The Ohio State Buckeyes college football team suffered a close loss to their longtime rival, the Michigan Wolverines, in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Nov. 25, with a final score of 24-30.
This was the 119th matchup between these Big Ten Conference teams, often called, “The Game,” for its importance in the college football world. However, this game was different, as the head coach for the Wolverines, Jim Harbaugh, was not on the sidelines. He served a three-game suspension from the Big Ten so that the conference would end an investigation into a sign stealing scandal.
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, a junior from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, threw for 271 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
“It hurts, I mean, that, that’s really the only word for it. You know in order to work that hard for, you know, that opportunity and just to come up if you play short hurts and then…you know, so it’s, it’s a tough feeling,” McCord said in the postgame press conference.
A standout player for the Buckeyes was wide receiver Marvin Harrision Jr., the son of the great Marvin Harrison. Harrison Jr. had five receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown.
“Yeah um I mean just a lot of emotions uh you knew at that point the game was over and everything you worked for this year all the goals that you had you weren’t going to accomplish them,” Harrison Jr. said in the postgame press conference.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day had a rough time at the game, having already lost two of the previous matchups to Michigan. Coach Day had some questionable calls, as he seems to change up his coaching style when he plays against the Wolverines.
“We’re all disappointed but we know what this game means to so many people and so to come up short is certainly crushing, not only because you invest your whole year in it, [but] we know at Ohio State what this game means and so…there’s a locker room in there, it’s devastated and it wasn’t a lack of effort, but again you know we didn’t win the rushing yards we didn’t win the turnover battle so you’re not going to win the game,” Day said in a postgame presser.
In contrast, the Wolverines had a great game. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw for 148 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.
“It felt amazing physically, mentally, spiritually. It’s just so happy to get it done with the boys, it’s nothing better but so much respect to Ohio State, they’re a great group of guys, great team and they played their hearts out,” McCarthy said to Jenny Taft of Fox Sports right after the win.
Standout players included running back Blake Corum, who had twenty two carries for eighty eight yards and two touchdowns, defensive back Will Johnson with one eighteen yard interception, and running back Donovan Edwards, who had ten carries for thirty one yards and 34 passing yards in the game.
“I’ve never felt better, y’know, going in game twelve you know and just how we prepared the team prepared well…and we came together and we’re able to get the job done, man but you know but the job’s not finished you know what I said at the beginning of the year I meant so we have a lot of practice to do and we got a lot to look forward to next week,” Corum said to Brad Galli of WXYZ-TV Detroit.
The interim head coach was offensive coach Sherrone Moore, due to Jim Harbaugh’s three-game suspension from the Big Ten.
“It is what it is. Michigan University, we love you. The fans, the players, this is all about the players. Coach Harbaugh, we got your back, baby. That was for you,” Moore told Taft.
Many OBHS students were heartbroken over the loss, especially die hard fans of the Buckeyes.
“Ryan Day isn’t a good offensive play caller and the refs had some terrible calls too. Marvin Harrison [Jr.] deserved better at Ohio State,” Ceylon Wise ‘27 said.
Some students had rather harsh comments about the team, cited by their deep frustration with the recent lack of wins for this specific game.
“How in the world have we sold three years in a row?” Ethan Grether ‘25 said.
