It's been over six years, but the Ohio State Buckeyes are finally back in the win column against the program's hated rival, the Michigan Wolverines.

The number one storyline coming into this game was the psychological block that head coach Ryan Day has faced when squaring off Michigan. 2024 was the perfect example, as he went into The Game as three-touchdown favorites and sleepwalked to one of the largest upsets in college football last year.

This year, Day and the Buckeyes left nothing to chance. 

Although the result was heavily in Ohio State's favor, the game didn't start that way. The Wolverines took the opening kickoff, and on the first play they hit a huge chunk run into Ohio State territory. Then a few plays later, the Wolverines kicked a field goal to go ahead 3-0.

The first two offensive plays for Ohio State couldn't have gone worse. Redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin dropped back and chucked a ball up the right sideline to Carnell Tate, and it was knocked away. Then, on second down, it was star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith's time.

Sayin dropped back to pass, thought he got man coverage against Smith, and pulled the trigger on a back shoulder throw. Instead of being in man-to-man coverage, the Wolverines were in a cover 2 zone, and the corner fell off in coverage and intercepted the pass.

A collective "here we go again" came from Buckeye fans everywhere.

From that moment forward, the Buckeyes settled in and looked themselves. The defense forced a field goal after the interception, which swung the momentum back in Ohio State's favor.

The lid was loosened on the Ohio State offense as they went on an 11 play, 69 yard drive that ended in a short field goal.

After forcing a punt, the Buckeyes took control of the game. They rode the back of freshman Bo Jackson to get the ball into Michigan territory, and on 4th and 5, Day and Brian Hartline dialed up the play of the game. They sent Smith on a double move, he toasted his defender, and Sayin dropped a perfect pass into his arms. Ohio State took a 10-6 lead.

It started to look like the Wolverines were losing their grip on the game, but they put together a nice little drive themselves. They went 54 yards on 11 plays, and Ohio State held a 10-9 lead, but the momentum was with the Wolverines as Ohio State started the ensuing drive on its own 13-yard line. 

Three straight chunk plays had the Buckeyes moving the football up the field. After pushing it all the way into the red zone, Hartline called the perfect playcall to free up Brandon Inniss for a walk-in touchdown with just 16 seconds to go in the first half. 

Out of halftime, the Buckeyes spun their tires but just a little bit. Ohio State had to punt on their first drive of the half, giving the ball back to Michigan. Underwood had a really nice completion up the seam, but that was all they got. 

To make matters worse, Michigan had a chance to pin the Buckeyes deep, but their punter hit one of the worst punts. The Buckeyes cashed it in with a two play, 57 yard touchdown drive that was ended with a Carnell Tate 50 yard touchdown catch. 

The route was on.

Sayin led the way for the Buckeyes and showed so much really good football. He had never faced adversity or had been challenged the way that he was against Michigan, and he showed the guts that everyone hoped that he would have. The young quarterback finished the day 19-26 for 233 yards and three touchdowns.

While Sayin shredded the Wolverines' defense through the air, it was Jackson being a difference maker in both the run game and the pass game. Jackson finished the day with 22 carries for 117 yards, along with four receptions for 49 yards through the air. He was special and made his mark in his first opportunity in The Game.

Both of those performances were connected to each other by the offensive line. Ohio State's group up front was awesome on Saturday. Sayin had enough time in the pocket and was not sacked at all. 

The offense was solid while the defense was its normal self. Ohio State's defensive efforts were so stout against a Wolevrines' attack that it leaves a lot to be desired. Michigan doesn't do much well at all on offense, and that is a bad recipe against the Buckeyes' defense.

Ohio State's defense on Saturday was a defense by committee. No one stood out, and everyone just simply did their job. Kenyatta Jackson was a menace up front, Kayden McDonald just ate up all of the space in the run game. Linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese continually were in the right spot and Caleb Downs was the coach on the field. 

It was another impressive outing by the Buckeyes' defense, and they showed again that they are the best unit in the country. 

The Buckeyes finish the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record. They passed their final test, a touch game against their arch-rival in a rowdy environment. 

Next up is a trip to Indianapolis to take on the mighty Indiana Hoosiers, who are coming for blood. That game will be the final test before the College Football Playoff.

The story of today is simple: Ohio State and Ryan Day snap the streak. They finally beat Michigan and get the monkey off their back.