COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sonny Styles had seen the darkest side of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.
He joined the Buckeyes in the 2022 season, just after their first loss to the Wolverines. And then he had to be part of a defense that suffered three-straight humiliating defeats.
This year, as a team captain, the Block 0 recipient and middle of that defense, he shined.
While he had just six tackles, Styles still led the team in that category. He also had one tackle for loss.
It was maybe his best game of the season though, and one of the best of his Buckeye career. He flashed his freakish athleticism at linebacker and was the fixture of an Ohio State defense that didn’t allow Michigan to get into the end zone.
On a defense that includes another linebacker, Arvell Reese, which has gotten all of the NFL Draft acclaim, Styles shined. With safety Caleb Downs, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and a host of other players that are vying for first-round status, Styles has done his job each and every week.
There’s not much Styles isn’t able to do at linebacker, and his role on Ohio State’s defense — Saturday against Michigan and this season — can’t be overstated.
4th and 5
Jeremiah Smith only had three catches for 40 yards, by my goodness, he made them count, didn’t he?
But his 35-yard touchdown grab on 4th and 5 represented everything that had gone wrong for Ohio State in this rivalry in the last four years finally going right.
Coach Ryan Day didn’t opt for a passive decision and a long field goal. The Buckeyes’ quarterback didn’t throw a pass short of, or at, the first down marker. And even a bobble of the football headed into the end zone was corralled in time to not be a touchback.
It was the moment that swung the game on Saturday, yes, but looking down the line, it could be the moment that swung The Game back in Ohio State’s favor. Simply, it gave the Buckeyes their swagger back.
It won’t be remembered as fondly as “4th and Jeremiah” was a year ago in the National Championship Game, for obvious reasons.
But when Smith’s career at Ohio State is done after the 2026 season, his catch that swung the momentum in Ohio State’s favor certainly should be remembered as one of his best plays.
Ohio State’s offensive line shines
Saturday’s game was the best of both worlds for Ohio State.
Yes, it didn’t fall into the trap that it did a year ago with a gameplan that was centered on running the ball.
But the Buckeyes also held up along the offensive line all day.
They rushed the ball for four yards a carry, but their lead back, Bo Jackson, had 117 yards on 5.3 yards per carry. Ohio State, for the first time since before COVID, won the battle at the line of scrimmage against Michigan.
It seems simple, but for the Buckeyes, being able to beat the Wolverines their way, and also by beating them The Michigan Way? That certainly felt good.
Styles said after the game that Ohio State was just more physical than Michigan, and he was right. That goes for both lines of scrimmage, where the Buckeyes did their job and controlled the flow of the game for the duration.
