BIG TEN ROUNDUP
No. 6 Michigan 42, No. 2 Ohio State 27: Hassan Haskins scored five touchdowns and Aidan Hutchinson had three sacks, helping host Michigan finally beat Ohio State to give Jim Harbaugh his first win as a coach against the Buckeyes. The Wolverines clinched the Big Ten East and will play in the conference title game next week with playoff hopes in hand. 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. Ohio State had won a schoolrecord eight straight in the rivalry and 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.
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 a total of 297 yards on a ground against a rival that has pushed them around for much of this century. Harbaugh also seemed to out coach Ryan Day, who had not lost a Big Ten game, by sprinkling in some surprise plays such as a slot-around with A.J. Henning running for a 14-yard run to cap the game-opening 10-play, 75-yard drive. And in the end, the Buckeyes looked like they had enough when they didn’t put up much of a fight on Haskins’ 4-yard run with 2:17 left that gave Michigan a 15-point lead.
Ohio State’s high-powered offense seemed rattled against Michigan’s new-look defense with first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald making all the right moves. Hutchinson, who set a single-season school record with 13 sacks, was in the backfield all day.
C.J. Stroud was 34 of 49 for 394 with two touchdowns, including a 25-yard pass to Garrett Wilson that gave the Buckeyes a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. The Buckeyes turned it over on downs on their last possession, failing to protect Stroud. He was sacked four times, doubling the total from any other game this season.
Maryland 40, Rutgers 16: Maryland earned its first bowl berth since 2016 as record-setting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa threw three touchdowns and ran for another in a win at Rutgers. Halfback Tayon Fleetdavis also had a big-day with a bowl bid on the line, rushing for a career-best 152 yards and two touchdowns as the Terps (6-6, 3-6 Big Ten) rolled up 575 yards in total offense. Fleet-davis scored on runs of 13 and 2 yards in the fourth quarter. Tagovailoa had touchdown passes of 25 and 11 yards to Corey Dyches and 38 yards to Brian Cobbs in getting the Terps bowl eligible. Rutgers (5-7, 2-7) was seeking its first bowl berth since 2014.