Michigan vs. Ohio State: Game Grades, Analysis for Wolverines and Buckeyes
Urban Meyer and No. 6 Ohio State notched a big 42-28 victory over Michigan Saturday afternoon, but they suffered a huge loss when star quarterback J.T. Barrett suffered a serious ankle injury early in the fourth quarter.
At that point, the Buckeyes (11-1) were clinging to a 28-21 lead, trying desperately to hold off the upset-minded Wolverines (5-7). Ohio State surged after its quarterback went down, getting big plays in the run game and from its defense to secure the 14-point victory.
How did the Wolverines and the Buckeyes grade out from the latest chapter in one of college football's greatest rivalries?
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| Pass Offense | B | C+ |
| Run Offense | B+ | C- |
| Pass Defense | A | B+ |
| Run Defense | B- | D |
| Special Teams | B- | B- |
| Coaching | A | C |
Michigan Wolverines Grade Analysis
Pass Offense
It looked like Michigan’s pass offense was in for a rough day when the first four plays resulted in an interception, a four-yard loss and two sacks. But Devin Gardner bounced back, finishing the half with 129 yards and a touchdown through the air. His top target was Devin Funchess, who hauled in five receptions for 78 yards through two quarters.
The Wolverines didn't have as much success through the air in the second half. Gardner finished with just 233 passing yards and two touchdowns—and the offensive line that protected him so well in the first half ended up surrendering five total sacks.
Run Offense
Michigan's run offense was fueled by Drake Johnson, who found lanes and pushed piles impressively in the first half. The Wolverines had 74 rushing yards at halftime, which was a big reason the game was tied at 14.
But Johnson went down with a leg injury on a third-quarter touchdown run, and the running game wasn't the same without him. He finished with 74 yards and two touchdowns, but no other Wolverines ball-carrier finished with more than 21 yards.
Pass Defense
The Wolverines' strength defensively is against the run, but it didn't look that way against the Buckeyes. Barrett had a hard time finding a groove early and missed on seven of his final 11 attempts in the first half. That changed in the third quarter, though, as Ohio State connected on big passes to Devin Smith (52 yards), Nick Vannett (22 yards) and Jeff Heuerman (13 yards) to trigger the Buckeyes offense.
Run Defense
Michigan came into the game with the nation's No. 10 rushing defense, allowing an average of 107.2 yards per game. But the Buckeyes gashed the Wolverines—particularly in the second half—as they piled up 233 yards on the ground. The play of the game came late in the fourth quarter on a 4th-and-1 near midfield. Meyer opted to go for it, and Ezekiel Elliott broke free for a 44-yard touchdown run that sealed the victory for Ohio State.
Special Teams
As big underdogs, the Wolverines could have used a big play (or several big plays) on special teams. Those never came, though, as Dennis Norfleet averaged just 19.8 yards per kickoff return and failed to get loose for a single punt return. Michigan didn't attempt a single field goal, and Will Hagerup had a modest day punting the ball, averaging 41.2 yards on four attempts.
Coaching
Despite Brady Hoke's shortcomings as Michigan's head coach, he always had his team ready to go when it faced Ohio State. The Wolverines entered the game as 21-point underdogs, but they didn't play like it in the first half as they battled the Buckeyes to a 14-14 halftime draw. But the second half revealed Michigan's flaws as it was outmanned and outgunned by Meyer and Ohio State.
| Pass Offense | C- | B- |
| Run Offense | C | A |
| Pass Defense | C- | B |
| Run Defense | D+ | B- |
| Special Teams | B | B- |
| Coaching | D | B |
Ohio State Buckeyes Grade Analysis
Pass Offense
Barrett got off to a solid start, completing his first three passes with a touchdown on Ohio State’s first drive. That’s when Michigan turned up the pressure, and he finished the half completing just seven of 14 passes for 65 yards.
Barrett got going in the third quarter, completing four of five passes for 97 yards. He finished with 176 passing yards and a touchdown before going down early in the fourth quarter, and in his absence, Cardale Jones added just seven yards through the air to close out the game. The Buckeyes spread it around again, as nine different pass-catchers recorded a reception, but no player had more than 52 receiving yards.
Run Offense
Fortunately for Meyer, the Buckeyes were able to move the ball on the ground. Elliott led the way with 121 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries. Barrett also came up big for the Buckeyes, running for a 25-yard touchdown run in the waning moments of the second quarter to tie the game at 14. He finished the day with 89 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, contributing to the Buckeyes' 5.9 yards per carry.
Pass Defense
Gardner came into this game with 14 interceptions, but even more incredibly, he hadn't thrown a touchdown pass on the road all year. The Buckeyes looked to be in good shape when Vonn Bell picked him off on Michigan's first drive, but the Wolverines came right back with touchdown drives of 80 and 95 yards to secure a 14-7 first-half lead.
But Gardner and the Wolverines had a hard time maintaining that success in the second half. They got creative with a trick play to set up a third-quarter touchdown, but outside of that, Michigan had a much harder time moving the ball through the air.
Run Defense
Ohio State's run defense had been gashed in recent weeks as a trio of the Big Ten's best running backs—Jeremy Langford, David Cobb and Tevin Coleman—combined for 510 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
Johnson was well on his way to posting big numbers against Ohio State before a knee injury sidelined him. He still managed to finish with 74 yards and two touchdowns, most of which came in the first half. Outside of him, the Buckeyes bottled up Michigan's ground attack, as it averaged just 3.2 yards per carry.
Special Teams
Much like Michigan, Ohio State failed to break a big play on special teams. A solid punt return from Jalin Marshall was negated by a holding penalty in the first quarter—but even with the flag, it was the biggest special teams play of the day. Cameron Johnston had another solid day, averaging 49 yards on four punts, but it was an otherwise forgettable outing for the Buckeyes.
Coaching
Meyer and offensive coordinator Tom Herman were conservative in the first half, and Michigan used that to build a seven-point lead. The Buckeyes finally got Barrett involved in the running game during the final drive of the first half, which triggered Ohio State's rally. The Buckeyes had no problem moving the ball from that point on, but the coaching staff's tentativeness kept things unnecessarily close early.
All stats via NCAA.com.
David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.
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