Wolverines dominate

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. 6 Michigan finally beat No. 2 Ohio State 42-27 Saturday to give Harbaugh his first win over the Buckeyes as a coach.

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

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

Michigan (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP) 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.

Minutes after the game, longsuffering 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 rush onto the field was truly a surreal moment,” said Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, who was 13-for-19 passing 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.

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

Haskins had 169 yards rushing on 28 carries, scoring a go-ahead touchdown late in the second half and four more after halftime to pad Michigan’s lead.

Blake Corum returned from a two-plus game absence to run six times for 87 yards, helping the Wolverines gain 297 yards on a ground against a rival that has pushed them around for much of this century.

“You have to stop the run in a Big Ten game,” Ohio State safety Bryson Shaw said. “It’s embarrassing.”

Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud was 34-for-49 passing for 394 yards with two TDs, but was sacked four times.

“People are probably going to hate me for it, but I know in my heart I put up everything,” Stroud said.