Harbaugh, Wolverines end skid

Coach earns his first victory against Buckeyes, and Michigan clinches the Big Ten East.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Jim Harbaugh got the win he wanted perhaps as desperately as any coach in sports.

Hassan Haskins matched a school record with five rushing touchdowns and Aidan Hutchinson had three sacks to break a single-season program mark, helping No. 5 Michigan finally beat No. 2 Ohio State 42-27 Saturday to give Harbaugh his first win as a coach against the Buckeyes.

“It feels like the best one,” Harbaugh said.

The Wolverines clinched the Big Ten East and will play in the conference title game next week with playoff hopes in hand after snapping an eight-game losing streak to Ohio State.

“It feels like the beginning,” Harbaugh said.

Michigan (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) advanced to the conference championship for the first time. The Wolverines now have a chance to win a Big Ten title for the first time since 2004 and a national championship for the first time since 1997.

Harbaugh has been dissed and dismissed as a coach long on hype and short on substance over his first six seasons with his alma mater, but he earned a win that should quiet at least most of his critics.

“I’m so happy to be a part of his first win, and to have a topfive game at home,” Hutchinson said. “He was just so happy.”

Minutes after the game, fans filled the Big House turf to celebrate a rare win in the storied series and they were in no rush to leave as music blared.

“Watching the snow fall and the crowd rush onto the field was truly a surreal moment,” said Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, who was 13 for 19 for 159 yards with an interception.

Ohio State had a schoolrecord winning streak in the rivalry, taking 15 of 16 to turn The Game into its game.

The Buckeyes (10-2, 8-1) blew their chances to continue their dominance with 10 penalties, many before the snap, and because they simply could not stop Michigan’s running game.

“I feel awful,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “I just got done talking to the team, and when you work this game 365 days out of the year and you come up short, it’s a failure. It hurts. It hurts a lot.”