Ohio State beats Michigan in The Game, clinches Big Ten Championship appearance

For the first time in more than 2,100 days – almost exactly six years – Ohio State beat Michigan in The Game. In the process, the Buckeyes punched their ticket to the Big Ten Championship.

Ohio State put together a dominant performance against Michigan in the rivalry matchup. Julian Sayin threw for three touchdowns while Bo Jackson led the rushing attack with 117 yards en route to the 27-9 victory in Ann Arbor.

With the victory, Ohio State is officially heading back to the Big Ten Championship for the first time since 2020. The Buckeyes will take on Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, setting up a battle of 12-0 teams for the conference title.

It wasn’t necessarily easy for Ohio State to start Saturday’s game. Michigan started things off with a field goal and Sayin threw an interception, which set up another Wolverines attempt to go up 6-0. The Buckeyes added one of their own to make it a 6-3 game after one quarter.

Then, Ohio State broke out. Jeremiah Smith hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Sayin to go up 10-6, and after another Michigan field goal, Brandon Inniss found the end zone just before halftime to extend the lead to 17-6.

The Buckeyes never looked back. Carnell Tate got in on the action with a 50-yard touchdown reception from Sayin to make it a 24-9 ballgame, and a Jayden Fielding field goal capped off a 20-play, 81-yard drive that churned 11:56 of game clock. That felt like the dagger for Ohio State, and the Buckeyes eventually drained enough clock in the fourth quarter to seal it.

Despite the interception, Sayin looked the part in his first taste of the rivalry matchup. He went 19 of 26 for 233 yards and three touchdowns to lead the charge. Jackson anchored the rushing attack with a dominant performance, taking 22 carries for 117 yards. On the whole, Ohio State had 186 yards on 47 carries, with CJ Donaldson adding 14 attempts for 44 yards.

Now, the Buckeyes will head to Indianapolis next week for compete for the Big Ten title. They will go up against an Indiana team that also dominated through the regular season, including a Black Friday victory over Purdue to secure its spot in the championship game. It also means Heisman Trophy contenders Julian Sayin and Fernando Mendoza will go head-to-head.

Kickoff for the Big Ten Championship is set for Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.