DALLAS (FWAA) The Michigan Wolverines used a dominant run game and pressure in the Ohio State backfield to post a 42-27 win over the Buckeyes and snap almost a decade's worth of frustration over their arch-rival. The win was the Wolverines' first over Ohio State since 2011, snapping an eight-game losing streak in the series while earning Michigan (11-1) a share of the Big Ten East Division title. For advancing to the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time the Wolverines are the Cheez-It Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Nov. 27, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the fourth time for Michigan to earn this honor from the FWAA and first since 2011 when the Wolverines came back to beat Notre Dame, 35-31, in the first night game in Michigan Stadium history. The other honors came in 2006 and 2003. All Division I FBS and FCS schools are eligible to be selected.
Michigan senior running back Hassan Haskins rushed for 169 yards and tied a school record with five touchdowns, helping the Wolverines carve up 297 rushing yards and six touchdowns overall. Michigan threw only three passes in the second half as its ground game ate through the Ohio State defense. Haskins registered a third 150-yard rushing game in the last four weeks and is now tied for second in program history for single-season rushing touchdowns (18). His five rushing scores tied the Michigan single-game record set by Ron Johnson (Wisconsin; Nov. 16, 1968). No other player has scored five rushing touchdowns against Ohio State in its history.
Meanwhile the Wolverines' defense held Ohio State to just 64 yards rushing, the Buckeyes' lowest rushing total on the season and just their second under 100 yards this year. Senior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson had three sacks to set the school's single-season record for sacks at 13. No other team recorded three sacks against the Buckeyes this season. He had seven total tackles.
This is the 20th season the FWAA has selected a national team of the week. Each honored team receives a custom Cheez-It "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs. Michigan is the final honored team of the 2021 college football season.
Michigan faces Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Nov. 27 are:
North Texas (6-6): The Mean Green extended their win streak to five to attain bowl eligibility with a 45-23 drubbing of previously-unbeaten and 15th-ranked UTSA. It was just North Texas' second all-time win over a ranked opponent and first such win since 1974. UNT rushed for 340 yards against the No. 10 rushing defense in the country and came up with three takeaways while keeping UTSA to 70 yards below their season total-offense average.
Oklahoma State (11-1): Spencer Sanders threw for a touchdown and ran for another as No. 7 Oklahoma State beat No. 10 Oklahoma to win the Bedlam Game, 37-33. The win kept the Cowboys' hopes for a College Football Playoff berth alive, snapped a six-game losing streak to the Sooners and ended their rival's streak of Big 12 titles at six. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy won for just the third time in 17 tries against Oklahoma and now has the Cowboys playing for their first Big 12 title since 2011 this weekend against Baylor.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America
consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives
in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday
operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team.
For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive
Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.
About the Cheez-It Bowl
The Cheez-It Bowl takes place on
Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 5:45 p.m. ET in Orlando, Fla. The postseason contest is hosted
by Florida Citrus Sports, a Central Florida-based nonprofit, and annually features
top teams from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 Conferences. Cheez-It, the best-selling
cracker brand in the United States, signed on as the game's title sponsor in 2020
as part of its season-long support of college football. Last bowl season, No. 21
Oklahoma State beat No. 18 Miami 37-34 in front of an audience of Cheez-It "Wheel
Live Fans." This year's Cheez-It Bowl will be the 32nd edition of the game and its
21st in Orlando.
Related links:
All-time FWAA National Teams of the Week
· Download Cheez-It Bowl National Team of the Week logo: .jpg | .eps