Knocking off the Buckeyes in the regular season finale would have completely changed the perception of this 2017 Michigan squad. I think Drew Hallett said it best with this tweet:
If U-M finishes 9-3 with a win vs. OSU, U-M matches expectations, and there'd be no such bitterness. It'd be viewed a stop gap season where young U-M improved at end.
— Drew Hallett (@DrewCHallett) November 8, 2017
Unfortunately, the Wolverines couldn’t pull off the victory. But it wasn’t for a lack of effort — or opportunities. Michigan was in the game until the very end, but despite holding multiple leads — including one late in the third quarter — it fell for the sixth consecutive time against Ohio State.