Sweet 16: Hypothetical 16-team College Football Playoff
By Brad Weiss
In a rematch of the Big Game played three weeks earlier inside Ohio Stadium. That game was won by the Ohio State Buckeyes in thrilling fashion, as they worked two overtimes to defeat their rivals, 27-20. In Elite Eight action, the Wolverines were able to enact their revenge, as this game may have been the best game of the tournament.
The big story in this one was the play of the defenses, who scored two of the five touchdowns registered in this game. J.T. Barrett struggled to get anything going for the Buckeyes, as he was intercepted by Jabrill Peppers twice in the first half. For Michigan, the Buckeyes proved to be tough sledding as well, as Wilton Speight completed only 6-for-20 passing in the first half. Marshon Lattimore picked off Speight late in the second quarter, setting up Curtis Samuel for a one-yard score to give the Buckeyes a 10-7 lead at the half.
Ohio State scored on their first drive of the second half, and it looked like the Buckeyes would cruise to their second victory of the season against the Wolverines. However, the turnover bug continued to plague Barrett, who was picked off for a third time late in the third quarter, which was actually a pick-six by Jourdan Lewis. The play swung the momentum Michigan’s way, and while Ohio State was able to cut the lead to four with under five minutes left in the game, a Taco Charlton strip-sack of Barrett allowed the Wolverines to ice the game.