Jim Harbaugh had finally defeated Ohio State. As Michigan’s head coach, he’d lost his first five against the Buckeyes, a failure that had come to define his otherwise pretty successful tenure. It fed some of the cries for his dismissal in 2020, when a 2-4 season ended with a COVID-canceled game against the Buckeyes, an act that seemed merciful.
A year ago though, his team had bullied Ohio State 42-27 around inside a snowstorm, vanquishing the program that had seemingly left their rivals behind. It was Michigan that was headed to the Big Ten Championship game and the playoff afterward.