Reporters roundtable: What is ailing Ohio State football in rivalry losses to Michigan?

Editor's note: After each Ohio State football game, beat reporters Joey Kaufman and Bill Rabinowitz discuss the lasting storylines and other key developments. 

It was a second straight collapse by Ohio State at the hands of Michigan.

Instead of advancing to the Big Ten championship game and more or less sewing up a spot in the College Football Playoff, it was again undone by its archrival on Thanksgiving weekend.

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This is unfamiliar territory for the Buckeyes, who had the upper hand in The Game for two decades. They had not lost consecutive games to the Wolverines since the end of the John Cooper era in 1999 and 2000.

There is now no bigger roadblock for the Buckeyes than Michigan, which has become the predominant program in the conference.

Kaufman: Narratives in this rivalry can change fast. Jim Harbaugh was once the coach who couldn’t beat Ohio State. He started his tenure in Ann Arbor with an 0-5 record against the Buckeyes. Now it’s Ryan Day who can’t beat Michigan. After a win in his first season in 2019, the Buckeyes have dropped two in a row. (2020 was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Michigan). Fair or not, that’s the perception. But there are always more layers to this stuff. What do you think has plagued Ohio State in these losses?

Rabinowitz: Obviously, a lot of things. The Buckeyes' high-powered passing game never got consistently untracked, and its run game, though better than last year, wasn't enough. It didn't help that TreVeyon Henderson was unavailable and Miyan Williams not fully healthy. But Michigan's Blake Corum, the Wolverines' best player, was a non-factor, and the Wolverines were undaunted. In both games, the Buckeyes cracked in the second half. Jim Knowles' defense allowed five huge plays resulting in touchdowns. The breakdowns on those plays were egregious.

Kaufman: I think, too, the Buckeyes have not demonstrated enough poise. They have been penalized a combined 19 times in two straight losses, whereas Michigan has been flagged only seven times. Intangibles can swing The Game, and for a second straight year, the Wolverines looked like they were more composed in the second half. How else to explain two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties committed by Ohio State? The one in which tight end Gee Scott Jr. headbutted Michigan safety Rod Moore at the end of a play was particularly ugly scene. To add: The Buckeyes have been outscored in the third and fourth quarters by a 56-17 margin in the two losses.

Rabinowitz: What has to be especially galling to Ryan Day is that "competitive stamina" — the ability to stay composed and perform under adversity — was a mantra all year. All the things they worked toward came apart. Day didn't hire Jim Knowles to shut down Indiana. He hired him to beat Michigan. Knowles' blitz on third-and-9 when OSU's defense had been in control allowed a short pass to Cornelius Johnson to turn into a touchdown, opening the floodgates. He had reserve Cam Martinez isolated in space on Johnson, and Michigan exploited that with a double move to get wide open for a second score. And Donovan Edwards' two long touchdown runs? Ugly.

Kaufman: If Knowles could get a mulligan on any play-call from Saturday, I’d bet it’s the heavy blitz that allowed Michigan’s first touchdown. It was one of the early turning points. Michigan was ineffective throughout the first quarter. Couldn’t run it without Corum, and quarterback J.J. McCarthy had completed only three of his first 10 passes. The 69-yard score breathed life into their offense. McCarthy went on to throw two more touchdowns of 75 and 45 yards. What must be especially demoralizing for the Buckeyes’ following their latest loss is the manner in which they were beaten. Last year, they were pushed around the line of scrimmage. This time, they were undone by breakdowns in coverage, perhaps an overaggressiveness in moments. The Buckeyes are supposed to be the more explosive. It was like they were beaten at their own game.

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Rabinowitz: Unless Ohio State somehow makes the CFP — Buckeye fans need to root for Kansas State vs. TCU and especially Utah against USC — it's going to be a long offseason for OSU. One loss can be dismissed. Two in a row is a trend, one that's intolerable in these parts. Then factor in that C.J. Stroud and many other key players from this team will almost certainly be moving on, and that makes this loss feel even worse. This was supposed to be Ohio State's year. If the Buckeyes don't make the CFP, whatever bowl game they go to, probably the Rose Bowl, will be little more than a sneak preview of 2023.

Kaufman: It’d be premature for us to write the obituary to the season this week as that potential for the Buckeyes to back door into the playoff does remain. This, really, is a peek at the new reality coming to college football. Once the Big Ten and playoff expand, the latter potentially as soon as 2024, a loss to Michigan will not be fatal. A shot at a national championship will no longer hinge entirely on The Game. There’ll be many more ways for the Buckeyes to move back into title contention.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football reporters roundtable after loss to Michigan