The best and worst from Saturday's game.
View full sizeRoss Homan and the Ohio State defense had their hands full containing Michigan's Denard Robinson, who moved the Wolverines consistently until he suffered multiple dislocated fingers on his left hand before halftime.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The best and worst from Saturday's game.
They had no kick coming: Michigan hasn't worried about its punting game for years. Twinsburg High graduate Zoltan Mesko kept the position steady for four years, his booming kicks so consistent that he became a cult hero for Michigan fans.
This year, the Wolverines' punter was a newcomer, freshman Will Hagerup. He averaged 43.6 yards per punt this season and had 10 punts of 50-plus yards. But Saturday, Hagerup was back in Ann Arbor, not traveling with the team because he violated a team rule, coach Rich Rodriguez said.
That meant that the Wolverines had to rely on placekicker Seth Broekhuizen to punt. Michigan managed just 34.5 yards on four punts -- one even coming from back-up quarterback Tate Forcier, who punted in high school.
Forcier, in fact, had the best punt for the Wolverines, booming a 52-yard kick in the third quarter.
But until Forcier showed off his kicking skills, Michigan stumbled woefully with its punting game. Broekhuizen's first attempt was an 18-yard shank that allowed Ohio State to begin its drive from the Michigan 35 -- and set up the Buckeyes' first touchdown. Broekhuizen also had punts of 44 and 24 yards.
The unsteady punting game -- and a non-existent field-goal squad -- meant that Michigan went to great lengths to avoid punting, attempting five fourth-down conversions and completing just one.
Best TD that wasn't: Daniel "Boom" Herron found a hole in the third quarter. It was big enough for him to find some space to sprint down the left sideline, starting from the Ohio State 2. But there wasn't enough space that Herron could make it to the end zone untouched. He needed help.
So receiver Dane Sanzenbacher blocked Michigan cornerback James Rogers at about the Michigan 9, and Herron found the end zone.
Until a yellow flag was tossed, and Sanzenbacher was charged with holding Rogers. The Buckeyes managed just a 36-yard field goal four plays later, and Sanzenbacher was only slightly apologetic afterward.
"I didn't think it was a penalty, but I don't make the calls," Sanzenbacher said. "I wouldn't change what I did if I could do the play again, if that makes it any better. Sorry to Boom to steal his touchdown. I was just trying to help clear the way for him to get into the end zone."
Said Herron: "I don't think he owes me an apology. He did a great job, and I couldn't have done it without him blocking downfield. Everybody said it was a bad call, but you can't argue with the refs."
It ended up being an 89-yard run that still had significance. It tied the longest play from the line of scrimmage for OSU since Gene Fekete gained 89 yards against Pittsburgh in 1942 -- the same year that the throwback uniforms Saturday were designed to replicate.
"I'm very grateful for that," Herron said.
Worst timing on a turnover: The Wolverines were cruising down the field in the first quarter with their hurry-up offense, rattling off plays and gaining yards at every turn.
Then quarterback Denard Robinson put his head down to gather yards from the OSU 26 on third-and-17. He'd just reached the first-down marker when Ohio State safety Orhian Johnson and cornerback Travis Howard combined to bring him down, stripped him of the ball, and defensive end Nathan Williams recovered the fumble.
It was, perhaps, the worst timing of the day for the Wolverines, who might have taken a lead in the scoreless game if Robinson had held on.
Ohio State used the recovery to propel them 74 yards down the field, where Devin Barclay knocked in a 33-yard field goal for the Buckeyes' first lead.
"It was real huge," Howard said. "Our coaches really talk about turnover margin. And in that case, it was a big play, especially because they were moving the ball. To get that turnover, it changed the whole atmosphere of the game."
Worst vague reference: As Rich Rodriguez defended his right to have another season on the job, he also made a vague reference to the forces he's fighting in his attempt to turn the Woverines into a winning program again. He cited "some people" who make his job difficult.
"Maybe some people don't want me to have success," he said. "I would think most people that follow Michigan, love Michigan, do. Because they love our school and love our program. We've got that going for us."