This year’s Ohio State-Michigan game was always going to be a special one.
It still is, but partly for reasons different than it seemed a week ago.
Until last week’s upset loss to Michigan State, Ohio State hadn’t lost since the second game of 2014, a span of 23 games. After running back Ezekiel Elliott criticized the play-calling following Saturday’s game, the Buckeyes were hit by questions about whether that revealed deeper fissures.
So this Michigan game transcends whether Ohio State can somehow put itself back in position for a championship. (The Buckeyes will need a Penn State win over Michigan State for that.