Ohio State walked into Ann Arbor and finally flipped the script, beating Michigan 27–9 behind a ruthless defensive performance, a composed day from Julian Sayin, and a statement game from Bo Jackson. On this week’s episode of Off-Script Ohio, presented by Land-Grant Holy Land, Cole and Joey break down why this win felt so great. Part relief, part domination, and fully validating for a program that has spent four years answering questions it no longer has to entertain.
The game opened with Michigan landing a few early punches. Two explosive runs, a sudden interception, and a quick 6–0 hole. But Ohio State’s defense held firm in the red zone, forcing field goals and buying time for the offense to settle in. Once they did, the entire afternoon flipped. Sayin rebounded from his early mistake and was nearly perfect the rest of the way, finishing 19-for-26 for 233 yards and three touchdowns, all in the snow, in his first trip to the Big House. His deep strikes to Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate came at the exact moments the Buckeyes needed them, and the offensive line gave him a clean pocket all game. But the offense ran through Bo Jackson, who bulldozed Michigan for 117 rushing yards and added 49 receiving yards, nearly cracking 200 total. His physicality drained Michigan snap by snap and powered a 12-minute drive that effectively ended the game.
Defensively, Ohio State delivered one of its most complete rivalry performances in years. Michigan mustered only 63 passing yards, and freshman Bryce Underwood spent the afternoon under pressure and out of rhythm. Outside of two early chunk plays, the Wolverines ran for just 42 yards on 22 carries, a staggering 1.9 yards per attempt. Kayden McDonald dominated the interior, Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson controlled the edges, and the linebacker duo of Sonny Styles and Arvelle Reese turned in one of their best combined games of the season. Andrew Marsh, Michigan’s rising star, finished with zero catches. The Buckeyes didn’t just win this game, they suffocated Michigan.
Around the country, chaos continued to unfold with Alabama surviving Auburn, Oregon locking in a home CFP game, Vanderbilt beating Tennessee, and the ACC descending further into tiebreaker madness. Meanwhile, Ohio State basketball split its week with a 113–60 blowout of Mt. St. Mary’s followed by yet another heartbreaking one-point loss to Pitt.
Now all focus shifts to Indianapolis, where No. 1 Ohio State faces No. 2 Indiana in a Big Ten Championship that doubles as a playoff preview. The matchup is everything the numbers suggest, Indiana boasts a top-five offense and top-three defense, while Ohio State leads the nation in nearly every major defensive category. Both teams dominate third downs on both sides of the ball. Add in a Heisman showdown between Mendoza and Sayin, with Sayin poised to take the lead if Ohio State wins, and the stakes couldn’t be clearer. Cole and Joey both picked the Buckeyes to win a tight one, each predicting a seven-point margin and trusting Ohio State’s receivers and defense to outlast Indiana inside the dome.
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