The Revenge Tour Ends

On November 24, 2018, at Ohio Stadium, No. 10 Ohio State defeated No. 4 Michigan 62-39. The Buckeyes improved to 11-1 (8-1 Big Ten) and clinched the Big Ten East title along with a berth in the conference championship game. Michigan fell to 10-2 (8-1). Attendance was 106,588.

This marked Ohio State’s seventh consecutive victory in the rivalry and continued a dominant stretch for the Buckeyes in the series.

First Half: Early Lead and Late Michigan Surge

Ohio State opened the scoring on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Dwayne Haskins to Chris Olave. Jake Moody answered with a 39-yard field goal for Michigan, making it 7-3. Moody added a 31-yard kick early in the second quarter to close the gap to 7-6.

Haskins connected with Olave again for another 24-yard touchdown, then found Johnnie Dixon for a 31-yard score to push the lead to 21-6. Michigan responded late in the half with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Shea Patterson to Nico Collins, followed quickly by a 9-yard scoring strike to Chris Evans (the two-point conversion failed), pulling the Wolverines within 21-19. Blake Haubeil’s 19-yard field goal as time expired gave Ohio State a 24-19 halftime edge.

Second Half: Buckeyes Pull Away

Ohio State extended the lead in the third quarter with another Haubeil field goal (19 yards). A blocked punt returned 33 yards for a touchdown by Sevyn Banks made it 34-19, and Mike Weber’s 2-yard run pushed the advantage to 41-19.

Michigan scored first in the fourth on a 12-yard Patterson-to-Collins touchdown (two-point attempt failed). Parris Campbell answered immediately with a 78-yard touchdown reception from Haskins. Ben Mason’s 1-yard run brought Michigan closer at 48-32, but Haskins threw touchdown passes of 1 yard to K.J. Hill and 16 yards to Campbell to make it 62-32. Joe Milton’s 4-yard touchdown run accounted for the final margin.

Statistical and Contextual Notes

Haskins completed 20 of 31 passes for 396 yards and six touchdowns. Campbell finished with six receptions for 192 yards and two scores. Weber rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown. Patterson threw for 187 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-34 passing. Collins led Michigan with four catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Karan Higdon paced the Wolverines on the ground with 72 yards.

Ohio State generated 567 total yards and averaged more than 12 yards per completion. Michigan finished with 401 yards but was held scoreless in the third quarter. Special teams and opportunistic plays, including the blocked punt return, proved decisive in the second half.

In the broader context of the rivalry, the 2018 meeting exemplified the offensive firepower of the late Urban Meyer-era Buckeyes and the challenges Michigan faced in matching that explosiveness during its early Harbaugh years. Ohio State’s victory secured the East Division and continued a stretch of series control that defined much of the 2010s. The high-scoring result highlighted the contrasting styles of the two programs at that moment in the rivalry’s history.