progressed.
Harbaugh has yet to catch up. He will have to do it to catch the Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have owned this rivalry for several reasons over the past fifteen years. The difference in speed is just at the top.
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