SPORTS

JARED GREENSPAN Managing Sports Editor

COLUMBUS — As the minutes ticked down to the biggest game of his life, J.J. McCarthy — the 19-year-old quarterback lauded for his Björn Borg-like poise and wedded to his meditation regimen — struggled to remain calm.

“I was a little amped up,” McCarthy conceded afterwards. “I’ve been waiting to play this game for so long.”

On college football’s greatest stage — an undefeated showdown at the Horseshoe against No. 2 Ohio State, with drastic championship implications at stake — McCarthy gathered himself and delivered. He authored a brilliant, legacybuilding, four-touchdown performance, vaulting No. 3 Michigan to a resounding 45-23 victory.

“He was just on fire in every way,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said.

This past week, Harbaugh kept his message simple. He wanted McCarthy to “have at it” come Saturday, and McCarthy responded by mirroring Harbaugh’s sentiment, saying that he just wanted to be himself.

And for the first time since being anointed QB1 way back in September, McCarthy did look like himself. He resembled the fivestar recruit whom Michigan fans pinned their hopes on during the program’s nadir in 2020, the player they clamored for throughout fall camp.

That vision — those aspirations — built to the moment that transpired Saturday.

After the game, McCarthy sported a freshly-minted “2022 East Division Champions” hat, the tag still clinging to its exterior. Smiling, he greeted a question about the Wolverines’ passing game with a sigh.

“That was pretty good,” McCarthy said. “We were just waiting for it to come out. We knew what it was. It was just great it came out at this time.”

The quarterback of the Michigan football program is subjected to scrutiny inapplicable to most other positions, and locales, in college football. Not even McCarthy, heralded as the precocious wunderkind, would be immune.

And much of that criticism was warranted, too. McCarthy unseated senior Cade McNamara in part because of his arm talent, and yet the Wolverines’ vertical passing game proved virtually non-existent throughout the season. Before Saturday, they had just six completions for more than 30 yards on the season.

All year, McCarthy insisted that things would change — he refuted any notion of a disconnect, reasoning that the plays were working in practice, which provided a larger sample size. He stuck to that narrative last Saturday after Michigan eked out a victory over Illinois, winning in spite of its passing game.

Then, his words felt hollow. Now, they feel ingenious.

“We just kept hitting and hitting and hitting, and something’s gotta give,” senior receiver Cornelius Johnson said, grinning. “Today, when it mattered most, in front of millions of people, we were able to connect.”

It mattered not only because of the stage, but also because of the circumstances. Standout junior running back Blake Corum, still plagued by the left leg injury he suffered last week, did not see the field after the first drive. Missing its bellcow, Michigan’s offense sagged through its opening three drives; McCarthy looked jittery, bailing in clean pockets and overthrowing open receivers.

Then, lightning struck.

On a third and nine early in the second quarter, McCarthy made a difficult throw across his body with pressure in his face. Johnson did the rest, catching the ball along the sideline and high-stepping out of a shoestring tackle all the way into the endzone, good for a 69-yard score.

On the ensuing drive, McCarthy and Johnson connected again. Johnson dusted his defender with a double move, and McCarthy found him wide open in the middle of the field for a 75-yard touchdown. At once, Ohio Stadium hushed, the Buckeyes trailing.

“We have trust in ourselves and the mindset that they can’t run with us,” Johnson said. “… We watched hours of film throughout this week, and it’s beautiful to see it all play out in a good way for Michigan.”

Just as Michigan watched hours of film on Ohio State’s defense, the Buckeyes did the same when studying the Wolverines’ offense. Conscious of Michigan’s run-heavy identity, Ohio State packed the box, shoving in an extra defender instead of deploying a deep safety. Early, the strategy seemed to be working — the Wolverines had 10 rush yards on five carries and just three points through three drives as a result.

But on consecutive strikes to Johnson, McCarthy took advantage.

It almost felt like Ohio State was daring him to throw the ball. He felt that way, too.

“A little bit, yeah,” McCarthy said. “Especially at first when they were stopping the runs for two, three yards a carry and the safeties were playing so low. That excited me even more.”

He channeled that excitement into a machine-like performance. Michigan set a definitive tone on the opening drive of the third quarter, anchored by McCarthy. On his first designed run of the afternoon, McCarthy dragged a defender for 19 yards and, on the following play, he placed a beautiful ball for freshman tight end Colston Loveland, converting a 45-yard touchdown off a trick play.

A drive later, McCarthy put the Wolverines in the driver’s seat. On third and two from the two yard line, he powered his way across the goal line, pinballing his way into the endzone.

The Horseshoe fell silent.

“I fight coach for more of those plays,” McCarthy said. “Just give me the ball when we need to get some gritty yards, and I’m gonna go get them.”

As the game wound to a close and the inevitability of Michigan’s win set in, McCarthy turned his attention toward the stands. From the sideline, he waved to a suddenly-sparse crowd — Ohio State fans, once boisterous, had beelined toward the exits.

Postgame, McCarthy — relentlessly humble — wouldn’t take credit for the scene.

“I’m not worried about personal achievements,” he said when asked about his four touchdowns. “I’m just happy for every one of our guys. I couldn’t do it without the other ten guys on the field.”

But against Ohio State, in the biggest game of Michigan’s season, the Wolverines couldn’t have won without McCarthy.

TESS CROWLEY/Daily

FOOTBALL

GRACE BEAL/Daily

In one afternoon in Columbus, Sainristil encapsulates his journey

NICHOLAS STOLL Managing Sports Editor

COLUMBUS — In the spring, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had a big request for Mike Sainristil: become a defensive back.

Heading into his fourth year as a Wolverine, Sainristil had always played receiver at the college level. He’d proven his ability to make blocks, reel in difficult passes and make a positive impact on the offense overall.

But as much as Sainristil could do on offense, Harbaugh believed the Michigan defense needed him more.

“Figured it was gonna be tough to replace (defensive back) Dax Hill, and just felt like Mikey had the skill set for it,” Harbaugh said Saturday. “And he was smart enough to be able to do that.”

Saturday, in the biggest game of the third-ranked Wolverines’ season — and perhaps the biggest game the program has had in years — Sainristil epitomized his journey in a single afternoon. By the end of Michigan’s 45-23 win over No. 2 Ohio State, he proved Harbaugh right, and proved any doubter wrong.

But not right away.

The Buckeyes targeted Sainristil on their first drive of the game. He was the link in the Wolverines’ armor that Ohio State thought to be weakest. At first, the Buckeyes appeared to be right. On a crossing route in the endzone, receiver Emeka Egbuka found himself multiple steps in front of Sainristil, giving Ohio State an early 7-0 lead.

But, it was par for the course for Sainristil.

“Definitely,” Sainristil said Saturday when asked if he knew he’d be targeted. “With the way Emeka Egbuka has been playing this year, we knew that was a guy that they wanted to get the ball to in certain situations.”

But it’s not just Egbuka; Sainristil has found himself a target for opposing offenses on multiple occasions this season. Standing at 5-foot-10 and 182 lbs, Sainristil isn’t a big body, and he can struggle to match up against tight ends and bigger receivers coming over the middle. It’s nothing he isn’t aware of himself.

“I won’t be surprised if I’m starting to get attacked again,” Sainristil said Nov. 1. “Just with the opponents we have coming up. But like I said, I’m just going to make sure that I do my job.”

His size, paired with his lack of experience prior to this season at defensive back, puts Sainristil at a disadvantage. It’s been part of his journey.

Since fall camp, Sainristil has embraced this. It’s not the situation he wants to be in, but it’s been his reality.

“Games are gonna go along and I’m gonna be put in different situations I’ve never been in simply because I’m on a new side of the ball,” Sainristil said Aug. 23. “So will I ever be 100% comfortable this year? Who’s to say. But you know, I’m gonna play to my best ability at all times.”

He’s fought through those growing pains, succeeding in coverage at times, getting blatantly outplayed on others. He’s found himself in the backfield being muscled out of the play, and then hitting home on blitzes in the same day.

It’s been a take-a-punch, returna-punch year for Sainristil, each wound teaching him a lesson and powering up his next strike.

Early Saturday, Egbuka and the Buckeyes put Sainristil through the ringer. But by the end of the day, Sainristil delivered the knockout punch.

With Ohio State down 31-20 and driving, a touchdown would’ve brought the game within one score and revitalized the scarlet and gray in Columbus. Sainristil lined up against tight end Cade Stover in the red zone. Stover, just like Egbuka did before, ran a crossing route, getting multiple steps on Sainristil.

This time, though, Sainristil made the play.

Activating a second gear, Sainristil closed ground on Stover, extending his hand through the Buckeye tight end’s hands and knocking the ball loose, resulting in an incomplete pass.

“The only thing running through my head at that time was, ‘Just don’t give up another touchdown. Strain to the ball and get it out any way you can,’ ” Sainristil said. “… And I saw the ball go into the tight end’s hands and the only thing I was thinking was just ‘Punch it out and just don’t give up that touchdown.’ ”

Thanks to Sainristil, Michigan forced a field goal. On the very next play, sophomore running back Donovan Edwards ripped off a 75-yard touchdown, effectively putting the game out of reach. Edwards, though, put the credit in Sainristil’s hands.

“What really kind of helped us out and saved the day was Mikey,” Edwards said. “… That’s basically all it is right there — coming up big in big situations.”

As the clock struck double zeroes, Sainristil’s joy radiated in a display of pride for all of Ohio Stadium and the world to see — sprinting to midfield with a Michigan flag in hand, planting it into the block ‘O’.

Saturday, Columbus belonged to the Wolverines. And Sainristil, sitting atop the list of contributors to that claim — after all the pride and pains of switching positions — was the one to declare it.

FOOTBALL Back from injury, Donovan Edwards sparks offense in Corum’s absence

JARED GREENSPAN Managing Sports Editor

COLUMBUS — An hour after the No. 3 Michigan football team finished dominating No. 2 Ohio State, Donovan Edwards sprinted down the tunnel that snaked from the visiting locker room and onto the turf. Raising his “2022 East Division Champions” hat high in the air, the sophomore running back shouted to anyone and everyone, “Damn, this my stadium.”

After rushing for 216 yards and two touchdowns, it was hard to disagree with him.

Edwards entered the day with his status in question, having missed the previous two games with a hand injury. He ended it with two mesmerizing touchdown runs — one 75 yards, the other 85 yards — to put the Buckeyes to bed for good.

“I just had to do what I had to do,” Edwards said postgame. “Every running back has to be relied on. Blake went down, so somebody else had to step up. … That’s what we pride ourselves on.”

As Edwards alluded to, all eyes were fixated on junior Blake Corum in the lead up to The Game. The standout Heisman candidate hurt his left leg in the second quarter of last Saturday’s game against Illinois, an injury that threatened to derail the Wolverines’ season.

Sixty-six minutes before kickoff, Corum emerged from the tunnel in lockstep with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh as the last player to take the field for warmups. But Corum’s triumph would prove short-lived, as he played just three snaps on the opening drive before heading to the sideline for good, evidently still hampered.

Last week, Corum’s absence nearly cost Michigan its undefeated season. Without him, the Wolverines struggled to move the ball, their rushing attack suddenly ineffective.

In a similar scenario against the Buckeyes, Michigan again tried to stay true to its identity.

“If somebody’s down, the whole running back room has to be accountable to get the offense going,” Edwards said.

But early on, Edwards didn’t do much to ignite the offense himself. In the first half, he carried the ball five times for just nine yards, sporting a soft cast on his right hand.

Still, Michigan trusted Edwards, a trust built on past experience. When Edwards first arrived on campus as a freshman, he was in a cast for the entirety of spring practice while he recovered from surgery.

“He was catching everything with a cast,” Harbaugh remembered Saturday, still in awe. “If he can catch everything, I mean certainly everybody without a cast can catch. … So I had little doubt, there was no pain management. Either there was not a lot of pain, or he’s just that tough of a guy because there’s no pain management to it. He’s as tough as it comes.”

Sure enough, as Edwards grew more involved, Michigan’s rushing attack began to thrive, too. After managing just 10 rushing yards in the first half, Michigan ran the ball for 242 yards across the final two quarters — individually, Edwards racked up 207 yards on the ground in the second half alone.

“It’s just like pipes bursting,” sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. “We’re putting the pressure on and then eventually, it’s gonna burst.”

And once they burst?

“It was over,” McCarthy said, smiling.

On Michigan’s opening drive of the half, Edwards picked up a pivotal conversion on fourth and one that paved the way for the Wolverines to take the lead. Notably, Michigan went a different direction on third and one in the first half, handing it off to converted linebacker Kalel Mullings, who was stopped short of the first down marker.

Edwards had his fingerprints all over the most consequential drive of the game, too — the 15-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up 7:51 of clock. He tallied 37 all purpose yards, helping Michigan sustain a possession in a way that seemed impossible with Corum sidelined.

Those efforts, of course, set the stage for the highlight reel plays that followed.

With 7:23 left in the fourth quarter, Michigan began its drive with the ball on the 25 yard line, up eight. Before the PA announcer could finish saying “Buckeye nation, we need you to get loud,” Edwards had found a crease and was sprinting down the far sideline, evading a diving Buckeye on his way to the house.

Four minutes later, it was déjà vu as Edwards exploded through a similar hole at the 15 yard line. With Ohio State selling out at the line of scrimmage in hopes of securing a third down stop, Edwards found himself in the clear.

“It’s the offensive line first, they created such a big hole,” Edwards said. “If you watch the film, it’s just real easy to see. And then at that point, you just got to hit it and outrun the third level defenders, the safeties and defensive backs. That’s how I was able to pull away with those long touchdowns.”

It’s easier said than done — in the first half, some of those holes existed, but Michigan’s running backs failed to squeeze through them. Edwards didn’t make the same mistake.

And as he high-stepped his way through the back of the endzone after his second touchdown, he waved his arms toward the stands while a rush of teammates hurried to greet him. The Wolverines led by 22, the disheartened Buckeye faithful streamed toward the exit, leaving a raucous sea of fans clad in maize and blue in their wake.

By the end of it all, it did look a lot like Edwards’ stadium.

With second consecutive win over Ohio State, light shines on Michigan as Big Ten standard

JOSH TAUBMAN Daily Sports Editor

COLUMBUS — One stat defines a Michigan football player’s career in Ann Arbor. The overall number of wins you accumulate doesn’t matter. The personal statistics and accolades ultimately don’t matter, either. Those are nice shiny resume points to add to a list, but one stat is held above anything else:

Your record against Ohio State.

Prior to last season, hundreds of players had cycled through the program with a zero in that column. The Game, for the entire 21st century, has been a stepping stone for Ohio State toward its postseason aspirations, each time sinking the Wolverines a little further into the ground.

Winning last year proved that beating Ohio State was possible. It was a moment of jubilation, a chance for euphoric fans to pour out onto the field, an opportunity for Michigan to prove that it could still compete with the Buckeyes — that it wasn’t residing on a completely different playing field.

But it also was just that. A ‘one’ in the win column instead of a ‘zero.’

“Everyone keeps track of their personal records,” senior receiver Cornelius Johnson said. “We had old Michigan players come in and talk to us during training camp and all that people ask is, ‘What’s your record against (Ohio) State?’… That’s what matters most.”

On Saturday, after marching into Columbus and achieving an even bigger margin of victory than they conjured last year, many Wolverine players now have something that no one in the program could claim since 2000.

A winning record against Ohio State.

A second win changes everything for Michigan’s program. No longer can pundits point to otherworldly circumstances being necessary for the Wolverines to beat the Buckeyes. Even at 11-0, even after winning last year,

few seemed to give Michigan a chance to win Saturday. The Wolverines were 7.5-point underdogs and some were already looking at scenarios for them to back their way into the playoffs with a loss.

But Michigan didn’t need any chaos scenarios. The Wolverines went out for sixty minutes and proved they were the better football team. Again.

And now the perception has shifted.

“Winning two in a row, it just gives us as a program that confidence,” graduate linebacker Mike Barrett said. “Just as a whole Michigan family, it just kind of gives everybody that confidence of being able to go and do it again.”

The Wolverines can be talked about as a team that can beat anyone in the country, the same treatment that has existed for Ohio State for much of the past decade. Michigan can start thinking about its National Championship chances. When the Wolverines dominate an opponent, they deserve the respect that great teams get, not the scrutiny they often faced for the quality of the team they played.

Going into future seasons, these talking points should be part of the regular conversation surrounding Michigan. And as for the Big Ten? It’s no longer a league boasting Ohio State and everybody else. That narrative died as Buckeye fans headed for the exits far before the game’s conclusion.

“We’re not so much of a team that looks to the past and worries about it,” sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. “We’re always about the present and worried about changing the future.”

For months, the Wolverines have been on a “happy mission,” as Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh calls it. They play with joy, with a belief that they can win in any scenario they’re thrown into. That energy was lacking two years ago, as the Wolverines went 2-4 in the abysmal Covidshortened season and sank to their most downtrodden point in years.

The 2020 offseason was an inflection point — a moment when the Wolverines realized they needed to change when Harbaugh decided he needed to instill some new habits in his floundering program.

That started by building a habit of winning. Close games. Pesky road environments. It didn’t matter. They were a program that was out of excuses. And since then, they’re 24-2.

“It’s been a very happy mission,” McCarthy said. “No matter what the road is, no matter what the route is, if you’re winning every single week, I couldn’t be happier.”

Michigan needed this mindset for every game to be able to compete against Ohio State, to re-introduce itself on a national stage. As the Wolverines kneeled out the clock in Columbus, the speckles of maize and blue fans dominating the quickly emptying bleachers of Ohio Stadium, it became clear that mindset had been enshrined.

Beating Ohio State again marks the dawn of a new era in Michigan football. Taking down the Buckeyes is no longer impossible; it’s no longer a talking point; it’s no longer a once-in-a-lifetime win.

It’s just Michigan’s latest habit.

The Wolverines went out for sixty minutes and proved they were the better football team. Again. And now the perception has shifted. DAYBREAK