Ohio State Suffers Third Straight Loss to Michigan, 30-24

The drought continues.

Ohio State suffered its third consecutive loss in The Game on Saturday, falling 30-24 to Michigan in Ann Arbor, marking the first time since 1995-97 that the Buckeyes have lost to the Wolverines three years in a row.

The Buckeyes never led in the game.

	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
#2 Ohio State	3	7	7	7	24
#3 MICHIGAN	7	7	10	6	30
NOV. 25, 2023 • Michigan STADIUM • ANN ARBOR, MI

After both teams punted on their first two drives, Michigan made the first big play of the game when Will Johnson picked off a Kyle McCord pass intended for Marvin Harrison Jr. and returned it to the 7-yard line. The Buckeyes’ defense nearly came up with a goal-line stand, but the Wolverines went for it on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line and Blake Corum ran the ball into the end zone for the first points of the day.

Jayden Fielding scored Ohio State’s first points on its next possession with a 42-yard field goal. A 24-yard pass from McCord to Harrison and an illegal helmet contact penalty against Michigan’s Derrick Moore got the Buckeyes across the 30-yard line, but the drive stalled from there and nearly ended in another interception had it not been broken up by Ohio State’s Cade Stover.

Michigan made it a two-score game on the next possession, driving 75 yards in 14 plays for a touchdown. The Wolverines converted a pair of 4th-and-1 situations before J.J. McCarthy capped off the drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson.

Ohio State responded by scoring its first touchdown on its next possession, driving 73 yards in seven plays. The drive was highlighted by a 32-yard pass from McCord to Stover and culminated with a 3-yard touchdown connection between McCord and Emeka Egbuka.

Emeka. Egbuka. @OhioStateFB responds pic.twitter.com/YNroFNMcAR
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 25, 2023

The Buckeyes had the chance to score again before the end of the first half after a defensive stop and a 44-yard connection from McCord to Harrison, but the Buckeyes ended up settling for a 52-yard field goal attempt. Fielding missed wide left, allowing Michigan to take a 14-10 lead into halftime.

Michigan started the second half with the ball and quickly drove into Ohio State territory with a pair of 20-yard plays. The Buckeyes held Michigan to a field goal attempt from there, which James Turner made from 50 yards away to extend the home team’s lead to seven.

Ohio State responded with a game-tying touchdown on its opening drive of the second half. Leaning heavily on their running back tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Chip Trayanum, the Buckeyes went 75 yards in 12 plays; Henderson finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.

SMASH MOUTH FOOTBALL

TreVeyon Henderson ties it up for @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/GdeGQ06cd9
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 25, 2023

Michigan responded right back with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 22-yard Blake Corum touchdown run, to retake the lead with 1:55 to play in the third quarter.

BLAKE THE GREAT

TOUCHDOWN @UMICHFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/N39YO7yKaz
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 25, 2023

After Ohio State went 3-and-out on its next possession, Michigan drove back inside the red zone on a 34-yard trick-play pass from Donovan Edwards to Colston Loveland. The Wolverines ended up settling for a 38-yard Turner field goal to make it a 10-point game.

Ohio State responded with the touchdown drive it desperately needed, going 65 yards in eight plays. Harrison capped the drive with a 14-yard catch-and-run for a score with 8:05 to play.

MASERATI MARV WITH THE TD@OhioStateFB marches it down the field and makes it a 3-point game pic.twitter.com/flckzwtsnB
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 25, 2023

OHIO STATE	METRIC	MICHIGAN
378	TOTAL YARDS	338
107	RUSHING YARDS	156
28	RUSHING ATTEMPTS	39
3.8	AVERAGE per RUSH	4.0
1	RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS	2
271	PASSING YARDS	182
18-30	COMPLETIONS–ATTEMPTS	17-21
15.1	AVERAGE per COMPLETION	10.7
2	PASSING TOUCHDOWNS	1
21	1st DOWNS	18
58	TOTAL PLAYS	60
6.5	YARDS PER PLAY	5.6
4-9	third down conv	3-12
1-5	PENALTIES	3-33
26:32	POSSESSION	33:28

The Buckeyes allowed Michigan to bleed seven minutes off the clock on their subsequent drive, however, before finally making the Wolverines settle for a 37-yard field goal with 1:05 left to play.

Ohio State’s attempt at a last-minute comeback ended when McCord was picked off by Rod Moore on a throw over the middle with just 25 seconds remaining.

Ohio State has now gone four years without beating Michigan. The 2020 edition of The Game was canceled due to COVID-19 and the Wolverines have won all three games against the Buckeyes since.

The Buckeyes will now watch the Big Ten Championship Game from home for the third year in a row as they await word on their postseason fate. They’ll likely need a lot of help to earn a berth in the four-team College Football Playoff berth, leaving the Orange Bowl as a likely destination.

Game Notes

All of Ohio State’s regular starters were available for The Game with the exception of Lathan Ransom.
Sherrone Moore served as Michigan’s acting head coach for the game as Jim Harbaugh served the final game of a three-game suspension from the Big Ten for the program’s impermissible sign-stealing scheme.
Emeka Egbuka’s touchdown was his first since he scored two touchdowns in Ohio State’s third game of the season against Western Kentucky.
Marvin Harrison Jr. scored a touchdown in all of Ohio State’s final eight games of the regular season.
Harrison broke the record for career 100-yard games with the 15th 100-yard game of his career.
Michigan right guard Zak Zinter was carted off the field with an apparent leg injury in the third quarter.
Ohio State now has a 52-61-6 all-time record against Michigan.