Immediately following Michigan’s 13-10 upset of then-No. 2 Ohio State, and the aftermath that took place at midfield, questions were immediately raised as to why the Buckeyes neglected to use the best weapons they had on offense — their wide receivers.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly were at the center of nationwide criticism for their offensive strategy, but Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and the Wolverines’ defensive front deserve credit for holding OSU to their lowest regular season scoring output since 2011.

How did the Wolverines do it?

“We were really confident in the game plan,” Martindale told reporters on Saturday, as Michigan prepares to face Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. “And, you know, our whole message was all week, let’s take them to the deep end in the fourth quarter. And we knew then that we could take over the game defensively.”

Day and Kelly rigthfully came under fire for their insistence in trying to run the football, with a banged-up offensive line, between the tackles against the heart of Michigan’s defense — Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.

However, Martindale and the Wolverines were able to dictate some of that with the defensive looks they presented Ohio State, sacrificing numbers against the run in order to prevent big plays over the top through the air. Michigan needed Graham, Grant, the rest of the defensive line and the linebackers to hold up against the run despite the Buckeyes having a numbers advantage. They did just that, and after the Wolverines got a few good licks in on OSU quarterback Will Howard, the rest was history.

“I know there’s been a lot of speculations about this and that…but, you know, all credit to the players,” Martindale said. “The game always has been, always will be about them. I come out with that on Twitter because that’s what it was. We just physically outplayed them.

“When your best players are playing their best, that’s when you have a lot of success. And you saw that with Makari’s hit on the quarterback. Earnest’s hit on the quarterback that was sort of hidden, that no one saw because it was on a read sweep play. He got it pretty good. And after that, [Howard] started getting a little nervous back there. So, you know, the guys had a great rush plan. Lou had a great rush plan. And Kevin with the four upfront. LaMar and BJ did a great job with the coverage aspect of it. Just sticking to our game plan. And, you know, it was a lot of fun to watch.”

After Ohio State exploded for 42 points against a Tennessee defense that was also very stout during the 2024 season, more questions were raised as to how Michigan was able to hold the Buckeyes in check. Martindale’s further explanation wasn’t overly complicated.

“We felt good going into the game of how we were going to attack them and give them some different looks that they weren’t used to,” the defensive coordinator said. “And then when they started getting used to it, we went to a different look. And, you know, it kept them, you know, guessing and reaching the entire game. But you could see, you know, that Tennessee game, what kind of explosive offense it was. I mean, they’re a very talented group. And it was just, you know, our day that day. And I’m glad we had it.”

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The Ohio State Buckeyes are preparing to face the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl and may have the opportunity to play for a national championship next month.

However, some Ohio State fans are still hung up on their fourth straight loss to the Michigan Wolverines.

The Buckeyes were upset by Michigan in Columbus during the regular-season finale, which, for some Ohio State fans, has put a damper on the team’s College Football Playoff run.

Former college football coach Nick Saban—who is no stranger to winning championships—thinks that Buckeyes fans are being a bit ridiculous.

“These Ohio State fans have a psychotic obsession with Michigan and they need to go get therapy or something to try to get it fixed,” Saban said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “They have a chance to win the national championship and here you are, nobody’s excited about their opportunity to play [against Oregon] because they lost to Michigan, which was a tough game.”

The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is one of the most fierce in sports, so you can understand why the fans take it so seriously.

But Saban has a point.

The ultimate goal is to win a national title; not to beat Michigan. It’s almost as if some Buckeyes fans would rather beat the Wolverines but not win a championship rather than vice versa.

That being said, Ohio State was widely expected to beat Michigan last month, as the Wolverines went just 7-5 to finish the year and had miserable quarterback play throughout 2024.

For that reason, Buckeyes fans are still a bit hot. But hopefully, that will all be pushed to the side if Ohio State defeats Oregon on New Year’s Day.

And now, he’s starring in Nike commercials alongside some of the greatest players in college football and the NFL.

Appearing in Nike’s new spot, “I Told You So,” Smith is featured running a route against Oregon and making his ridiculous, one-handed sideline catch against Michigan State.

The star-studded ad includes Ja’Marr Chase, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Najee Harris, and other NFL greats, alongside college standouts like Ashton Jeanty, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel.

Smith has obliterated every freshman receiving record at Ohio State and enters the Buckeyes’ Rose Bowl matchup with No. 1 Oregon having caught 63 passes for 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns. In Ohio State’s 42-17 win over No. 9 Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the wideout hauled in six catches for 103 yards and two statement-setting touchdowns.