Fansided

3 players of the game from Michigan beating Ohio State

By Cody Williams

Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson celebrates a play against Ohio State during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021.
Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson celebrates a play against Ohio State during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021. /
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Michigan Wolverines. Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports/The Columbus Dispatch /

Michigan football finally got their elusive win over Ohio State under Jim Harbaugh and these players came up the biggest for the Wolverines to win The Game.

Some said it was impossible, most said it was improbable, but Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football maintained their belief that they could topple Ohio State in The Game to cap off their regular season. And after 60 minutes of butt-kicking, hard-nosed football, that’s exactly what the Wolverines accomplished.

The 42-27 win in Ann Arbor gives Harbaugh his first win over his alma mater’s biggest rival since he took over as the head coach. Perhaps just as importantly, it punches the Wolverines’ ticket to the Big Ten Championship Game and, potentially, the College Football Playoff as well.

But before we look ahead, let’s take the deserved time to appreciate the Michigan football players who stepped up in the moment and delivered a cornerstone win for Harbaugh’s program, the stars of The Game, if you will.

Michigan football: 3 players of The Game and beating Ohio State

3. The entire Wolverines offensive line

If Michigan football was going to pick up the elusive victory over the Buckeyes, they were going to have to do so with physicality. Yes, that meant winning with their defensive line and getting after Stroud, but it also meant consistently dominating in the trenches when they had the ball. Their offensive line was more than up to the task.

Take just about any facet of the game you could look at and Michigan’s offensive line was winning the battle. Their rushers averaged an incredible 7.2 yards per carry as a group on Saturday with none of the six players who carried the ball averaging under 6.0 yards per touch. Moreover, Cade McNamara wasn’t sacked a single time on the day, further leaving the O-line imprint on The Game.

In a game where Michigan needed to win the trench battle if they were going to control the action, their offensive line delivered a master class performance that helped buoy the resounding victory in the Big House.

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