Usually in football, it's a single play that's called a “back-breaker.” For Ohio State in the 2025 edition of The Game, it was an entire drive.
The Buckeyes had a 24-9 lead, but given that it was a two-possession game late in the third quarter, Michigan still had a chance. Well, at least if it had a semi-competent offense.
Instead, Ohio State put together a 20-play, 81-yard drive that took 11:56 off the clock. Following a punt by the Wolverines, OSU took over with 5:06 left in the third quarter and made a field goal with 8:10 remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 27-9 lead, an insurmountable advantage given the weather conditions and teams involved.
It was the type of drive that, in a bad way, brought back memories of The Game in 2021, when Ohio State lost to Michigan for the first time since 2011 while Hassan Haskins ran all over the Buckeyes in the second half of the game; but in a good way, brought back memories of when Ohio State bullied its way on the ground during its 11-play drive to eat up the final 5:13 of the game to secure a win in Happy Valley last season.
It was Ohio State's first 20-play drive this century.
We take a look back at every play of Ohio State's 20-play drive, which included 16 runs. (Note: All play calls are courtesy of Eleven Warriors scheme analyst Kyle Jones.)
Q3, 5:06 - 1st-and-10 at OSU 14: CJ Donaldson 8-yard Run
Play Call: X-Lead Zone Windback - David Adolph leads on the designed cutback
Donaldson fights through contact near the line of scrimmage and breaks multiple tackles to make it second-and-short.
Q3, 4:30 - 2nd-and-2 at OSU 22: Isaiah West 2-yard Run
Play Call: Inside Zone "Wham" - Will Kacmarek seals the edge
Michigan clogs the middle, but West is still able to roll forward for a first down.
Q3, 3:51 - 1st-and-10: Bo Jackson 2-yard Run
Play Call: 2-Back GT Counter - Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld pull around with 67 dominating the defensive back
While Siereveld put a big block on the defensive back, the defensive tackle on the opposite side of the line tackles Jackson by the shoestrings for only a short gain.
Q3, 3:15 - 2nd-and-8: CJ Donaldson 6-yard Run
Play Call: Y-Lead Power - Kacmarek is a fullback kicking out the end while Montgomery leads through the C-gap
Donaldson burts through a very small hole in the defensive front and gets six yards to make it third-and-short.
Q3, 2:33 - 3rd-and-2: Julian Sayin 2-yard Run
Play Call: QB Sneak
Sayin gets a nice push from Nate Roberts for the first down.
Q3, 1:50 - 1st-and-10: CJ Donaldson 7-yard Run
Play Call: X-Lead Zone Winback - Adolph leads on a designed cutback, but this time from a double-wing look to that side
The right side of the line does a great job blocking, and Adolph leads the way to give Donaldson a solid gain to make it second-and-short.
Q3, 1:05 - 2nd-and-3: Julian Sayin Incompletion
Play Call: Mirrored Double Moves from Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate
Sayin overthrows Tate near the sideline and about 35 yards downfield.
Q3, 1:01 - 3rd-and-3: Julian Sayin 3-Yard Run
Play Call: "Drive" Pass Concept
Even though Donaldson does a great job in pass protection and Philip Daniels does a great job blocking on the edge, no one is open downfield so Sayin scrambles for the first down.
Ryan Day, sideline hustler. pic.twitter.com/iEXmTEMUPA
— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) December 1, 2025
Q3, 0:23 - 1st-and-10: CJ Donaldson -1-yard Run
Play Call: X-Lead Zone Winback - Adolph leads on a designed cutback
With 82 leading the way for the second time in four plays, Donaldson decides to try and run to the outside and is taken down for a 1-yard loss.
Q4, 15:00 - 2nd-and-11: Max Klare 9-yard Catch
Play Call: Mirrored "Squirrel" Routes from Smith and Tate - Basically a corner route that's cut off into a deep comeback
Sayin checks it down to Klare, and the tight end does the rest of the work for a 9-yard gain.
Q4, 14:12 - 3rd-and-2: Bo Jackson 13-yard Run
Play Call: Split Zone - Nate Roberts motions into the backfield as the fullback and seals the edge to create a natural cutback lane
Jackson finds the hole, uses his speed and pushes a defender out of the way to gain 13 yards on third-and-short.
Q4, 13:23 - 1st-and-10: Isaiah West -1-yard Run
Play Call: Lead Outside Zone - Roberts lines up at fullback, leading through the C-gap
West gets stuffed for a 1-yard loss on first down.
Q4, 12:43 - 2nd-and-11: Isaiah West 14-yard Run
Play Call: GH Counter - Tegra Tshabola and Kacmarek pull to lead around the left side
Tshabola seals the edge defender to open the hole and West bursts through it while breaking tackles while bowling his way to a 14-yard gain on second-and-long.
Q4, 12:00 - 1st-and-10: Bo Jackson 9-yard Run
Play Call: Lead Outside Zone - Kacmarek motions across to act as the fullback leading through the C-gap
Ohio State's front does a great job yet again and Jackson breaks yet another tackle on his way to nine yards.
Q4, 11:15 - 2nd-and-1: Bo Jackson 0-yard Run
Play Call: GH Counter
Michigan stuffs the middle of the line for no gain.
Q4, 10:29 - 3rd-and-1: Julian Sayin 2-yard Run
Play Call: QB Sneak
For the second time in the drive, Sayin sneaks it and gains two yards on third-and-short for a first down.
Q4, 9:46 - 1st-and-10: CJ Donaldson 5-yard Run
Play Call: I-Formation Power - Roberts at fullback and kicks out to the end while Tshabola pulls to lead
Nothing is really open up front, but Donaldson plows his way for a 5-yard gain on first down to get inside the 10-yard line.
Q4, 9:02 - 2nd-and-5: CJ Donaldson 1-yard Run
Play Call: I-Formation Lead Zone - Roberts at fullback
Donaldson falls forward for just one yard.
Q4, 8:20 - 3rd-and-4: Julian Sayin Incompletion
Play Call: I-Formation Play Action "Snag" Concept - Tate runs the snag to the goal line while two tight ends run to the front and back pylons
With both tight ends (and everyone else) covered by defensive backs in man, no one is open and Sayin throws it out of the back of the end zone.
Ryan Day said after the game that the Buckeyes were intentionally conservative on that play to ensure they’d come away with at least three points.
“We felt like if we could get it to a three-score game, it was gonna be hard for them to come back. We felt like the defense was playing strong, and as much as we want to score touchdowns, three scores in that game was gonna become a lot,” Day said. “We tried to throw the ball in the flat to the fullback, it was probably conservative, but at that point with the snow and it looked like we can kick the field goal, great to see Jayden make those kicks.”
Q4, 8:13 - 4th-and-4: Jayden Fielding 23-yard Field Goal
Fielding makes a 23-yard chip shot to give Ohio State a three-possession lead near the middle of the fourth quarter. While the Buckeyes were able to get three points out of the drive, and that was more than enough for the Buckeyes to win the game, Day was still a bit disappointed that a 20-play drive only led to a field goal.
"You can't have 20 plays and not score a touchdown," he said after the game.
That said, Day felt the drive was emblematic of what it takes to win The Game, and the realization of a mentality he had preached to his team all year.
“When we talk throughout the year ... when we talk about what we're trying to get accomplished, I always say, ‘Yeah, this is all great, but how is it gonna look when it's snowing sideways the Saturday after Thanksgiving?’ And that's exactly what it looked like today, it was snowing sideways. And that's the type of game you have to win,” Day said. “If we're playing this game in an indoor stadium somewhere? It's different. It's different. But that's what this game takes, and that's what we did. We won the line of scrimmage, and it was well done by the guys.”
