Free Press sports writer Michael Cohen grades Michigan football on a scale of A to F after the Wolverines\u2019 42-27 win over Ohio State on Saturday:<\/b>
\nFree Press sports writer Michael Cohen grades Michigan football on a scale of A to F after the Wolverines\u2019 42-27 win over Ohio State on Saturday: SHAWN WINDSOR: Michigan, Hassan Haskins prove there are new heights to reach under Jim Harbaugh As the wins piled up in the early part of the season and Michigan ran the ball, ran the ball and ran the ball some more, the natural question was whether the Wolverines could maintain that style through a Big Ten schedule. That coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis designed a game plan predicated on demolishing Ohio State in the trenches speaks to their confidence in this year\u2019s offensive line. That U-M executed the plan to near-perfection is a testament to the force of those linemen themselves: left tackle Ryan Hayes, left guard Trevor Keegan, center Andrew Vastardis, right guard Zak Zinter and right takle Andrew Stueber. It was a quintet that carved open significant holes for tailback Hassan Haskins, who rumbled for 169 yards on 28 carries and reached the end zone five times to tie a school record. A bell cow all season, Haskins summoned the strength and determination to bludgeon an Ohio State defensive front whose run defense had excelled in recent weeks. He is, without question, the offensive MVP of this team. There were additional contributions from backup Blake Corum, who chipped in a crucial 55-yard run to set up a score in the second half during his first game back from an injured foot\/ankle. And wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, whose 37-yard diving catch on a frozen rope facilitated one of Haskins\u2019 touchdowns. And quarterback Cade McNamara, who shook off an early interception to finish with 13 completions on 19 attempts for an efficient, game-managing 159 yards. McNamara never fumbled, never took a sack and orchestrated the offense with aplomb as the Wolverines scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions from the end of the second quarter through the latter stages of the fourth. So many questions were asked about U-M\u2019s offensive identity. Saturday was a tremendous demonstration of how powerful that identity has proven to be. RAINER SABIN: Why this win completely changes narrative about Michigan, Jim Harbaugh The final statistics for Ohio State\u2019s passing attack are impressive: Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 394 yards and two touchdowns, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 11 passes for 127 yards and wideout Garrett Wilson caught 10 passes for 119 yards. But those numbers fail to tell the story of how hard Michigan made them work. Rookie defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald devised a tremendous game plan to generate constant pressure on Stroud, who was sacked four times and absorbed eight total hits. Star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson turned in his second three-sack performance of the year and set a new school record for sacks in a season with 13. He feasted on a pair of offensive tackles who, as the game wore on, became more and more susceptible to the array of moves Hutchinson has in his arsenal. A series of false start penalties on Ohio State\u2019s offensive line reflects their desire to time the snap counts as fast as possible to prepare for everything Hutchinson and fellow rusher David Ojabo, who had one sack and drew a critical holding penalty, threw their way. On the back end, cornerbacks DJ Turner and Vincent Gray played fearlessly on the perimeter despite yielding plenty of completions to OSU\u2019s star receivers. Prior to the closing stages of the fourth quarter, at which point the game was out of reach, the longest pass allowed by Michigan\u2019s secondary was 26 yards. The Wolverines limited Ohio State to a 44% conversion rate on third down and a 50% touchdown rate in the red zone, where the Buckeyes had to settle for a pair of field goals. Macdonald has done an incredible job all season, and Saturday was no exception. [ Michigan fans suddenly love Jim Harbaugh after Ohio State upset] Special teams is a phase of the game where Michigan held an edge over the Buckeyes entering Saturday\u2019s game, with Jay Harbaugh\u2019s group ranked No.1 in the country by Football Outsiders. Week in and week out, the specials teams units added significant value to field position or chipped in a game-breaking play like the kickoff return touchdown against Maryland last week. But the Wolverines were so dominant on offense and defense for large stretches of the game that Harbaugh\u2019s unit needed only a decent effort to secure victory. In what is becoming a negative trend, returner A.J. Henning muffed another punt before falling on it to avoid losing possession. He also made a questionable decision to return a kickoff that left the Wolverines several yards shy of the 25-yard line had he opted for a fair catch. Henning\u2019s pattern of questionable decision making is offset, for the most part, by the one or two impactful returns he seems to create each week. Saturday featured a 17-yard effort that helped flip the field. Punter Brad Robbins posted a healthy average of 45 yards per punt on two attempts and placed one of them inside the 20-yard line. His consistency in tilting field position toward the Wolverines goes largely under-appreciated each week. Michigan\u2019s coverage units remained terrific in keeping Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming in their sights. The longest return of any kind was an 11-yarder by Fleming. Kicker Jake Moody was never asked to attempt a field goal on an afternoon when Michigan\u2019s offense flashed remarkable efficiency in the red zone by scoring six touchdowns in seven attempts. In any given season, the coach in Ann Arbor will be evaluated based on his performance against Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State. It\u2019s a metric that had proved problematic for Harbaugh during the first six years as U-M coach, including a stretch of five consecutive losses to the Buckeyes. A midseason stumble against MSU gave way to season-defining wins over the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes, with Saturday\u2019s triumph finally excising the Ohio-shaped gorilla on Harbaugh\u2019s back. Considering the volume of changes Harbaugh made after the 2020 season \u2014 gutting his coaching staff, hiring youthful replacements, placing more of an emphasis on Ohio State, committing to McNamara as his starter \u2014 it\u2019s rather miraculous to think about how well those things have turned out. The Wolverines, who held a double-digit lead in East Lansing earlier this year, are a few plays shy of being undefeated. Harbaugh\u2019s ability to maintain control of the locker room following a season as disastrous as last year\u2019s is a testament to the bonds he builds with players, who want nothing more than to fight for him each week. Never was that clearer than Saturday, when Michigan defeated Ohio State due in large part to superior effort, toughness and grit \u2014 the traits Harbaugh adores more than any others. The game plans devised by Gattis and Macdonald deserve significant recognition as well. When the Wolverines had an opportunity to achieve something special, the coaches responded with a combination of smart schematics and the type of inspiration that pushes a team from good to great. Contact Michael Cohen at mcohen@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.<\/p>\n