4 painful observations from Michigan's loss to Ohio State that ends all CFP hope

After the first 10 minutes, it looked like the Wolverines were going to have Ohio's number once again, but as the game went on, it was clear that the Buckeyes had a little too much firepower on both sides of the ball.

The first loss to Ohio in the past five years means that Michigan's slim hopes at getting into the CFP 12-team playoff bracket are over. Early bowl projections have the Wolverines heading to Florida for the holidays, probably Orlando to take on an SEC team in the Capital One/Citrus Bowl.

Marshall's injury halted ground attack

After the first two series, it felt like Jordan Marshall was in line for a big game, similar to the ones that Hassan Haskins and Donovan Edwards had over the past few years. But Marshall injured his arm on the seventh carry of the game. He returned in the second half but wasn't the same player. Without an effective Marshall, the Wolverines couldn't get anything explosive in the run game and finished with just 100 yards on the ground, 

Marshall's injury was par for the course for Wolverine running backs this year as both Marshall and Justice Haynes have dealt with injuries all season that has stretched Michigan's depth on offense.

Missed opportunities

Michigan was going to have to get out to a fast start to win, and the Wolverines had the chance to get a double-digit lead in the early stages of the game, but two possessions on the plus-side of the field resulted in just six points. The second of those possessions, which came about after Jyaire Hill intercepted Jullian Sayin, stalled out at the Buckeyes' 7-yard line. Michigan needed touchdowns and instead the Buckeyes weathered the early storm.

The Buckeyes controlled the ball

As the snow began falling harder, Ohio committed to a more physical game and kept Michigan's defense out on the field until it wore down. The final blow was a 20-play drive that went 83 yards and lasted almost 12 minutes. Michigan held Ohio to a field goal, but the 27-9 lead was going to be too much to overcome. Ohio ran 73 plays to Michigan's 42 and the Buckeyes held a 40:01-19:59 time of possession advantage. 

Bryce Underwood looked like a freshman

Underwood has had his ups and downs as a passer this season and today he was not effective. He was 8-of-16 with just 63 yards passing. Matt Patricia continued to dial up a lot of unique looks that confused Underwood, and Wolverine wide receivers couldn't get much separation. There will be better days in this rivalry for Underwood, but today was a learning experience he'll have to grow from.