Michigan Football: Will Wolverines ever beat Ohio State again?

After another stunning defeat at the hands of Ohio State, I feel myself asking, when is Michigan football ever going to beat the Buckeyes?

During the second half of Michigan football and Ohio State, I lost power, which was fitting, because, at the same, the Buckeyes were turning out the lights on the Wolverines’ dream season.

I watched the rest of the game on phone but it didn’t matter. Ohio State dominated The Game and the Buckeyes did it in stunning fashion. Did I think Ohio State might win? Yes, I did. However, I did not see the Buckeyes scoring 62 points or Dwayne Haskins throwing five touchdowns.

I didn’t see Michigan football getting turned into a laughingstock at the hands of Ohio State — yet here we are. Again.

I don’t have answers anymore and I certainly don’t know what to say. At multiple points during the game, I had to turn it off. I had to put my phone down. I said things on Twitter that I regret — I lost control of my sanity and truthfully, I just don’t know how I am going to deal with this feeling for another 365 days.

For some reason, I fooled myself into believing Michigan football was going to beat Ohio State. The No. 1 defense and Shea Patterson had to be enough right? After all, wasn’t everyone in agreement that this was Michigan’s year?

Well, guess again. Like it’s been every year but one since 2004, it was all Buckeyes and honestly, it’s hard to know where the Wolverines go from here.

Over the years, there have been a lot of hard losses to stomach as a Michigan football fan, but I think this takes the cake. Never have I expected more of the Wolverines and gotten less. Never.

Before Saturday, I thought this was the best Michigan team in 21 years, however, now it will never be anything more than a what-if. This defense certainly doesn’t deserve to be called great and this team doesn’t either. Not after a performance like that, no matter what happens in the bowl game.

Michigan Wolverines Football

I don’t want to hear about the revenge tour and I don’t want to hear about steps in the right direction. This was a good season and 10-2 is about what we all expected. Yet, at some point, our expectations were raised. We all started thinking of a Big Ten Championship and a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Maybe the Wolverines started thinking that too and took this game for granted. The idea of it sounds foolish, considering Michigan has been owned in this rivalry. Now, it really is official — Urban Meyer owns Jim Harbaugh and Ohio State owns Michigan.

The Wolverines are the little brother. They think they have a chance but they don’t and Saturday, they never really did. I thought that changed and I was wrong. It hasn’t and I have the feeling it won’t.

I want to be optimistic. I want to say Michigan will have a good chance to end the losing streak next year and that the program is back on the right track, but I can’t.

For the life of me, I just can’t.

This loss hurts and the worst part is the Wolverines can’t do a thing about it until next year’s game. Bowl wins don’t matter; beating Michigan State doesn’t matter; beating ranked teams doesn’t matter; 10-win seasons don’t matter — none of it matters until Michigan beats Ohio State again.

That has to be the sole focus of this Michigan football program every single day until that happens.

Until that day comes, none of the other success will matter. Michigan gave us a lot of great moments this season and eventually, those fond memories will come back. But right now, it all just feels like a distant memory. Right now, all I can see is 62-39 flashing before my eyes.

As I said, I don’t really know what to say. I just know I don’t want to talk about what went wrong or X’s and O’s — none of it. All I keep thinking and asking myself is this: Are the Wolverines ever going to beat Ohio State again?

I know it sounds ridiculous but at the same time, I don’t have a good answer and I think that’s the worst part of the whole thing. Every year, that question gets less and less ridiculous. Now, it feels more relevant than ever.

Ohio State owns Michigan and sadly, it was never more apparent than it was on Saturday.