Michigan Beats Ohio State, 40-34

And so it ends. Eight seasons, 2,926 days, and three head coaches later, Michigan has finally defeated Ohio State. The Buckeyes battled until the final minute, but the latest edition of The Game ended on a tipped-ball interception, sealing Michigan's 40-34 victory and exorcising considerable scarlet-and-grey demons.

The game began well for Ohio State. Corey "Philly" Brown corralled a 54-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive, and the defense halted Michigan's first series where it began. Then, following an Ohio State three-and-out, Denard Robinson made his presence known. Robinson scampered 41 yards on a lead draw play, scooting around Etienne Sabino and breaking past defenders for a touchdown. It would foreshadow a tough day for a Buckeye defense that struggled to consistently stop Robinson.

Michigan gained 444 yards, and the junior quarterback accounted for 337 of them. He ran for 170 yards on 26 carries and threw for 167 yards, completing 14 of 17 pass attempts with no interceptions. It was an excellent performance by Robinson, but he was almost upstaged by his true freshman opponent, Braxton Miller.

Although it ended in defeat, and although he did toss an interception, Miller undoubtedly played his finest game as a Buckeye. Offensive coordinator Jim Bollman installed an aggressive gameplan that called upon Miller often, and Miller met the challenge head-on. 14 of 25 passing, 235 yards, and two touchdowns, along with 100 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, gave Ohio State the offensive boost it needed to keep pace with a relentless Michigan attack.

After Robinson, and a questionable safety call, drove Michigan to a 16-7 lead, Miller remained poised and responded with two successful series of his own. Drew Basil capped a 42-yard drive with a field goal, and Miller ran in for a 19-yard touchdown on the following drive, giving the Bucks a 17-16 lead. Michigan would retake the lead on another Robinson touchdown run and then give it right back to Ohio State with poor secondary coverage. Miller hit senior receiver DeVier Posey on a 43-yard post route that left the halftime score at 24-23, Ohio State.

Michigan received the ball to start the second half and scored on a 20-yard Denard Robinson pass. Ohio State elected to play coverage on 3rd and 11, dropping eight and sending only three linemen after Robinson. It kept him contained, but it also prevented any pressure from reaching him and forcing a quick throw. Given the time, Robinson sat in the pocket and delivered a strike to Martavious Odoms, who then slipped past three defenders into the endzone. The play served as a leverage point in the game; Ohio State's offense, instead of playing with the lead, now trailed again.

A botched Michigan punt at the end of the third quarter gave Ohio State excellent field position to begin the fourth. Punter Will Hagerup allowed an errant snap to hit him in the facemask, and the ball bounced behind him for a 17-yard loss. Ohio State failed to score a touchdown, however, and kicked a field goal to move within three points, 30-27. The one-score gap was short-lived. Denard Robinson led Michigan 75 yards downfield on the next drive and threw a touchdown pass to tight end Kevin Koger, giving Michigan a 37-27 lead with 8 minutes to play.

Before the game, it would be hard to imagine that Ohio State's defense could be blamed for dragging their offense down, but that's exactly what happened. The linebackers, as they have all season, struggled against quickness. Sabino and Storm Klein lack the speed to cover in space, and Ryan Shazier, while having the talent, is still young and prone to error.

The secondary collapsed, mostly due to personnel issues. Christian Bryant missed the entire game, and safety Orhian Johnson missed portions in each half with persistent injuries to his lower body. Johnson's replacement, Zach Domicone, bungled a few coverage swaps, one of which led directly to a long Michigan completion.

Despite the struggles, both Ohio State's offense and defense refused to quit. After falling behind two scores, Braxton Miller led a quick touchdown drive that ended in a Dan "Boom" Herron touchdown run, cutting the Michigan lead to 37-34. An incredible series of events followed.

Michigan marched through the Buckeye defense and found themselves with a first-and-goal at Ohio State's five yard line. On first down, Robinson kept the ball but the Bucks stopped him for a loss. On second down, Fitzgerald Toussaint burst through the line and scored a touchdown. Or not. The referees reviewed the play and determined that Toussaint's knee had touched the ground before he entered the endzone. 3rd and goal. Robinson kept a keeper and darted around Tyler Moeller's outstretched arms, shuffling into the endzone. Or not. A  lineman had held Moeller on the play, negating the touchdown and kicking Michigan back ten yards. But wait, there's more? A personal foul had also been committed, kicking Michigan back another fifteen yards.

So the Wolverines had 3rd and goal from the 26-yard line, which they failed to convert. Kicker Brendan Gibbons knocked a field goal through the uprights, giving Michigan the 40-34 lead and setting the stage for a final Buckeye opportunity.

Ohio State had one minute and fifty-nine seconds to drive 80 yards for a touchdown. A poor two-minute offense never gave the Buckeyes a chance. Three incompletions, two rushes, one interception, and some baffling clock management later, and Michigan escaped with the victory.