The Shoe was vibrating. Seriously. If you weren't in Columbus for the 121st edition of The Game, it’s hard to describe the sheer, teeth-rattling tension that hung over Ohio Stadium before kickoff. This wasn't just another Saturday in November. It was personal. After years of frustration, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes finally delivered a performance that felt like a collective exhale for the entire state of Ohio. If you're looking for the highlights Ohio State game fans will be talking about for the next decade, you’ve come to the right place. We aren't just talking about a box score. We're talking about the shift in power.
Ohio State won. They didn't just win; they exerted a kind of physical dominance that many critics thought had evaporated from the program.
The Opening Punch: Jeremiah Smith is Not Human
Let's get real for a second. Freshman wide receivers aren't supposed to do what Jeremiah Smith does. On the very first drive, Will Howard looked his way on a third-and-long that looked like a busted play. Smith didn't just catch the ball; he snatched it out of the air with one hand while a Michigan defender was basically wearing his jersey as a cape. That 34-yard gain set the tone. It told the Wolverines that the "soft" label everyone liked to throw at the Buckeyes was officially dead.
The stadium hit a different decibel level. Howard finished that drive with a crisp slant to Emeka Egbuka for the touchdown. 7-0. Just like that, the ghosts of the last three years seemed to vanish into the chilly November air. Howard’s composure in the pocket was a massive highlight of the Ohio State game, showing he was more than just a "bridge" quarterback. He was the general they needed.
Why the Defensive Front Won the Day
Everyone wants to talk about the touchdowns, but the real story—the gritty, unglamorous truth—was the Buckeyes' defensive line. Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau played like men possessed. Michigan’s run game, which has been their bread and butter during this recent streak, was effectively neutralized.
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Key Defensive Stops
- The Goal Line Stand: Early in the second quarter, Michigan had the ball at the 2-yard line. Four tries. Zero points. Tyleik Williams stood up the fullback on fourth down, and the roar from the crowd was loud enough to be heard in Dayton.
- The Strip Sack: Sonny Styles came on a delayed blitz that the Michigan offensive line completely whiffed on. The ball popped loose, Ohio State recovered, and the momentum officially crossed the Rubicon.
Basically, Jim Knowles' defense stopped playing "bend-don't-break" and started playing "search-and-destroy." It was a masterclass in gap discipline. You've seen Ohio State teams with more "flair" in the past, but this unit has a specific kind of violence to its playstyle that felt different.
The Play That Broke Michigan’s Spirit
Midway through the third quarter, the game was still technically "close" at 17-10. Ohio State faced a 4th and 1 at midfield. In previous years, Ryan Day might have punted. He might have played it safe. Not this time. Quinshon Judkins took the handoff, hit a hole that shouldn't have been there, and didn't stop until he was 45 yards downfield.
He didn't score on that play, but he broke the Wolverines' will. You could see it in the way the Michigan defenders stayed on the ground a second too long after the whistle. Two plays later, TreVeyon Henderson punched it in. The lead swelled to 24-10, and the writing was on the wall. These highlights Ohio State game reels will show the run, but the real highlight was the look on the Michigan sideline. They knew.
The Will Howard Evolution
Will Howard isn't C.J. Stroud. He isn't Justin Fields. And honestly? That's exactly why Ohio State won. He played a "boring" game in the best way possible. He didn't force the ball into triple coverage. He used his legs to pick up three crucial third downs when the pass rush got home.
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His stat line wasn't astronomical—215 yards and two touchdowns—but his leadership was the glue. There was a moment in the fourth quarter where he took a late hit out of bounds. Instead of getting up and jawing, he just pointed at the scoreboard and walked back to the huddle. That’s the "Big 12 grit" Ryan Day was looking for when he brought Howard in from Kansas State. It worked.
Dissecting the Strategy: What Changed?
For a long time, the knock on Ohio State was that they were a "finesse" team. They wanted to out-skill you. Michigan, conversely, wanted to out-muscle you. In the 2025 highlights of the Ohio State game, you see a team that finally married the two.
Chip Kelly’s influence on the run game cannot be overstated. The Buckeyes used more pulling guards and complex blocking schemes than we've seen in the last five years combined. They made Michigan’s linebackers guess. When you make a defense think instead of react, they slow down. When they slow down, Henderson and Judkins make them pay. It was a tactical victory as much as a physical one.
The Final Minutes and the Storming of the Field
As the clock ticked down to zero, the atmosphere shifted from nervous energy to pure, unadulterated catharsis. The 31-13 final score didn't even feel like it told the whole story. The defense ended the game with an interception in the end zone, a fitting capstone to a performance that allowed only one touchdown all afternoon.
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When the fans poured onto the turf, it wasn't just about beating a rival. It was about the validation of a philosophy. Ryan Day has taken more heat than perhaps any coach in the country over the last 36 months. Seeing him hoist the game ball while surrounded by a sea of scarlet was the definitive highlights Ohio State game image of the season.
Actionable Takeaways for the Post-Season
If you’re a Buckeyes fan or just a college football junkie, here is what this game actually tells us about the road ahead:
- Trust the "Power Spread": The hybrid offense of Chip Kelly and Ryan Day is the blueprint for beating elite, physical defenses. Look for Ohio State to lean even harder into the "heavy" sets (two tight ends) in the playoffs.
- Jeremiah Smith is the X-Factor: Defenses have to double-team him. This leaves Egbuka and the tight ends in one-on-one matchups that are almost impossible to lose.
- The Defensive Interior is Elite: Tyleik Williams is playing like a top-10 NFL draft pick. If the Buckeyes can keep their interior linemen healthy, no one is going to run the ball effectively against them in the postseason.
- Special Teams Matter: Don't overlook the punting. Ohio State pinned Michigan inside their own 10-yard line three times. In a game of field position, that's a silent killer.
Keep an eye on the injury reports heading into the Big Ten Championship. While the Buckeyes came out relatively clean, the physical toll of a game this intense usually shows up on Monday morning. Rest and rotation will be the name of the game as they prepare for the CFP bracket.
The monkey is off the back. The streak is dead. Ohio State is back on top of the Big Ten North, and the path to a national title looks wider than ever.