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ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Julian Zion threw three touchdown passes, including a 35-yarder to Jeremiah Smith on fourth down in the second quarter, and No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 15 Michigan 27-9 in a dominant performance on Saturday.
The defending national champion Buckeyes (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten, No. 1 CFP) likely have their first round bye in the College Football Playoff. They can maintain their top spot with a win against No. 2 Indiana (12-0, 9-0, No. 2 CFP) in the conference championship game Saturday night in Indianapolis.
Ryan Day should sleep well, a year after losing a game when his team was favored by about three touchdowns. The upset extended his losing streak to four games in the series and led to speculation that he might lose his job.
“We’re going to win with humility,” Day said, shrugging, on the field in an interview with Fox.
The Wolverines (9-3, 7-2) started strong with two field goals and an interception on the game’s first three possessions, but couldn’t generate pressure when Ohio State looked to pass.
After throwing an interception on his second snap, the redshirt freshman took advantage of the time and space he had to throw.
Sain was 6 of 6 for 68 yards in the first half with two touchdowns on third and fourth down, including a 4-yard throw to Brandon Innes with 16 seconds left to make it 17-9 at the break. He finished 19 of 26 for 233 yards and threw at least three touchdowns for the sixth time this season.
His clutch throw to Smith created some controversy early in the second.
Smith fumbled the ball as it went into the end zone and Fox’s pundit Mike Pereira questioned the call during the TV broadcast.
Michigan may have gotten a break early in the game when edge rusher Jayshawn Braham was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, but not ejected, after appearing to make contact with an official.
In the end, the calls backfired as Ohio State put together a convincing performance.
Sayin helped the Buckeyes pull away in the third quarter with a completed pass to Cornell Tate for a 50-yard touchdown, lofting a ball over the receiver’s shoulder after he passed Michigan’s secondary.
That put the game out of reach for the Wolverines, who couldn’t catch up after kicking three field goals in the first half and failing to get their defense off the field in the second half.
The Buckeyes removed all doubt with a field goal midway through the fourth quarter, capping a 20-play, 81-yard drive that took about 12 minutes off the clock.
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, the nation’s No. 1 recruit a year ago, was 13 of eight for a season-low 63 yards with an interception late in the game.
The Wolverines rushed for just 100 yards on 24 carries against the nation’s top-ranked defense.
Ohio State: Day got a win he desperately needed and improved to 2-4 against the Wolverines, silencing any critics who weren’t convinced he won the national championship.
Michigan: Underwood’s inconsistent season as a passer proved costly because it limited his big-play potential against a defense that didn’t give up a touchdown for the fifth time this year.
The Buckeyes will face the Hoosiers for the first time since defeating them a little more than a year ago, 38-15.
Michigan will find out next Sunday where it plays in a bowl game with only pride at stake.
