The latest edition of The Game on Saturday provided numerous moments open to reflection and debate. However, in a clash where the outcome would define the teams' seasons, the most poignant and crucial display of heroics was an arduous 12-play, 56-yard drive that consumed seven grueling minutes, culminating in a field goal.
Michigan's final drive lacked flair. Despite dancing on the edge throughout the game—going for it on fourth down thrice, having the tailback throw deep balls, and rallying behind an O-line missing its key player—it showcased sheer, unadorned toughness.
For three-and-a-half quarters, Michigan toyed with Ohio State. Despite never trailing, the Wolverines couldn't break away. They landed punches, but Ohio State kept rising from the canvas. The question lingered: Were the teams evenly matched, or had Michigan been holding back its true strength until it truly mattered? The concluding drive provided a resounding answer.
Ohio State's frustrated fan base might search for various explanations for their once-dominant program's decline—Ryan Day's alleged incompetence, Michigan's supposed cheating, or some kind of curse. Yet, the truth boiled down to this: when the stakes were highest, the Wolverines were relentless, and the Buckeyes succumbed.
The field goal at the drive's conclusion gave Michigan a six-point lead, sufficient as Rod Moore intercepted Kyle McCord to secure the 30-24 victory. J.J. McCarthy performed adequately, with 148 yards and a touchdown, marking the third consecutive game where Michigan won with its QB throwing for less than 150 yards. Blake Corum excelled in short-yardage situations, and while the defense was resilient, Ohio State out-gained the Wolverines. Despite a notable performance by Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State's Heisman contender, Michigan prevented him from dominating the game.
In many respects, this was death by a thousand paper cuts for Ohio State—slow, agonizing, and torturous. A satisfying outcome for Michigan fans.
While not an emphatic win, this victory showcased that there is no magic formula to defeat the Wolverines. Even when nothing seemed to click seamlessly, everything worked well enough.
In the sixth game of the year, Michigan found itself without its head coach on the sideline, yet Jim Harbaugh's supremacy over Ohio State seemed more assured than ever. Somewhere in his secret lair at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, he must have been gleefully stroking a cat and cackling as the final seconds elapsed.
What follows is potentially even more intriguing.
Michigan is poised to move forward eagerly. With Moore's interception marking the end of Harbaugh's suspension, the Wolverines' pursuit of a national title recommences in the Big Ten title game.
Conversely, Ohio State will linger in this defeat for days, months, or perhaps even generations. Questions arise: Did the officials, along with the replay booth, correctly validate Roman Wilson's touchdown catch, or did they unjustly snatch an interception from the Buckeyes, potentially altering the course of the game? Could the outcome have differed if Ryan Day had adopted a more aggressive approach, akin to Sherrone Moore? The interim coach for Michigan successfully converted all three fourth-down attempts and orchestrated a clever trick play for Donovan Edwards, resulting in a 34-yard completion to Colston Loveland. In contrast, Day, possibly mindful of his coaching legacy, opted for few risks, punting on fourth-and-1 near midfield early in the game and allowing the clock to wind down for a lengthy (and ultimately unsuccessful) field goal attempt to close the half.
The victory falls short of redemption for Harbaugh, facing two suspensions this season and an ongoing NCAA investigation. However, for Michigan fans, winning three straight against the Buckeyes after 15 losses in the prior 16 outweighs any off-field issues. Even if Harbaugh had been involved in dubious activities like using the transfer portal for a Ponzi scheme, it wouldn't have mattered. He has created a formidable team that has crushed the hopes and dreams of their rivals down south, and that's what counts.
The defeat further cements Day's status in the realm of broken toys within the rivalry. While Day boasts an impressive career with a 56-7 record, all losses against ranked opponents, three consecutive failures in the crucial game define him. He stands as college football's Salieri—brilliant but forever cast as the foil to his more remarkable rival.
In the past two years, Michigan's victories over its bitter rival provided solace after losses in the College Football Playoff semifinals. This year, amidst off-field chaos surrounding Harbaugh, there is a demand for Michigan to follow The Game with something more. Michigan's playoff journey will be a compelling story—either as Harbaugh's self-described redemption, America's team overcoming challenges, or as the villains unable to seal the deal despite favorable circumstances.
In the previous two years, Ohio State could console itself with the idea of being not too far behind despite the losses. However, with three consecutive victories for Michigan, it raises questions about what measures a program like Ohio State might take to reverse this trend before the next November showdown.
Before these storylines unfold, one thing is certain: The Game once again lived up to the hype. It served as a fitting conclusion to a season where the status quo seldom shifted, emphasizing that, despite off-field controversies, the true magic always emerges from the on-field efforts.
Lowa: A Tribute
Prior to the season, OC Brian Ferentz was given a seemingly straightforward task: achieve a score of 25 points per game. This benchmark wasn't exclusive to the offense; if the defense contributed a few touchdowns, that was acceptable as well. How modest was this target? Before Saturday, 79 teams had an average of 25 points or more per game (or 86 if rounding decimals).
Yet, Iowa fell short of this objective. Following Friday's 13-10 victory over Nebraska, the Hawkeyes are averaging precisely 18 points per game—falling a full touchdown below the threshold that could have secured Ferentz's job.
Throughout this season, jests about Iowa have been abundant, starting with the well-known Drive for 325 and extending through a peculiar sequence of games where the Hawkeyes won five of six despite scoring more than two touchdowns in a game only once.
Las Vegas forecasters transformed Iowa's point totals into a captivating limbo contest, exemplified by a record-low 24.5-point total against Nebraska. Predictably, Iowa consistently came in below these expectations. In the past two years, six of the lowest point totals on record have emerged from Iowa games.
The ineptitude of Iowa's offense is so perplexing that it cannot be dismissed as mere incompetence; it must be part of a larger strategy.
Yet, with a 10-2 record, Iowa stands just one controversial fair catch call away from being 11-1. The Hawkeyes are set to compete for a Big Ten title, prompting questions about whether anyone truly doubts their ability to achieve the seemingly impossible.
In the past 12 games, Iowa's accomplishments offer a valuable lesson. While the nation scoffed, Iowa fans reveled in true joy, finding satisfaction in the most ordinary moments of the game.
As bettors chuckled at yet another under wager that seemed impossible, Iowa rewarded those who believed.
While other teams in the Big Ten West spent weeks devising game plans for scoring, Iowa concentrated on a formula to secure wins by executing a strategy akin to the college football version of the iTunes user agreement. They patiently waited for opponents to grow weary of the details and simply click "Accept." Few have executed the rope-a-dope as flawlessly since Muhammad Ali.
Take, for instance, the recent game where Iowa clinched another victory by intercepting a late Chubba Purdy pass and nailing a field goal for the win. The outcome teetered on the edge throughout the second half, the advantage shifting from drive to drive, yet the predictable ending was clear to all.
Iowa excels in the face of impending disaster.
Contrastingly, Nebraska retreats from every opportunity, consistently losing in a game of chicken, swerving off the road and into a ditch at the slightest hint of danger.
In the past two years, Iowa has secured 13 wins in games where its offense failed to score more than two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Nebraska has accumulated 30 losses in one-possession games since 2018.
Repetition reaches a point where it can no longer be attributed to luck or coincidence. We must acknowledge that Iowa seems to have unraveled the secret to the universe, identified a glitch in the matrix, and made a pact at a crossroad in the midst of endless cornfields to punt its way to a 10-win season.
Soon, Brian Ferentz may depart, risking the transition from sublime to dull for the Hawkeyes. It took Iowa to teach us the fine line between these two points. The next playcaller might introduce novel offenses to Iowa City, like the RPO or tempo, but will they complement DC Phil Parker's style as perfectly? Who is Superman without Lex Luthor?
Let's revel a bit longer in the glory of this Iowa team. We might not witness its like again.
Ultimately, what Iowa has offered college football fans, or perhaps the world in 2023, is truly unique: a lesson that winning comes in various forms, that joy is best found in simplicity, and that every punt is another opportunity to believe, against all evidence and common sense, that the next drive will be better.
Recapping Rivalry Week
Rivalry week in college football holds the allure of dismantling narratives crafted over the preceding 12 weeks in a mere 60 minutes against the fiercest adversaries.
This was the fate for Louisville on Saturday, as their Cinderella season and improbable playoff aspirations crumbled during a tumultuous second half against a struggling Kentucky team.
Despite Louisville holding a precarious path to the playoff and already securing a spot in the ACC championship game, the dynamics shifted dramatically in the face of the rivalry. Kentucky, coming off a disastrous loss to South Carolina and amidst rumors linking Mark Stoops to the vacant Texas A&M job, brought a renewed energy to the contest.
While Louisville initially appeared to assert itself in the third quarter with a 15-play drive culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run, the situation took a drastic turn. Kentucky responded with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, followed by capitalizing on consecutive Louisville fumbles to amass 10 points and claim a 31-24 lead.
Louisville faced a turnover on downs, reciprocated by Kentucky with a Devin Leary interception, setting the stage for a game-tying touchdown. At this juncture, there likely wasn't enough bourbon in the city for Louisville fans to process the impending outcome.
Ray Davis, however, sealed the fate for the No. 10 Cards. He initiated the subsequent drive with a 15-yard run, concluding it with a 37-yard touchdown rush. Jack Plummer's final pass was intercepted, securing Kentucky's fifth consecutive victory over Louisville.
While Louisville's rivalry loss potentially marked the conclusive blow to its playoff aspirations, Oregon and Texas successfully navigated the final week of the regular season to keep theirs alive.
Bo Nix, on the path to the Heisman, threw for 367 yards and avenged last year's collapse against Oregon State, guiding the Ducks to a comfortable 31-7 triumph in the last edition of the Civil War before Oregon transitions to the Big Ten.
In contrast, Texas asserted dominance over Texas Tech with a commanding 57-7 victory on Friday. Arch Manning made his debut in mop-up time, completing 2-of-5 throws. Quinn Ewers, after contributing 196 yards and a touchdown, amused the crowd by playing bass with his Spin Doctors tribute band, Spin Dentists, following Manning's appearance.
Overlooked Highlight of the Week
Oklahoma easily dominated TCU with a 69-45 victory, powered by Dillon Gabriel's 436 yards and four touchdowns, Drake Stoops' 12 catches, and Gavin Sawchuk's 130 yards and three rushing scores. However, the pre-game moments posed a bigger challenge for the Sooners, who managed to mishandle their entrance, inadvertently trampling their head coach in the process.
Considering that Venables spent a decade running down the hill at Clemson, learning from Dabo Swinney, it's perplexing how such an incident could occur under his watch. Venables expressed his frustration after Friday's win, stating, "I was thinking, 'You've got to be kidding me. This is really happening now.' I was pissed. Not at anybody. Just pissed."
In all fairness, Venables' reaction to the mishap mirrors his response when he orders a Coke and the server asks if Pepsi is acceptable.
.jpeg)
0 Comments