COLUMBUS, Ohio – Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy waved goodbye to what was left of the shell-shocked Ohio State followers. Donovan Edwards high-fived the smattering of Wolverines followers screaming within the stands above the customer’s tunnel at Ohio Stadium. Mike Sainristil helped plant the Michigan flag at midfield proper between the “Block O.” 

None of this appeared believable earlier than the top-five showdown with No. 2 Ohio State; not to mention at halftime. No. 3 Michigan trailed 20-17 at that time. The Wolverines had 11 speeding makes an attempt for 10 yards with out Heisman Trophy candidate Blake Corum, who was restricted to at least one sequence due to a knee damage. It appeared inevitable the Buckeyes’ high-powered machine would do what it usually does in The Recreation, particularly in Columbus. 

But for the second 12 months, Michigan (12-0) reversed the curse. This time with a shocking massive play-filled second half that ignited a 45-23 blowout. That ended the Wolverines’ 22-year shedding streak at The Shoe, despatched Michigan to the Huge Ten championship and gave Jim Harbaugh the upper-hand on Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who dropped to 1-2 within the rivalry recreation. 

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“It is enormous,” McCarthy stated. “We’re not a lot of a staff that appears to the previous and worries about it. We’re in regards to the current and altering the longer term. It was simply a type of issues the place the whole lot was aligned for us.” 

McCarthy completed 12 of 24 passing for 263 yards and three TDs. He added 27 speeding yards and one other TD. Edwards erupted for 207 of his 216 speeding yards within the second half, and the Wolverines ditched ground-and-pound for a big-play offense on the most opportune time in opposition to Ohio State (11-1). Harbaugh lauded a “locker room of heroes” and lavished reward on McCarthy.

“He is simply obtained that ‘it’ think about each manner,” Harbaugh stated. “Of their first recreation beginning in opposition to Ohio State, and also you play that nice? All people on our staff is aware of it, so it wasn’t a … ” 

Harbaugh trailed off, however the subsequent phrase is apparent. 

“Shock!” McCarthy turned the primary quarterback to win at Ohio Stadium since Drew Henson in 2000, and McCarthy did that with the identical big-play aptitude that answered a query being requested all week. Can McCarthy lead the Wolverines together with his arm? 

Landing passes of 69 and 75 yards within the first half to Cornelius Johnson offered a short-term reply. It allowed Michigan to get to the second half, the place that they had outscored opponents 218-62 coming into The Recreation. The Wolverines outscored the Buckeyes 28-3. What changes had been made? 

“None,” McCarthy answered. “No changes. We had the complete recreation plan prepared for them. The message was, ‘We’re the very best second half staff within the nation, and we show it each single week.” 

The momentum flipped when McCarthy threw his third TD go to tight finish Colston Loveland with 11:56 remaining on the opening drive within the third quarter. That gave the Wolverines a 24-20 lead. McCarthy stated he felt calm in that second – and it was Ohio State that panicked. Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 31 of 48 for 349 yards, two TDs and two interceptions, however the Buckeyes failed to attain a TD within the second half. It was an eerily related exhibiting as final season. 

McCarthy’s massive performs within the passing recreation opened the door for Edwards to be the hero within the operating recreation. Edwards missed final week’s recreation in opposition to Illinois with a hand damage, so he merely switched fingers when carrying the ball. He eradicated any hopes of an Ohio State miracle with fourth-quarter landing runs of 75 yards and 85 yards that flipped the narrative within the rivalry.  That was sufficient to get a protracted hug from Harbaugh earlier than the coach who improved to 2-5 in opposition to Ohio State took the rostrum. 

“I do not actually know what it appears like,” Edwards stated. “It is the offensive line first, they usually create such massive holes if you watch the movie. It is actual simple to see. At that time, you simply hit and must out-run the third-level defenders.”

“One benefit of the operating recreation is it may put on on you,” Harbaugh added.. “When Donovan Edwards will get free, you do not even give it some thought.” 

Michigan completed with 252 speeding yards – not fairly the 297 yards in a 42-27 victory in 2021 – but it surely was clear. The Wolverines performed out of their minds within the second half. 

The protection did the remainder. Sainristil and Mike Morris had been among the many gamers who seemed over on the Ohio State sideline earlier than the fourth quarter. They knew the sport was over at that time, and two fourth-quarter interceptions sealed the victory. The flag plant was not probably the most authentic transfer, but it surely makes a press release simply the identical. 

“I’ve been excited about this since January,” Sainristil stated. “Simply to have the chance to come back down right here and win this recreation at this stadium, first time since 2000. Final 12 months the one factor I used to be excited about final 12 months was the followers speeding the sector. This 12 months I used to be excited about planting the flag.”  

That is maybe probably the most visceral a part of what transpired. After 20 years of frustration, Michigan is now not afraid of the Buckeyes. When requested about what he noticed on his lengthy TD, Edwards merely stated, “Which one?” 

Johnson talked in regards to the mindset within the huddle earlier than these massive performs in entrance of a hostile Ohio State crowd: “It’s important to embrace it. You have got 1000’s of individuals in purple screaming hate phrases at you. You simply gotta take a look at your boys, ‘Let’s go, it is third and 10, what can we obtained?’” 

Michigan is the digital lock to make the Faculty Soccer Playoff after profitable back-to-back video games in opposition to Ohio State since 1999-2000. The Buckeyes – who introduced in new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles because the response for final 12 months’s loss – misplaced a Huge Ten residence recreation for the primary time since 2015. Ohio State is hoping for a back-door to the Faculty Soccer Playoff, and Day is pressured to play politics now. 

“If we had been capable of get a shot within the high 4, we would be a harmful staff,” Day stated. 

MORE: Day making an attempt to determine the place to go subsequent

Harbaugh now has the appropriate quarterback able to main an actual nationwide championship run, particularly if Corum is ready to come again from that knee damage. There have been no atomic jabs at Ohio State, however McCarthy did reply a query in regards to the magnitude of this victory. It was not a run-of-the-mill response. 

“Each win is nice, and particularly this one, however on the finish of the day this one does not even matter,” McCarthy stated. “This does not matter. The job shouldn’t be completed. Now we have a lot extra to do, and so many locations to go.” 

“That boy seems like Kobe Bryant to y’all,” Johnson stated and set free a protracted whistle. 

Shooters shoot, proper? 

Why not? On Saturday, McCarthy shot his photographs, and Michigan didn’t miss.