USA TODAY US Edition

Upset upends order in Big Ten

- Dan Wolken

Michigan is the Big Ten’s best

team: In full transparen­cy, that observatio­n was written before Ohio State went out and got demolished by Purdue 49-20 in a game with major conference and College Football Playoff implicatio­ns.

So let’s start with the big picture takeaway and then address the two relevant games Saturday individual­ly.

First and foremost, It’s been fairly clear for a few weeks that Michigan is playing better overall football than Ohio State. Now, that might not mean much when it gets to late November. Regardless of the Buckeyes unexpected­ly dropping a game to someone other than a traditiona­l Big Ten’s traditiona­l heavyweigh­ts, Michigan is going to have to win in Columbus on Nov. 24 to accomplish what it wants this season.

But for the first time, after a pretty drama-free 21-7 win at Michigan State, you can envision how the Wolverines might be able to pull it off. This is a very good football team that has formed its identity around running the football and playing an elite brand of defense, which stands in great contrast to the current Ohio State model where it can make a bunch of big plays and give up a bunch, too. That contrast between elite defensive team and highly skilled offensive team, frankly, should favor Michigan in a pressure-packed game that will likely take place in very cold weather. We’ll see. But it’s notable Michigan held the Spartans to 7-for-28 passing and 15 net rushing yards on 23 carries. Don Brown’s defense is playing at an insane level, and all the Jim Harbaugh hot takes after the loss to Notre Dame seem really silly right now. One caveat on Michigan: The pregame antics from Michigan’s Devin Bush, who attempted to stomp holes into the Spartan logo at midfield, were totally uncalled for. Obviously emotions run high in this rivalry, and Michigan State certainly didn’t cover itself in glory by entering the field late, locked in arms, when Michigan players were already there, creating this odd standoff that looked like something out of “West Side Story.” Though Michigan players said Lavert Hill’s headphones were ripped off and Lawrence Marshall was “clotheslin­ed,” trying to tear up the playing field is not the right response. First of all, beyond the stupidity of stomping on a logo, it benefits nobody. And it disgraces the hard work of the grounds crew, which tries to ensure a safe playing surface for both teams. “It was pure emotion,” Bush told reporters, according to The Athletic. “I did what I did. I can’t take it back.” That is decidedly not an apology, and it’s too bad.

Now, for Ohio State: What an embarrassi­ng performanc­e in West Lafayette, Indiana. What a soft program Urban Meyer has let the Buckeyes become. It’s all finesse, all the time, and if that breaks down they lack both the defensive foundation and the physical power game at the point of attack to get themselves back on track. While some will compare it to Ohio State’s 55-24 meltdown against Iowa last year, this disaster against the Big Ten West should probably be more disturbing. The Iowa game kind of spiraled out of control because besides playing poorly, Ohio State committed four turnovers. Against Purdue, the Buckeyes didn’t execute in the red zone (two field goals, no touchdowns on four drives inside the Purdue 20) and weren’t physical enough to put their head down and run the ball in key situations. That’s not the way a national championsh­ip-level team

plays. And when you look back on the Ohio State season, the warning signs have been there. The Buckeyes were extremely fortunate to win at Penn State and then struggled with Indiana and Minnesota, both at home. What has this team really accomplish­ed? It better find an identity on the defensive end it can count on over the next five weeks, or it will lose to Michigan. Jeff Brohm coached an incredible

game: Because Ohio State is such a big story, it will probably get lost a bit that Purdue, which started the season 0-3 but has now won four in a row, played and coached the way you have to if you want to take down a top-five team. Brohm didn’t coach scared, a point that was underscore­d late in the first half when he called a bold fake field goal that ultimately got the Boilermake­rs into halftime leading 14-3 rather than 10-3. Even in the fourth quarter, Brohm was aggressive calling reverses and jet sweeps, not wanting to take his foot off the gas. That’s not how most coaches do it when they’re trying to protect a lead against a more talented team, but it paid off in a big way.

 ?? MIKE CARTER/USA TODAY SPORTS ?? Michigan players carry the Paul Bunyon Trophy out of Spartan Stadium after their 21-7 victory against Michigan State.
MIKE CARTER/USA TODAY SPORTS Michigan players carry the Paul Bunyon Trophy out of Spartan Stadium after their 21-7 victory against Michigan State.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States