#No. 3 Michigan outlasts No. 2 Ohio State 30-24 in Big Ten thriller [Video]

The stakes couldn’t have been higher, and Michigan got the best of Ohio State yet again.

With a spot in the Big Ten title game and a potential College Football Playoff berth on the line, the third-ranked Wolverines held off the second-ranked Buckeyes 30-24 in a thriller in Ann Arbor to win their third straight game in one of the most heated rivalries in college football.

With the win, Michigan improved to 12-0 and set up a Big Ten title game matchup with No. 17 Iowa next weekend in Indianapolis. For Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, it was another missed opportunity on a massive stage as they dropped to 11-1 and could find themselves on the outside looking in when the CFP field is announced next Sunday.

Michigan’s previous two victories over Ohio State came in blowout fashion. This one, played without head coach Jim Harbaugh as he serves his three-game suspension, proved to be a much closer game.

The Wolverines, after taking a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter, had just a 14-10 lead at halftime and then found themselves tied at 17-17 late in the third quarter.

But every time Ohio State put the pressure on, Michigan — with acting head coach Sherrone Moore calling the plays — responded emphatically. The key sequence came late in a five-minute stretch that started late in the third quarter and spilled over to the fourth.

After Ohio State tied the game at 17-17 with a physical, run-heavy touchdown drive, Michigan punched right back. On the ensuing drive, quarterback J.J. McCarthy made multiple big plays, including a 15-yard scramble down the right sideline. Later on, he hit tight end AJ Barner for an 18-yard gain on a play that saw stalwart offensive lineman Zak Zinter go down with a serious leg injury.

Zinter had to be carted off the field, but Michigan would not be deterred. On the very next play, Blake Corum burst through the line and reeled off a 22-yard touchdown run to make it 24-17 with 1:55 remaining in the third quarter.

The Wolverines then kicked it back to Ohio State and quickly forced a three-and-out. Once Michigan regained possession, a trick play — a pass from running back Donovan Edwards to tight end Colston Loveland for 34 yards — advanced the offense deep into Ohio State territory.

The Buckeyes would get a stop in the red zone, but a 38-yard field goal from James Turner increased Michigan’s lead to 27-17 with 11:57 to play.

That two-score advantage was too much for the Buckeyes to overcome. But they sure tried.

Ohio State marched 65 yards in less than four minutes on its next drive and got back in the end zone when Kyle McCord found Marvin Harrison Jr. for a 14-yard score.

Michigan’s lead was 27-24 with 8:05 to play. At this point, Ohio State desperately needed its defense to make a play, but OSU wouldn’t get off the field for seven minutes.

Michigan used a 13-play drive to advance all the way to the Ohio State 19 but had to settle for a 37-yard field goal from Turner, which made it 30-24 with 1:05 to play.

That put the ball back in the hands of McCord and the Ohio State offense with a chance to win the game. McCord, who threw a costly interception in the first quarter to set up Michigan’s first touchdown, would end up throwing another.

To open the drive, McCord connected on two downfield passes to quickly get the Buckeyes into Michigan territory. But on McCord’s third pass attempt of the drive, he was drilled by Jaylen Harrell. The hit affected McCord’s throw and it was intercepted by Michigan’s Rod Moore.

The clutch play by the Michigan defense sealed the victory for the Wolverines.

Michigan was aggressive on fourth downs, Ohio State was conservative

McCord threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns, but his two interceptions played a major part in the outcome of the game. On the other side, McCarthy threw for only 148 yards, but he completed 16-of-20 throws and did not turn the ball over.

Ohio State largely bottled up Michigan’s vaunted rushing attack, but Corum, Edwards and McCarthy got the tough yards when they mattered the most. The Wolverines converted on three fourth-and-short plays in the first half to help build a halftime lead.

While Moore on the Michigan sideline was aggressive with his fourth-down decisions, Day — Ohio State’s fifth-year head coach — took a more conservative approach on the Buckeyes’ final drive of the first half.

The Buckeyes were backed up at their own 2-yard line, but were able to advance to the Michigan 42 thanks to an excellent catch by Harrison Jr. for a 44-yard gain. Trailing 14-10 with 1:11 left in the half, it looked like the Buckeyes would have a chance to take the lead going into halftime. Instead, OSU came away empty.

Day dialed up three more McCord passes. The first fell incomplete, the second went for just a yard and the third was a seven-yard gain to Cade Stover, which set up a fourth-and-2 at the Michigan 34-yard line.

Stover caught the ball with 39 seconds left in the half. Ohio State could have called timeout and tried to pick up the first down and get the ball into the end zone or set up a more manageable field goal. Instead, Day opted to let the clock wind down to three seconds, call timeout and send kicker Jayden Fielding out for a 52-yard try.

It was a career long try for Fielding and his kick sailed wide left.

That was a missed opportunity for the Buckeyes. It became worse when Michigan opened the second half with the ball and added a field goal to extend the lead to 17-10.

Day’s decision-making has long been questioned, particularly in games vs. Michigan. Day, who also sent the punt team out on a fourth-and-1 play near midfield in the first quarter, added a few more questionable choices to the list on Saturday.