As the postgame brawl raged on, with Ohio State taking offense at Michigan planting a victory flag at the Horseshoe midfield, the Fox camera captured Ryan Day off to the side. His face wore a look that seemed to ask, "What is happening?" This moment may well become the enduring image of this epic upset/collapse, depending on which side of the Toledo border one resides. Michigan emerged victorious with a score of 13-10, again leaving Ohio State in shock.

Postgame Reactions and Reflections

A shell-shocked Ryan Day, after his fourth consecutive defeat to the Wolverines, said, "I'm still trying to digest everything that just happened. [I have] a locker room full of guys who are just devastated... There are a lot of guys who are crushed right now. There is nothing you can say at this point. You have to take the ownership of that and it starts with me."The Buckeyes, with a record of 10-2, will head to the College Football Playoff and may still aim for a national championship. However, the path to the title will be more challenging, without a bye after failing to win the Big Ten again and potentially facing a first-round road game.Michigan, at 7-5, is headed to a meager bowl game. But for first-year coach Sherrone Moore, everything has been salvaged. They arrived as underdogs with a former walk-on quarterback who overcame cancer and rarely throws the ball more than 10 yards.Ohio State countered with a reported $20 million roster filled with returning stars and transfer portal talents. They also hired UCLA's head coach, Chip Kelly, to call plays, showing their focus on this rivalry.

The Talent Differential

Despite Ohio State's stacked roster, the talent differential was stark. Michigan quarterback Davis Warren, the walk-on with an inspiring story, completed just nine passes for 62 yards and two interceptions. His longest pass went only 18 yards to Peyton O'Leary, who entered the game with just eight receptions and originally signed to be a lacrosse player at Massachusetts.This seemed like a story out of a different league. But in the end, it was Michigan that emerged victorious through brute force and not recruiting rankings.

The Run Game and Execution

Michigan outrushed Ohio State 172-77, a significant factor in their success. Kalel Mullings had 116 yards on his own. How Day hasn't been able to address this, even with injuries to the offensive line, will haunt him."There just wasn't enough control in the run game," Day admitted. "The overall execution wasn't good enough."There were other factors too. Two interceptions, two missed field goals, and a horrific 12-men-on-the-field penalty on Michigan's final drive gave the Wolverines a first-and-goal and more time to kill.The nerves and pressure were palpable at times, perhaps a sign of the losing streak and the intense focus Day puts on this game.

The Final Moments

By the end, it was clear. Ohio State was shut out in the second half, and their last first down came with 5:59 in the third. The Michigan defense shut everything down, as boos rained down on the Buckeyes and their coaches.Meanwhile, Michigan pushed through their own errors and limitations and won again. Next year, they welcome the No. 1 overall recruit and have upped their NIL recruiting game.If there was ever a year for Ohio State to dominate, this was it. But in the end, they were left screaming at Day, who is on a hot seat despite a 66-10 record."The guys were trying to protect our field," Day said about the flag incident. "We have some prideful guys on our team who won't sit back and watch that happen."Michigan's Mullings countered, "They got to learn how to lose."The losing to Michigan has become a familiar pattern for Ohio State. Until Day learns how to win this game, perhaps nothing can spare him.