Michigan Football: Winners & Losers from the Week 11 Game vs. Northwestern

What an amazing football game it was Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich. It's hard to envision a more exciting finish, as Michigan rallied and then topped Northwestern in overtime.

There were a lot of things to be happy with in this game for both teams, but there were a number of disappointing things as well.

Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from Saturday's game.

Winner: Devin Gardner

This is probably the one that people are thinking about the most, so let's get it out of the way first. Devin Gardner was an absolute hero in this game.

Not only did he nearly throw for 300 yards, but just about every single one of his passes were right on the money. His interception late in the game was one of the few bad decisions.

He also rushed for 47 yards, averaged over five yards a carry and scored two touchdowns on the ground. The quarterback controversy between Gardner and Robinson is now more heated than ever.

Either way, it's great to see that Michigan is completely set at the position for next season.

Loser: Michigan's Defense

This Michigan defense that had been so dominant looked terrible against Northwestern. It gave up 431 yards, including 248 on the ground.

I realize that Northwestern has a solid rushing attack, but giving up 248 rushing yards is a complete and utter embarrassment. Venric Mark was able to rush for over 100 yards, and Kain Colter even had 82. Michigan's secondary didn't look very good either.

Trevor Siemian went 6-for-7 and tore up this secondary on Northwestern's scoring drive right before halftime. Michigan still won the game, but this defense better learn from this and never let this happen again.

Winner: Roy Roundtree

Some people probably still can't believe how Roy Roundtree managed to catch that football. Somebody needed to be a hero, and Roundtree decided it was up to him.

Daniel Jones was able to get a hand on the ball, but it was Roundtree's concentration and determination that allowed him to haul in the catch.

He finished the day with 139 yards on only five catches, which averages out to just under 28 yards a catch.

In what has been a very disappointing season for him, it was great to see the fifth year senior step up in a huge way.

Loser: Northwestern's Luck

I bet Northwestern fans are getting sick of these blown leads late in games. Honestly, this Wildcat team could easily be 10-0 right now.

They probably should've beaten Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State, as they led late in all three of those contests.

This season will end up being looked at as what-if, as the Big Ten title has been up for grabs the entire season.

However, Northwestern's Legends Division hopes are gone, and the Wildcats now must hope for a spot in a New Year's Day bowl.

Winner: City of Ann Arbor, Mich.

This one is kind of strange, but just hear me out.

First of all, Michigan's basketball team kicked off its season on Friday night against Slippery Rock, debuting the new and renovated Crisler Center. The team looked very impressive, as it scored 100 and won by 38 points.

The football team then welcomed a very solid Northwestern squad into the Big House on an absolute gorgeous day. How often do we see sunny days with temperatures that reach the mid-sixties in mid-November here in Ann Arbor?

Well, that's exactly what we had. Combine that with the fact that this game had an unbelievable finish that is still hard to believe, and it makes for the absolute perfect experience.

Not a bad weekend for sports in Ann Arbor.