'A locker room of heroes': Michigan's toughness again wins out vs. Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio — They huddled along the visiting sideline at Ohio Stadium on the precipice of an upset, of a second consecutive triumph over an archrival known for having more talent, more flair and more success since the turn of the century. 

A year ago, these stronghearted Wolverines and their quirkily quixotic head coach, Jim Harbaugh, had bludgeoned Ohio State in the trenches for a storybook victory that underscored Michigan’s toughness and will more than anything else. And during Saturday’s rematch in Columbus — to which both teams arrived undefeated for the first time since 2006 — a fourth-quarter battle cry implored the visitors to unleash more of the same.

"You sneak up on these motherf------ like you’ve done, and you finish their ass," co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale said as Michigan garrisoned a two-score lead.

That the Wolverines had even reached this point was largely unthinkable given everything that preceded it. Their star running back, Blake Corum, survived just two carries on an injured knee before removing himself for the remainder of the game. Their primary backup, Donovan Edwards, struggled to secure the ball in warmups as he returned to the lineup with a cast over his injured thumb. They entered Ohio Stadium as multi-score underdogs with late money pouring in on Ohio State. And with an offense that ran the ball on 62.4% of its snaps this season, they reached halftime having rushed for 10 yards on 11 ill-fated carries.

But the hallmark of Michigan’s two-year renaissance under Harbaugh, whose salary was halved two summers ago as athletic director Warde Manuel faced pressure to fire the underachieving prodigal son, is an unwavering sense of belief among the players — in the head coach, in the game plans and in themselves because of how desperate they are to succeed. Ohio State spent the best part of a year incubating the physicality it so clearly lacked at Michigan Stadium last year, but when the Buckeyes entered the fray on Saturday, it was Harbaugh’s team that proved tougher still.

The Wolverines amassed more than 500 yards of total offense with nary a touchdown allowed in the second half of a stunning 45-23 win drenched in dual delight: It propelled them to Indianapolis for the second consecutive season while forcing the opposing head coach, Ryan Day, to search for the kind of answers Harbaugh has already found.

"So proud of them," Harbaugh said. "Couldn’t be more proud. I knew the team was focused and determined, as they have been all season. This is a locker room of heroes, you know? We talked about it last night. ‘We don’t need one or two heroes. We need a whole team of them.’ And it was a great team win."

Harbaugh was proud of his quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, for playing the finest game of a burgeoning career by completing 12 of 24 passes for 263 yards and four total scores. It was McCarthy who shouldered the burden of a Corum-less offense and countered with a downfield efficiency that has eluded the Wolverines all season. His touchdowns on Saturday measured 45 yards to freshman tight end Colston Loveland, and 75 yards to wideout Cornelius Johnson on a dizzying double move that left Ohio State safety Cameron Martinez facing the wrong direction for a highlight-reel score.

And yet his best throw of the afternoon was probably a back-footed dart against an all-out blitz that pinpointed the ball against tight coverage along the left sideline. Johnson plucked the ball from the air and spun away from a would-be tackle to race 69 yards to the end zone.  

"Something’s gotta give," said Johnson, whose touchdowns were both longer than his highest yardage output against a Big Ten opponent this season. "And today, when it mattered most, in front of millions of people, we were able to connect, and we were both on the same page."

Harbaugh was proud of the defense, led by first-year coordinator Jesse Minter, for stringing together seven consecutive possessions without surrendering a touchdown — from the final minutes of the second quarter through the cathartic interception by safety Makari Paige with 1:48 remaining.

It was Minter who found ways to keep pressure on Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud even while No. 1 edge rusher Mike Morris watched most of the game from the sideline with a bum ankle. Instead, he turned instead to nose tackle Mazi Smith (four tackles) and reserve defensive end Braiden McGregor (one tackle for loss, two pass breakups). That Stroud finished with the same number of touchdowns as interceptions for the first time all season speaks to the plan’s efficacy.

And when Ohio State threatened to trim Michigan’s lead to four midway through the fourth quarter, it was Minter’s offensive convert — ex-wide receiver come starting nickelback Mike Sainristil — who made up ground in a race to the back corner of the end zone and raked the ball from tight end Cade Stover’s grasp.

"The only thing running through my mind was just don’t give up another touchdown," said Sainristil, who was beaten by wideout Emeka Egbuka on a 4-yard touchdown in the first quarter. "Strain to the ball, get it out any way you can."

And Harbaugh was proud of his second-string tailback, Edwards, for pushing through the pain of an injured hand to set new career highs with 22 carries for 216 yards. It was Edwards who barreled into bodies for short gains in the first, second and third quarters before his patience and determination were rewarded with late-game chasms. Edwards exploded around the corner to out-leverage an OSU defensive back for a 75-yard score that set the Michigan sideline ablaze. And then he launched through the line of scrimmage for an 85-yard score on the Wolverines’ next offensive play.

After the game, a reporter asked Edwards what he saw on his long scoring run, to which the affable running back replied, "Which one?" as a smile stretched across his face.

"It’s just like pipes bursting," McCarthy said of the running game. "We’re putting the pressure on, we’re putting the pressure on, we’re putting it on — and then eventually it’s going to burst."

Each successive momentum swing toward the Wolverines intensified celebrations along the visiting sideline, where football staffers high-fived members of the school’s Board of Regents, and high-level donors kept screaming in disbelief. Manuel searched for anyone he could possibly embrace following an underhanded interception by Stroud in the waning moments. Edwards posed for photos with palms pressed together and hands glued to his cheek because he’d put Ohio State to sleep. Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins mocked the hand gestures Buckeye fans used to spell the name of their favorite state.

And when it finally ended — after three hours and 36 minutes unlikely to be forgotten by folks in this part of the country — Michigan’s players poured onto the Ohio Stadium turf. They whooped and hollered, yelled and cursed, bounding toward the largest collection of visiting fans and then planting a flag at midfield. Pictures of those moments will hang in Schembechler Hall forever. 

Twice in two years the Wolverines snuck up on Ohio State and buried them.

"There’s not a coach in America that could have it any better than to have this group of players," Harbaugh said. "Every single one of them, I just love them."

Read more:

• Ryan Day, Ohio State, will face scrutiny after loss to rivals
• Big Ten power shift: Michigan routs Ohio State, 45-23
• Michigan's Minters: Father-son combo drive Wolverines' defense
• C.J. Stroud had visions of greatness, and a mother's support
• Highlights from RJ Young's live tailgate party
• Michigan vs. Ohio State: The top 14 NFL Draft prospects in The Game

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Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.