Honestly, walking into Michigan Stadium on November 29, 2025, you could feel the weight of the last four years hanging over everything. People were talking about Ryan Day’s job security like it was a foregone conclusion if he lost again. The pressure was unreal. But by the time the fourth quarter rolled around and the snow started dusting the Big House, the narrative had completely flipped.
Ohio State won the 2025 Michigan and Ohio State game with a decisive 27-9 victory.
It wasn't just a win; it was a total exorcism of the demons that had haunted Columbus since 2019. If you were looking for a high-flying shootout, this wasn't it. This was old-school, grind-it-out football that saw the Buckeyes beat Michigan at their own game—controlling the clock, stifling the run, and being clinical when it mattered.
Why the 2025 Matchup Flipped the Script
For years, Michigan had been the one "out-toughing" the Buckeyes. They’d run the ball down Ohio State's throat and wait for them to blink. This year, the No. 1 ranked Buckeyes walked into Ann Arbor and basically said, "Our turn."
Michigan actually jumped out to a 6-0 lead. It felt like "here we go again" for the scarlet and gray faithful. Dominic Zvada knocked through two field goals early, and the Wolverines' defense even picked off Julian Sayin on his second pass of the game. Michigan fans were deafening. But that was pretty much the highlight for the Maize and Blue.
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The Julian Sayin Factor
After that early interception, a lot of freshman quarterbacks would have folded. Sayin didn't. He ended up going 19-of-26 for 233 yards and three touchdowns. He was particularly lethal on third and fourth downs.
- Jeremiah Smith: Caught a 35-yard touchdown on a gutty fourth-down call in the second quarter.
- Brandon Inniss: Snagged a 4-yarder right before halftime to put the Buckeyes up 17-9.
- Carnell Tate: Blew the game open in the third with a 50-yard touchdown catch where he just outran the secondary.
While Sayin was surgical, Michigan’s Bryce Underwood—the No. 1 recruit who many hoped would be the savior—struggled. He only managed 63 yards through the air. The Buckeyes' defense, ranked top in the nation for a reason, just didn't give him any windows.
The Stats That Tell the Real Story
If you want to know who won Michigan and Ohio State and why they won, look at the time of possession. Ohio State held the ball for over 40 minutes. 40 minutes! That is absurd for a modern college football game. They had a 20-play drive in the fourth quarter that ate up nearly 12 minutes of clock. By the time Michigan got the ball back, their defense was gassed and the game was effectively over.
Michigan was held to just 163 total yards. That's their lowest output of the entire 2025 season. Their running game, which usually produces chunks of yardage, was held to exactly 100 yards on 24 carries. You aren't going to beat a No. 1 team by kicking three field goals and gaining less than 200 yards.
Breaking the Four-Year Curse
This victory ended Michigan's four-game win streak in the series (2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024). Before this, Ryan Day was staring down a 1-4 record against the Wolverines. This win, coupled with the national championship he already has under his belt, basically silenced the "can't win the big one" crowd in Columbus.
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The win also punched Ohio State’s ticket to the Big Ten Championship game against Indiana, another undefeated powerhouse in 2025. For Michigan, the 9-3 finish was respectable, but losing at home to your rival while being held without a touchdown is a bitter pill to swallow for Sherrone Moore’s squad.
What This Means for the Future of the Rivalry
The 2025 game proved that the talent gap in the transfer portal and recruiting era is still razor-thin. Michigan showed they can still play elite defense and find kickers like Zvada who don't miss, but the lack of a consistent passing threat became their undoing against a team as complete as Ohio State.
Looking ahead to 2026, the game moves back to Columbus. The Buckeyes will be losing some key pieces to the NFL, but with Julian Sayin returning as a seasoned sophomore, the "revenge tour" might just be starting.
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If you're looking to catch up on the full impact of this game, you should check out the "mini-movie" highlights from Fox Sports or the deep-dive postgame analysis from Eleven Warriors. They break down the film on that 20-play drive that basically broke Michigan's will.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check the official Big Ten standings to see how the College Football Playoff seeding shakes out after the conference championships.
- Watch the condensed game replays to see the defensive adjustments Ohio State made after the first quarter.
- Look up the early 2026 recruiting rankings to see which blue-chip prospects are leaning toward either school after this result.