SPORTS

With historic day, Hassan Haskins guides Michigan to victory

KENT SCHWARTZ Managing Sports Editor

All season, this Michigan team has had an identity: run the ball.

With two players at the center of that ethos, sophomore Blake Corum and senior Hassan Haskins, the ‘thunder and lightning’ running back duo became a bellwether for the offense.

On Saturday, Haskins led the Wolverines’ to a 42-27 victory over Ohio State.

His performance, which totaled 169 yards on 28 attempts for five touchdowns, will go down in the record books — it’s the most rushing touchdowns in The Game’s history, as well as tying Michigan’s all-time single-game record.

But his historic performance went beyond the stat sheet.

Haskins dictated the pace of the game from the very start. He touched the ball on five of nine plays, including three 3rd-and-short downs. In those three downs he ran for 35 yards total, keeping a crucial opening drive alive, a drive that ended with the only Michigan touchdown Haskins wouldn’t take in himself.

His quick cuts found holes and broke through a Buckeye defense that had yet to stack the box, demoralizing a defense that held Heisman candidate Kenneth Walker III to just 28 rushing yards a week ago. Yet when Ohio State adjusted, stacking the box, Haskins still found a way to fall forward.

“They thought they saw a ghost but it was number 25, Hassan Haskins,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “He has great determination, great purpose. Creatability.”

On a crucial drive to reestablish itself in the game, down 10-7, Michigan faced a fourth-and-one. Following a timeout, the Wolverines set up in a three tight-end set with Haskins in the backfield. Clearly, there was one place the ball would end up. Yet after a push and a twist, the chains moved and the drive stayed alive.

Four plays later, Haskins dove over a pile to stretch the ball in for his first touchdown of the afternoon. Michigan never trailed again.

“It was a big emphasis to be able to run the ball this week,” fifth-year offensive lineman Andrew Stueber said. “We thought that a lot of teams came out and played a little scared against them, a little timid, and that’s just not Michigan football. That’s not what we like to play as an o-line, as Michigan football, as a run game, as a unit.”

As time wound down in the end of the game, Haskins played an even bigger part. Up eight with just 14 minutes left, the Wolverines needed to accomplish two things: drain clock and score. So they turned to Haskins. A nine-play, four-and-a-halfminute drive featured eight runs, six of them from Haskins.

In one instance, he showed his patience, waiting behind a wall of blockers before finding a hole and darting for six yards. Other times, he showed his innate ability to fall forward, turning a five yard rush into an eight-yard rush and keeping the chains moving.

On its last drive of the game, Michigan needed to move the sticks twice in order to ice out Ohio State. Haskins listed off five rushes for 63 yards through a humiliated Buckeye defense, sealing the game.

At the beginning of the season, it seemed as though the Wolverines’ reliance on its rushing game would be a hindrance against the best teams in the country. Against an explosive Ohio State offense? There was no question, Michigan would fail to keep pace.

Instead, on Saturday, as Haskins walked in for his fifth touchdown, it became clear that this Wolverine running offense is capable of dominating just about everyone.

At last, Aidan Hutchinson has his moment

BRENDAN ROOSE Daily Sports Editor

Despite first-round projections in the NFL Draft last season, senior edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson returned to Michigan for one reason: to beat Ohio State.

“I told you guys at Big Ten Media Days that we were emphasizing this game more,” Hutchinson said. “Everyone seemed to have a lot of questions about that, in terms of how we were doing it, but I told you to trust me, we were doing it.”

He was right — pretty much nobody outside Schembechler Hall bought his optimism. It wasn’t Hutchinson’s own abilities that people doubted; it was the

ability of his team to actually beat the Buckeyes. At the start of the season, national media gave the Wolverines no shot in The Game. This publication unanimously picked Ohio State.

And still, Hutchinson persisted. On Tuesday, he reiterated that the Buckeyes had been a focus since January. He opined that, while a lot of teams play Ohio State “fearful,” his defense would have no fear against the Buckeyes’ top-ranked offense. Once again, no one listened — this publication included, of course.

Saturday, though, Hutchinson realized his vision. In the fifth-ranked Wolverines’ 42-27 upset of the second-ranked Buckeyes, he recorded three sacks — including his 13th of the season, which set the Michigan alltime record — on Ohio State quarterback and Heisman frontrunner C.J. Stroud.

Over those three-and-a-half hours, as the Wolverines solidified themselves as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, Hutchinson himself solidified his position as one of college football’s top players, and maybe even stole some of Stroud’s hype along the way.

“(Hutchinson’s) performance was … dominant,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Single-season sack record already — definitely should be in strong consideration for the Heisman Trophy.” In every moment where the Wolverines needed a play from their defense, Hutchinson was there to deliver it. After a first quarter interception sparked a long Buckeyes drive and a 3rd-and-goal at Michigan’s eight, Hutchinson recorded his first sack and forced Ohio State into a field goal. That stop preserved the Wolverines’ one-score lead and helped the team carry its momentum into the second quarter.

In the third quarter, with Michigan nursing an eight-point lead and the Buckeyes again finding some rhythm offensively, Hutchinson notched another sack that forced Ohio State to punt. On the next defensive possession, with the Wolverines up 15, he recorded another sack.

Even when he wasn’t sacking Stroud, Hutchinson’s drive was present on virtually every defensive snap. On one fourth down, as the Buckeyes worked to mount a comeback, Hutchinson was seen visibly jawing with the left tackle prior to the snap. As soon as Stroud took the snap, Hutchinson ran directly over the lineman into the backfield (Ohio State still converted, thanks to a borderline miraculous throw from Stroud).

Even beyond the Heisman comments, Harbaugh continued to sing Hutchinson’s praises after the game. He named him among a group of players he called the “foundation” of the team — players who had been with Michigan through the struggles of 2020 and beyond and refused to give in.

“If there was a train, like a locomotive going down the tracks, they literally stopped it, picked it up onto their backs, turned it around and started pushing,” Harbaugh said. “(Saturday), the rest of us started pushing, too.”

More than anything, though, Hutchinson’s performance represents a clean resolution to a truly historic Michigan career. An athlete raised in Wolverine tradition — his father, Chris Hutchinson, was a Michigan captain and All-American defensive lineman in the early ’90s — Hutchinson had already achieved just about every individual accolade he could hope for entering Saturday. Like countless Wolverine greats in recent years, he only lacked the elusive win over the Buckeyes.

Saturday, he sat grinning and shaking his head at the postgame press conference, as if in disbelief of what his team had just achieved. With his Michigan journey almost complete, he allowed himself to reflect on that sack record and the elusive rivalry win:

“Man. It was crazy. I can’t really put it into words. I really just wanted to beat my dad, and I went a little farther. It’s so cool, and it’s a moment I can’t wait to share (with) my dad.”

ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily

‘We want to go finish’: Harbaugh, Michigan begin shifting focus to Iowa

JARED GREENSPAN Daily Sports Editor

Following a thorough, dominant victory over Ohio State — the most important win in his seven-year tenure as Michigan coach — Jim Harbaugh went home.

He spent the night surrounded by family, commemorating his parents’ 60th wedding anniversary. Festivities included watching football, as they “always do,” and a few episodes of “Heartland” with his daughter.

Then Harbaugh went to sleep. On to Iowa.

“The thing that hits me first is that this is a new beginning,” Harbaugh said on Sunday. “(We want to do) what we always do. We prepare, we practice, we try to have great days. One good day of meetings, practices, get ourselves healthy, get ourselves ready and go play the game.”

That’s a mentality that Michigan has stuck to throughout the season, one instilled by Harbaugh.

But as much as that quote feels familiar, something about Harbaugh seemed different. He conducted the press conference like a man who just had a burden lifted from his shoulders.

He was downright giddy recounting his postgame interaction with Juwan Howard, laughing that the moment was “so cool.” He rattled off the congratulatory messages that flooded his phone, highlighting a memorable text from John Madden, who lauded the Wolverines’ offensive line for one of the best performances he’s ever seen.

“They really like our team,” Harbaugh said of the common thread through the messages. “They really like how hard our players play. Kinda that’s been the theme. Comes through the TV set. See a bunch of guys that really like playing the game and playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”

The “new beginning” phrase also speaks to his refined mindset. Harbaugh is cognizant of the implications looming this weekend, just as he was aware of the stakes against Ohio State.

Remaining levelheaded is difficult following a victory of such emotional magnitude. These situations are conducive for letdowns.

That’s why, when Harbaugh thinks about the pending Big Ten Championship Game, he is reminded of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. The group famously stunned the heavily favored Soviet Union, but still needed one more victory to secure the goal medal. The Americans finished the job, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Finland.

Harbaugh wants the Wolverines to follow their lead.

“This is the championship this week,” Harbaugh said. “This week, that’s for all the marbles. That’s for the championship. It’s a continuation of the playoffs. … That’s the message towards the team this week.”

Harbaugh carried that out in his press conference. He showed appreciation for Kirk Ferentz and his Iowa team, noting that there’s “pretty much no one” he respects more.

And though Michigan opened as 10.5-point favorites, he’s not overlooking the Hawkeyes, either.

“We know how good Iowa is,” Harbaugh said. “What stands out is how good and conscious they are in all three phases — offense, defense, special teams.”

As Harbaugh flipped the page to Iowa, he allowed for moments of reflection, too. He thought back to the spring, when he realized the potential of this collection of players and coaches that no one else saw.

“That’s one of those feelings that you have, and the guys start feeling it too,” Harbaugh said. “… The comments back then were, ‘Well, everybody says that.’ But we felt it.”

And against Ohio State, they sure did show it. Now, if the Wolverines can do so one more time, they’ll be Big Ten champions.

“Maybe we were better prepared, maybe we were stronger, maybe we were more talented, a lot of factors there,” Harbaugh said, reflecting on the victory. “The fact is that we’re here. We’re excited about it. We want to go finish.”

SportsWednesday: It’s a new team, is it a new program?

Come late November, the Michigan fanbase is used to singing the same melancholy song:

There’s always next year.

But, as the Wolverines have espoused since the first day of the season, this year — and this team — is different.

On Saturday, when Michigan led Ohio State at the half, fans started to believe that it could be true. The 14-13 score was hardly an indication of the dominance to come, but rather a hint that this time, maybe, their confidence wasn’t misplaced.

The momentum in the stands continued to grow with each ensuing touchdown. When senior running back Hassan Haskins brought the score to 34-20 with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter — his fourth of the day — the feeling turned from excitement to one of surreal acceptance. Fans might not have to wait any longer.

By the time Haskins ran into the end zone with the Wolverines’ sixth and final touchdown with just over two minutes left on the clock, the spots of red began to disappear from the stadium as Ohio State fans tried to avoid the inevitable. Michigan was going to win and the field would fill with maize and blue.

The fanbase that has sustained itself on blind hope and willpower for nearly a decade has finally gotten what it wants: a win against Ohio State.

But what happens from here?

When you’ve already surpassed your own bar for success, how do you gauge what comes after? It’s a question Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has surely had to ask himself several times this year.

“Just everything about the team,” Harbaugh said. “Every day, every week, every month. Going back to the beginning of this year, it’s always felt like the beginning. Accomplish one goal then go to the next and the next and the next.”

Coming into the season carrying mediocre expectations, the Wolverines have raised their ceiling with each win. On Saturday, they shattered it completely.

The win opened doors for the remainder of the season, doors Harbaugh has never walked through. A Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff berth are well within reach.

It’s been said before every big game in Harbaugh’s seven-year tenure, but this time the notion rings true more than ever:

This is very possibly the turning point in the Harbaugh era, the moment the former-Michigan quarterback has been waiting for, a chance to elevate this program into the upper echelon of college football.

Or it could be a repeat of 2011, a good team and a good season that ended one Ohio State drought just to start another.

The difference between this being a different Michigan team and a different Michigan program will be decided in the coming weeks.

A different Michigan team can end the season 11-2 with a win over the Buckeyes and an appearance at a Big Ten Championship. A different Michigan program has to prove to recruits that Harbaugh has made good on his promise and made the Wolverines a real national contender. That would mean capturing the program’s first Big Ten Championship since 2004 and notching its first-ever berth in the playoff.

When Harbaugh said in his postgame press conference that this felt more like the beginning than the culmination, this was what he meant. Michigan has moved past its biggest hurdle under Harbaugh — and its

largest barrier to success since the turn of the century — opening a whole new box of challenges. There’s a different feeling about this team, obviously. If anyone can pass through the challenges ahead, it’s this team. A team that’s kept its fans on their feet and sent them out onto the field at the end of the game. LANE And players feel KIZZIAH confident that they can keep it going. “Long term, we’ve set the expectation now,” junior quarterback Cade McNamara said. “It’s been so long since we beat Ohio State, but we did that today. For the guys coming back, now we’ve got to do that every single year. We know what it took.” The Wolverines proved they knew what it took to turn the page on Ohio State. In the coming weeks, we will find out if they have what it takes to start a whole new chapter of Michigan football.

MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily

For Jim Harbaugh, this win opens new doors for his program

DANIEL DASH Daily Sports Editor

Sitting behind the podium after the Michigan football team’s win over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday, Jim Harbaugh took a moment to look around.

Usually, his press conferences strike the same somber, frustrated, dejected chords after games against the Buckeyes. But when Harbaugh’s welldocumented 0-5 record against his arch rival changed during Saturday’s 42-27 victory, so did No. 5 Michigan’s season outlook.

And Harbaugh’s tone followed suit.

“The way it feels now, it feels like the beginning,” Harbaugh said.

Asked to elaborate, Harbaugh pointed to the formative days of the 2021 team.

“Just everything about the team,” Harbaugh said. “Every day, every week, every month. Going back to the beginning of this year, it’s always felt like the beginning. Accomplish one goal then go to the next and the next and the next.”

He’s not wrong. But he’s certainly underselling the implications.

For the Wolverines, Saturday was more program-altering than season-altering. In a three-hour span, Michigan upended its national perception with its first win over Ohio State since 2011. No longer are the Wolverines a former powerhouse gone stagnant. No longer is Harbaugh the epitome of a coach that can’t get over the hump.

Long-lasting implications are sure to follow on the field and recruiting trail. More importantly, though, there’s a new generation of Michigan football players who have reached the summit. In that sense, it truly is the rebirth of a program — and a purpose that no longer seems hollow.

From an outsider’s perspective, it was hard to take claims of added emphasis on Ohio State seriously given the rivalry’s recent results. But within Schembechler Hall, a “What are you doing to beat Ohio State today?” sign already proudly hangs. Since January, players have asked the question of themselves every day.

Now, they know the answer.

“Long term, we’ve set the expectation now,” junior quarterback Cade McNamara said. “It’s been so long since we beat Ohio State, but we did that today. For the guys coming back, now we’ve got to do that every single year. We know what it took.”

Harbaugh spent the first six years of his tenure selling a plan to overtake the Buckeyes. But year after year, the Saturday after Thanksgiving repeatedly proved it was nothing more than an empty vision. He cycled through multiple coordinators on both sides of the ball and built teams rooted in almost a half-dozen different schemes.

That is, until he found himself this past winter.

In the days and weeks after the Wolverines’ 2020 season careened to an end, it looked like Harbaugh’s tenure might follow suit. But a schoolfriendly contract with a unique buyout structure and incentive-laden salary kept him at his alma mater. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel seemingly dared Harbaugh to break through, to bring the Wolverines to the upper echelon of college football.

So Harbaugh took a look in the mirror. He overhauled the program’s coaching staff and culture, delivering a much-needed youth infusion.

From an Xs and Os standpoint, Harbaugh has rediscovered himself. In an era of up-tempo, no-huddle spread offenses, he and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis have gone against the grain in 2021. They’ve relied on run-first football and 20th-century offensive line fundamentals.

On the other side of the ball, hiring 34-yearold Mike Macdonald — a first-time defensive coordinator — marked a clear departure from Harbaugh’s previous philosophy of relying on coaching experience. But on Saturday, Macdonald’s defense kept the Buckeyes’ offense off-balance with a mix of coverages and disguised pass rushes.

Harbaugh has always been a nonconformist, but the 2021 Wolverines take that to an extreme.

And on Saturday, all of it was validated.

“You guys should’ve seen him in the locker room after the game,” fifth-year offensive lineman Andrew Stueber said. “I’ve never seen him more happy, more excited. … He’s gone through some tough times, he’s faced a lot of adversity since he’s been the coach here. To see him finally beat Ohio State, as a team, as a unit, we knew what this team was capable of, and it all starts with him.”

Saturday’s win opens doors Michigan has yet to experience under Harbaugh. For the first time, the Wolverines will play for a Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff berth in Indianapolis.

However, that indication pales in comparison to the fact that this might be permanent. In its biggest game of the season, in a year full of tests, Michigan finally created its own narrative. Led by a quirky, unapologetically authentic coach, the Wolverines had their own coming out party on Saturday.

“This is one (celebration) that’ll go long into the night,” Harbaugh said.

The program-shaping implications, on the other hand, will last a whole lot longer.