ANN ARBOR, Michigan — The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines beat No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes for the third straight year 30-24 on Saturday, Nov. 24, according to the AP.
Before ‘The Game,’ both teams were undefeated (11-0), but the Wolverines put an end to the Buckeye’s winning streak.
Michigan’s Rod Moore intercepted Ohio State’s Kyle McCord’s pass intended for Marvin Harrison Jr. at the Wolverine’s 21-yard-line with 25 seconds left, the AP reported.
This play set off a wild celebration on the Wolverine’s sideline.
Third-year quarterback McCarthy took a knee and Michigan fans rushed the field, the AP reported.
The Wolverines are now (12-0, 9-0) and are off to their third straight Big Ten title game.
Michigan University is one victory away from their third consecutive College Football Playoff appearance, according to the AP.
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Buckeyes coach Ryan Day is now (1-3) against the Wolverines, losing the last three. Before that, the Buckeyes had won eight straight and 15 of 16 games against Michigan.
For 148 yards, Wolverine’s McCarthy went 16 for 20 and had a touchdown, the AP reported.
The 119th Ohio State-Michigan game was memorable before it even kicked off as it was the 13th top-five matchup between the schools and had championship implications.
The animosity between the rival teams has never been higher as Michigan’s team is being investigated by the NCAA for allegations of in-person scouting and sign stealing, according to the AP.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten for the final three games of the 2023 season, which included Saturday’s rivalry game.
>> Read more on Harbaugh’s suspension: Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh to serve out suspension
The scandal has made fans all over the Big 10 question Michigan’s resurgence under Harbaugh.
Michigan went 3 for 3 on fourth down and used their backup quarterback to gain 22 yards. The Wolverines executed a halfback pass to set up a fourth-quarter field goal that put them up 10 points.
With 8:05 left, the Buckeyes cut the lead to 27-24 on a 14-yard touchdown pass from McCord to Harrison Jr.
Michigan’s James Turner kicked a 37-yard field goal to make it 30-24 with 1:05 remaining.
The Buckeyes had 1 minute to go 81 yards with no timeouts, the AP reported.
They made it to 37 before Michigan made their second interception of the day and closed out the game. McCord was hit as he threw.
It took a while for the offenses of both teams to get rolling as they faced some of the best defenses in the country.
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Will Johnson picked off McCord in the Buckeye’s territory to set up a fourth-and-inches touchdown dive by Corum, the AP reported.
Michigan converted two more fourth-and-shorts on a touchdown drive that ended with McCarthy threading a needle to Wilson, 22 yards out.
Ohio State wasn’t sure if Wilson held on, but it was confirmed by video review.
The Buckeyes desperately needed a response as they were down 14-3 in the second quarter. They marched 73 yards and McCord hit Egbuka for a 3-yard score.
Day decided to try a 52-yard field goal on fourth-and-2 from Michigan 34, but the kick went wide left as time expired, the AP reported.
Michigan opened the second half with a 50-yard field goal by Turner and Ohio State asserted itself with a 75-yard drive. Then the Buckeyes finished it off with eight straight runs and a typing 3-yard touchdown by TreVeyon Henderson.
McCord was 18 for 30 for 271 yards, the AP reported.
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The Wolverine’s Corum completed a 22-yard touchdown, which is the school-record 22nd of the season.
Michigan has 44 Big Ten titles and three national championships dating back to 1936, the AP reported.
They lead the overall series with Ohio State 61-52-6.
The Wolverines became the first college football program to reach 1,000 wins last week, but few of those will rank ahead of Saturday’s win against the Buckeyes, according to the AP.
The Michigan Wolverines will play in the Big Ten Championships game in Indianapolis against No. 20 Iowa.
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