– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN — The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines began their quest to earn their next 1,000 victories in program history on Saturday afternoon with an opportunity to also earn one of their all-time sweetest triumphs. Without their head coach for one more contest, and continuing to take the field under the cloud of suspicion from observers about a sign-stealing scheme that continues to be a focus for fans and NCAA investigators, the Wolverines carried their “Michigan vs. Everybody” into friendly confines, then turned in another victory that has them squarely in the College Football Playoff — and plunged their greatest rival into a pool of uncertainty about the rest of this season and beyond.
Rod Moore came up with the decisive interception with 25 seconds remaining deep in Michigan territory as the third-ranked Wolverines defeated No. 2 Ohio State 30-24 inside Michigan Stadium, clinching the Big Ten East division title and earning a third consecutive victory against the Buckeyes and a third consecutive appearance in the Big Ten Football Championship Game.
History was made last week when Michigan became the first school in college football history to win 1,000 games after a win on the road against Maryland, and more history was made with win 1,001 today, as the Wolverines earned their first three-game winning streak in “The Game” since 1995-1997.
“There’s a lot of thoughts and things that I would love to say, but all I know is this team is as good as any team in the country and they prove it every week,” said acting head coach and offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, who replaced Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines after Harbaugh was served a three-game suspension by the Big Ten.
Harbaugh is scheduled to be back on the sidelines next weekend in Indianapolis for the conference title game matchup against No. 20 Iowa, and whether outsiders believe the dominance for the Wolverines over the past three years should have an asterisk next to it because of the advanced scouting controversy, what is certain is that Michigan is one win away from making it back to the College Football Playoff for a third consecutive season.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Saturday afternoon’s game, with all photos taken by Detroit-area photographer Aaron J. Thornton. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 16 pictures in total.
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
