WOLVERINES

Three U-M questions: No doubting the Ohio State rivalry is back

Free Press sports writer Shawn Windsor tackles the tough questions after U-M's double-OT loss at Ohio State

Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press

DE Chris Wormley. Projected round: 3-4. Caught between two positions, teams have seen some pass rush skills from him but he has a defensive tackle's body. There are players his size who have succeeded as an end, but his NFL position may depend on the team and the defense. He might be better outside in a three-man front.

Q: Did Michigan get robbed?

A: No. Was the spot on fourth down bad? Yes. Did Grant Perry get hooked on U-M’s final offensive possession? Yes. Were calls missed that would’ve helped Ohio State? Yes. Curtis Samuel was held a few times. Look, missed calls happen in every close game that go both ways. The truth is U-M couldn’t stop Ohio State late in the fourth quarter and in overtime. More than that, they couldn’t move the ball – the Wolverines had a little more than 100 yards in the second half, just 5 yards in the fourth quarter. It’s hard to win a road game when you can’t get a first down in the last quarter.

Q: Can U-M still make the college football playoff?

A: Technically. But it depends on how far U-M falls in the playoff ranking. The good news is there are only three one-loss teams – Alabama is undefeated. The bad news is a few two-loss teams will have to lose for U-M to jump up to one of the top four spots. That won’t be easy. Consider Alabama and Ohio State as locks – the Buckeyes won’t play again and Alabama isn’t losing. That means Clemson, Washington or Penn State will have to lose. That’s possible. But other teams may have to lose, too, depending on how far U-M falls.

Q: Is this rivalry back?

A: Yes. Saturday’s game had everything. Great defensive play. A gutty quarterback effort on both sides – U-M’s Wilton Speight for playing through a balky shoulder and Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett for finding ways to make plays late after getting stymied all day. Controversy. And a contest that came down to the final play. Jim Harbaugh has reinvigorated this program and this rivalry. As long and he and Urban Meyer are leading these two programs, expect these sorts of contests.

Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @shawnwindsor. Download our Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!