5 things we learned from Michigan football win in ‘The Game’ — the most important ever

Michigan receiver Roman Wilson and acting head coach/offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore celebrate Wilson's touchdown catch against Ohio State during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
Michigan receiver Roman Wilson and acting head coach/offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore celebrate Wilson's touchdown catch against Ohio State during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. /
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Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines interim head coach Sherrone Moore gestures on the sideline during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State lost 30-24. /

Michigan won the line of scrimmage again

Even though Michigan had a different head coach on Saturday, the key to beating Ohio State didn’t change.

Winning ‘The Game’ is about winning the line of scrimmage.

Urban Meyer understood that and so does Michigan football. Sherrone Moore learned that lesson from Jim Harbaugh in a way that Ryan Day didn’t from his old boss.

When it was all said and done, Michigan had 156 rushing yards to 107 for OSU. That’s the 22nd straight game between Michigan and Ohio State where the team with more rushing yards has won.

When the game was on the line for Michigan, McCarthy was able to run for 15 yards, while Corum eventually paid it off with a 22-yard touchdown. On the last drive, Michigan pounded the ball down the field and picked up a huge third-and-one in the process to clinch it.

When Ohio State fell down 24-17, the Buckeyes ran once, then got away from it, and went three and out. One coach trusted his dudes in the trenches and one didn’t. It’s that simple.

And until Ohio State can learn to block and tackle better, it’s not going to beat Michigan.