The Michigan Wolverines were able to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes, 30-24, in a thriller.
That's now three consecutive victories for Michigan in The Game, but the first in that run without Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines as Sherrone Moore filled in as the interim for the third game in a row to end the regular season. It also likely puts the Wolverines in the College Football Playoff, but for sure the Big Ten Championship Game against Iowa.
Before the trip to Indianapolis, though, let's take a look at the three Michigan Wolverines who helped lead the charge.
3. Blake Corum came up huge after missing most of The Game in 2022
Blake Corum had an amazing day of work as he was able to run for 84 yards, which set the tone for the Wolverines offense. The passing game for Michigan in this game was complimentary to Corum's rushing attack. While J.J. McCarthy made a number of small crucial plays to win this game, Corum's legs were able to put the QB in this position.
The running back ended up with 84 yards, averaging 4.2 yards per carry and finding the end zone twice. After he was limited to just two touches last season against Ohio State while trying to fight through an injury, Corum stepped up and delivered a big-time performance this time around.
2. Michigan's defense came up with game-changing plays
Although the Wolverines allowed 24 points in this game, Michigan was able to force Ohio State QB Kyle McCord into mistakes. In a game that was decided by one score, forcing turnovers and bad decisions is a crucial separator. Michigan's defense turned the tides early with an interception off of McCord as they read his throw perfectly, giving McCarthy and the Wolverines a short field and eventually the lead.
The secondary was the real strength in this game as they forced anyone not named Marvin Harrison Jr. to three or fewer receptions for the entire game. The challenge for Michigan in this game was to make sure McCord was not able to be a complimentary QB. They succeeded and, thus, secured the victory.
1. Sherrone Moore's aggressive play-calling made a massive difference
The interim head coach for his third game, Sherrone Moore decided to be aggressive against the Buckeyes. Moore went for it on three crucial fourth downs that allowed the Wolverines to win this game. One of these fourth downs was at the 1-yard line and the Wolverines put seven on the board instead of settling for a field goal.
On the other hand, Ryan Day's passive play-calling was a major reason that the Buckeyes lost this game. The Ohio State head coach decided not to go for it on any of the fourth downs in this game, which looked like a poor call in hindsight (or at the time too).
Moore will most likely be interviewing for head coaching jobs due to the way he coached in this game against Michigan's bitter rivals.
