Ann Arbor, Michigan- The Ohio State Buckeyes came to Ann Arbor looking to prove a point. They could not set the tone early, and a pair of costly mistakes by quarterback Kyle McCord sealed their fate as they lost to their most bitter rival for a third straight year. This time by a score of 30-24.
Takeaways:
Ohio State
This one is a tough pill to swallow for the Buckeye faithful. Some will criticize Ryan Day’s decision-making once again. There were a few questionable calls, going for a long field goal as time expired in the first half; punting on fourth and short will always leave a bitter taste in the mouths of armchair quarterbacks. Some “fans” will call for Day’s resignation even with stellar statistics and consistent talent development. I couldn’t disagree more with that assessment. You don’t fire a coach after 63 games with only seven total losses, even if three are against your rival and two are in the playoffs. Conversely, I think it might be time for Ryan Day to bring on a proper offensive coordinator who will call the plays. Promoting co-offensive coordinator Brian Hartline could be the key, allowing Ryan Day to focus more on the overall game plan.
On the other hand, the Kyle McCord era may be over in Columbus. His shortcomings have been offset all season by tremendous firepower and grit. However, this game may have proven all the McCord doubters correct. He threw two costly interceptions, one that would have Michigan start at the 5-yard line, leading to the game’s first score. The other was at the end of the game, sealing the loss. However, had the refs made the correct call, or the ball bounced Ohio State's way (a rarity on Saturday), we would all be singing McCord's praises, vaulting him to the top of the Buckeyes' QB Mount Rushmore.
If the Bucks do, in fact, move on from McCord, it would mark the first failure at developing a quarterback for Ryan Day, who may not have the heart to move on just yet. Columbus is a premier destination, and they could easily lure and land a top-tier quarterback in the transfer portal, setting up a real competition in the spring.
Ultimately, Buckeye fans need to take a step back, process the raw emotions, and come back to the table after next Sunday’s final CFP rankings. Most universities would beg, borrow, and steal (signs) for this kind of consistency from their football program.
Wolverines
Clearly, after three straight victories, the Wolverines have whatever it takes to beat the Buckeyes. Since October, that “it” was thought to be signals and a distinct competitive advantage, and while I still believe that may be partly true, that doesn’t appear to be the only factor any longer. The Wolverines were without their head coach, relying on interim head coach Sherrone Moore, who called a game that was anything but conservative.
Up Next:
(6) Ohio State 11-1 (8-1) will be sitting out the Big Ten Conference Championship for the third year in a row, playing the waiting game. It remains to be seen how much this loss will impact the Buckeyes’ playoff hopes, but it’s not looking good as of writing this article. Should they miss the playoffs, the Buckeyes will begin preparing for their likely New Year’s Six bowl game. Still, in reality, the folks in Columbus will be salivating for the chance to redeem themselves next November.
(2) Michigan 12-0 (9-0) will head to Indianapolis next week for the Big Ten Conference Championship against (18) Iowa 10-2 (7-2) on Saturday, 12/2, at 8 PM, Eastern.
(Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)