Wolverines deliver second-half punch
NO. 3 MICHIGAN 45, NO. 2 OHIO STATE 23
COLUMBUS, Ohio — After Michigan beat Ohio State with stunning ease for the second consecutive year, Wolverines defensive back Mike Sainristil grabbed a huge maize and blue flag and rushed with teammates to the block “O” in the middle of the Ohio Stadium turf.
Sainristil forcefully planted that flag in the 50-yard line, and then the Wolverines mugged for the cameras.
Ohio State players leaving the field barely looked their way. Again, Michigan was the best team in The Game, this time by a score of 45-23.
Behind career-performance by J.J. McCarthy and Donovan Edwards, the Wolverines (12-0, 9-0) advance to the Big Ten championship next Saturday against Purdue, with hopes for a second consecutive playoff appearance firmly in their control.
As for the Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1), they’ll have to hope they can back into the College Football Playoff after again crumbling in their most important game.
Jim Harbaugh and Michigan snapped an eight-game losing streak against their fiercest rivals last year with a cathartic 42-27 victory in the Big House. Now they have a two-game winning streak in The Game for the first time in 22 years.
“Could not be more proud,” Harbaugh said. “Knew the team was focused and determined as they have been all season. This is a locker room of heroes.”
Maybe the biggest hero was McCarthy, who threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score. Edwards busted the game open with two long fourth-quarter TD runs.
Playing almost the whole game without injured star running back Blake Corum (knee), Michigan was still able to beat Ohio State in Columbus for the first time since 2000.
“This is not the outcome we all envisioned,” Ohio State Coach Ryan Day said. “I thought we had good preparation. I thought we were building toward playing really well.”
In other games involving Top 25 teams, Kendre Miller ran for two touchdowns as fourth-ranked TCU completed the first undefeated regular season by a Big 12 team since 2009 with a 62-14 victory over Iowa State, getting the Horned Frogs closer to making the four-team College Football Playoff. Max Duggan threw TDs to three receivers for the Frogs (12-0, 9-0), who will play Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game next Saturday in Coach Sonny Dykes’ first season. A week after having to score nine points in the final 2 minutes, 7 seconds at Baylor, and getting the game-ending field goal when out of timeouts and the clock running, TCU led 17-0 with scores on each of its three drives. … Caleb Willams polished his Heisman Trophy credentials with 232 yards passing and four total touchdowns, and No. 6 Southern California capped its outstanding regular season under Coach Lincoln Riley by staying firmly in the CFP race by beating No. 15 Notre Dame 3827. Tahj Washington caught an early TD pass from Williams while USC (11-1) snapped its four-game losing streak in its famed intersectional rivalry with the Fighting Irish (8-4). Although USC is headed to Pac-12 title game in Las Vegas on Friday, the revitalized Trojans first kept their CFP hopes intact with this victory. … Isaiah Newell ran for the go-ahead touchdown with 8:11 remaining, and No. 21 Oregon State took advantage of critical mistakes in the fourth quarter by No. 9 Oregon to rally for a 38-34 victory. The Beavers (9-3, 6-3) trailed 31-10 late in the third quarter and 34-17 early in the fourth, but the Ducks (9-3, 7-2) gave their rivals a short field on three consecutive possessions, leading to touchdowns. First, Oregon gave up a 48-yard kickoff return by Silas Bolden, and a facemask penalty set up Oregon State at the Ducks 36. Newell ran for a 15-yard touchdown to make it 34-24. Next, Oregon punter Alex Bales dropped the snap and fell on the ball at his own 2. Two plays later, Ben Gulbranson pounded it in from 1 yard to get Oregon State within 34-31. Oregon then went for it on fourth-and-1 at its own 29, and quarterback Bo Nix was stopped for a 1-yard loss on the Ducks’ only called QB run of the game. Newell scored four plays later, with a convoy of blockers helping to push him into the end zone from 6 yards out. … Sean Clifford threw four touchdown passes and No. 11 Penn State’s defense tightened up late to beat Michigan State 35-16 in the regular-season finale. Tight end Theo Johnson caught two touchdown passes, Tyler Warren and running back Nick Singleton each caught one, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith threw a TD pass and caught another for the Nittany Lions (10-2, 6-2). … Will Howard threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns, Deuce Vaughn ran for 147 yards and a score, and No. 12 Kansas State beat Kansas 47-27 to earn a shot at payback against TCU in the Big 12 championship game. Malik Knowles added a pair of touchdown runs, and Philip Brooks and Sammy Wheeler also reached the end zone, as the Wildcats (9-3, 7-2) beat their biggest rival for the 14th consecutive time. … Cameron Rising threw three TD passes before taking a seat for the second half, Ja’Quinden Jackson ran for three scores and No. 14 Utah routed Colorado 63-21 to remain in the chase for the last spot into the Pac-12 title game. The Utes (9-3, 7-2) entered the weekend with an outside shot at defending their league title. … Alec Holler made a leaping, one-handed catch for a TD on a 14-yard pass from Mikey Keene with 20 seconds remaining to lead No. 22 Central Florida to a 46-39 win over South Florida and earn a spot in the American Athletic Conference championship game. Keene completed a 41-yard pass to Javon Baker for a first down at the South Florida 29. Keene added a 10-yard run on a keeper to get the ball to the Bulls’ 15 and set up Holler’s leaping, twisting game-winning grab for UCF (9-3, 6-2).