Wolverines ‘physically outplayed’ Ohio State

Immediately following Michigan’s 13-10 upset of then-No. 2 Ohio State, and the aftermath that took place at midfield, questions were immediately raised as to why the Buckeyes neglected to use the best weapons they had on offense — their wide receivers.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly were at the center of nationwide criticism for their offensive strategy, but Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and the Wolverines’ defensive front deserve credit for holding OSU to their lowest regular season scoring output since 2011.

How did the Wolverines do it?

“We were really confident in the game plan,” Martindale told reporters on Saturday, as Michigan prepares to face Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. “And, you know, our whole message was all week, let’s take them to the deep end in the fourth quarter. And we knew then that we could take over the game defensively.”

Day and Kelly rigthfully came under fire for their insistence in trying to run the football, with a banged-up offensive line, between the tackles against the heart of Michigan’s defense — Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.

However, Martindale and the Wolverines were able to dictate some of that with the defensive looks they presented Ohio State, sacrificing numbers against the run in order to prevent big plays over the top through the air. Michigan needed Graham, Grant, the rest of the defensive line and the linebackers to hold up against the run despite the Buckeyes having a numbers advantage. They did just that, and after the Wolverines got a few good licks in on OSU quarterback Will Howard, the rest was history.

“I know there’s been a lot of speculations about this and that…but, you know, all credit to the players,” Martindale said. “The game always has been, always will be about them. I come out with that on Twitter because that’s what it was. We just physically outplayed them.

“When your best players are playing their best, that’s when you have a lot of success. And you saw that with Makari’s hit on the quarterback. Earnest’s hit on the quarterback that was sort of hidden, that no one saw because it was on a read sweep play. He got it pretty good. And after that, [Howard] started getting a little nervous back there. So, you know, the guys had a great rush plan. Lou had a great rush plan. And Kevin with the four upfront. LaMar and BJ did a great job with the coverage aspect of it. Just sticking to our game plan. And, you know, it was a lot of fun to watch.”

After Ohio State exploded for 42 points against a Tennessee defense that was also very stout during the 2024 season, more questions were raised as to how Michigan was able to hold the Buckeyes in check. Martindale’s further explanation wasn’t overly complicated.

“We felt good going into the game of how we were going to attack them and give them some different looks that they weren’t used to,” the defensive coordinator said. “And then when they started getting used to it, we went to a different look. And, you know, it kept them, you know, guessing and reaching the entire game. But you could see, you know, that Tennessee game, what kind of explosive offense it was. I mean, they’re a very talented group. And it was just, you know, our day that day. And I’m glad we had it.”

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