Michigan Football: Most Heartbreaking Losses

Sep 26, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes fans during the third quarter versus the Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 38-12. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

“The Near-Miracle”

Here we go with another Ohio State game.

Maybe this one stings because it’s a little fresher in the memory box, or maybe it’s because we went into this game with such dismal expectations that the crash at the end felt that much worse.

Whatever the reason, it hurt.

Michigan got off to a really hot start in 2013 with five straight wins. (We should have seen the decline coming after narrow victories over Akron and Connecticut.) The rest went downhill. Ohio State was cruising in the opposite direction with an unblemished record. So my main goal was to not be completely embarrassed.

The Wolverines forced a punt on Ohio State’s first drive of the game, but that punt pinned Michigan back on its own 1-yard line.

More from Michigan Football

• 3 things to watch for Michigan football vs. Rutgers
• Michigan football vs. Rutgers: Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 4
• Michigan Wolverines news: Jim Harbaugh wants J.J. McCarthy ‘gunslinging’, plus a drop in recruiting rankings
• Grades, game balls for Michigan football vs. Bowling Green
• Michigan Wolverines news: Jake Moody is money in the NFL, plus more

A 99-yard drive? Right.

But sure enough, that’s exactly what happened, and Michigan went up 7-0. Surprisingly good offensive play and a reliable defense put the Wolverines in good position to start the second half, tied at 21.

OK, so maybe we have something here. Let’s believe it!

Michigan’s first three drives of the second half went like this: fumble, fumble, turnover on downs.

OK, let’s back off a bit.

But somehow the Wolverines were still in it. A Carlos Hyde fumble in the fourth quarter led to another Michigan touchdown, and it was suddenly tied again at 35.

Hyde made up for his fumble with a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but Michigan responded with an 84-yard drive on 11 plays and put six points on the board. Down 41-42, Hoke opted to go for the win (probably because Gardner was hobbling around and wouldn’t have survived an overtime). Gardner’s pass, intended for Drew Dileo, was broken up, and Ohio State escaped.

Relive it, if you dare.

Next: Colorado, 1994