Ohio State Football: 3 takeaways from dominant rivalry win over Michigan

Ohio State football affirmed their right to be ranked at the top of the College Football Playoff rankings with a solid win over the Michigan Wolverines.

Many argue that “The Game”, between Ohio State and Michigan, is the best rivalry in college football. Naturally, my mind is convinced that the Army-Navy Game is the best rivalry, but we’ll agree to disagree.

The Ohio State Buckeyes entered the game with a perfect, 11-0 record, and ranked No. 1 by the College Football Playoff Committee. Michigan, on the other hand, had two marks in the loss column at 9-2. Despite these two losses, the Wolverines were still ranked at No. 13.

Both teams got off to a good start and scored on their opening drives; however, the Wolverines missed their extra point attempt. After some offensive struggles and a turnover by Michigan, Ohio State took the lead into halftime, 28-16.

The big scare of the game came in the middle of the third quarter when Buckeye star quarterback, Justin Fields, came out of the game with an apparent knee injury. But, he returned shortly. And, on his first play back in the game, Fields scrambled to his left, flipped his hips, and threw a 30-yard dime for a touchdown – all the while wearing a new, bulky knee brace.

Michigan pushed for a comeback in the second half, but the Buckeyes never let them get close. Ohio State won “The Game”, 56-27, improving their record to 12-0.

Let’s take a look at some of the bigger takeaways from the rivalry match.