By: Jack Shapiro
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The University of Michigan Wolverines lost a costly overtime football game to the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 26. As a result of the game, it sent the Buckeyes into the playoffs and the Wolverines out of the playoffs.
Michigan, ranked number three at the time was unable to stop the number two ranked Buckeyes. After a double overtime win for Ohio State, it clinched them a chance in the college football playoffs.
As for Michigan, due to the loss they were unable to attend the Big Ten championship and were eventually dropped out of the top four.
Many Michigan fans have argued that the loss was due to biases and missed penalty calls.
After being sacked nine times by the Wolverines defense, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett picked up a controversial first down on a fourth-and-one run. Buckeye head coach Urban Meyer made an extremely risky call going for the fourth down play late in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes were down by three and were in field goal range.
Barrett, rammed into his blocker A.J. Alexander then promptly fell backwards right at the first down. After review of the play, the call on the field stood as called, first down Ohio State.
After lots of distress, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh along with many of fans did not agree with the call.
“That was not a first down,” Harbaugh said. “I’m bitterly disappointed with the officiating today.”
Jake Leon ’19 agreed with Harbaugh’s comments, “I don’t think he ever crossed the line because the linemen was standing on the line and he never got past him.”
Myers had the opportunity to tie the game with a field goal, yet chose to keep his offense out on the field. Buckeye kicker Tyler Durbin had missed two field goals earlier in the game.
There was also a big disagreement after Harbaugh drew a controversial unsportsmanlike penalty after an offside call on Michigan. Harbaugh threw his play card and broke his headphones at his own sideline. After asking the official about the penalty, he replied that it was a penalty in basketball. Which led to Harbaugh’s response, “Well this isn’t basketball!”
Russell Krauss ’19 stated that, “The refs shouldn’t have flagged him. He has the right to be mad… Worst officiating I have ever watched.”
On top of those calls, there was much debate about two costly pass interference calls that didn’t go Michigan’s way. The first came late in the fourth quarter and the second in double overtime.
With all of the controversy, there is still much more debate about the officials. Two of the referees in the game were born in the state of Ohio. This created more speculation about the game’s fairness.
Ohio State ended up beating the Michigan Wolverines 30-27 in double overtime. Curtis Samuel, the Buckeyes running back, found his way into the end zone following the controversial fourth-and-one play.
The first overtime in the 113-game history of the rivalry knocked the Wolverines out of the college football playoffs and Big Ten Championship.
The Wolverines will play the number 11 seed Florida State Seminoles in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Friday, December 30. The number three seed Buckeyes will go on to play the number two seed, Clemson Tigers in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. If Ohio State wins, they will go on to play in the championship against the winner of the Alabama vs. Washington game.
