Curtis Samuel scores the game-winning touchdown for Ohio State against Michigan.
Michigan’s misery continues at Ohio Stadium.
The Wolverines built a 10-point lead late in the third quarter, but the resurgent Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) mounted a tying comeback before winning the game 30-24 in double overtime.
Curtis Samuel sprinted into the end zone on a 15-yard sweep around left end to give the Buckeyes the victory.The touchdown came after the Buckeyes converted on a fourth-down play that saw quarterback J.T. Barrett earn a first down by inches.
Officials gave Barrett the first-down mark, and replay confirmed he had gained just enough to move the chains and keep Ohio State alive.
If the call had been reversed, Michigan would have won as a result of Kenny Allen’s 37-yard field goal.
“That was not a first down,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said after the game at a press conference, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). “I’m bitterly disappointed with the officiating today.”
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer fell to the turf in exhaustion and relief when Samuel scored the winning touchdown.
Urban Meyer's reaction to the end of the game is everything. pic.twitter.com/Ivc4TW9fQK
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 26, 2016
Michigan (10-2) had earned a 17-7 lead in the third quarter after Khalid Hill had scored his second touchdown of the game after catching an eight-yard scoring pass from Wilton Speight. Hill had scored late in the first half on a one-yard run.
Mike Weber brought Ohio State back within three points when he scored on a one-yard run with 1:06 remaining, and the Buckeyes tied the game on place-kicker Tyler Durbin’s 23-yard field goal with a second remaining in the fourth quarter.
Durbin, one of the Big Ten’s most reliable kickers, had missed two earlier field-goal attempts, but he kept his composure when the game was on the line.
| Winner | Score | Loser | Key Stat |
| Ohio State (2) | 30-27 (2OT) | Michigan (3) | Ohio State: Defense holds Michigan to 91 yards rushing on 43 attempts. |
| Kentucky | 41-38 | Louisville (11) | Kentucky: Defense records four takeaways. |
| Navy (25) | 75-31 | SMU | Navy: 496-96 edge in rushing yards. |
| Alabama (1) | 30-12 | Auburn (13) | Alabama: 501-182 edge in total yards. |
| Wisconsin (6) | 31-17 | Minnesota | Wisconsin: 4-1 edge in turnovers. |
| USC (12) | 45-27 | Notre Dame | USC: Two returns (one punt and one kickoff) for touchdowns. |
| Penn State (7) | 45-12 | Michigan State | Penn State: Outscored Michigan State 35-0 in second half |
| West Virginia (18) | 49-19 | Iowa State | West Virginia: RB Martell Pettaway, 181 rushing yards. |
ESPN.com
Stars of the Week
QB J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
The numbers were not the story for Barrett as Ohio State mounted a victory for the ages against archrival Michigan at the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio.
Barrett completed 15 of 32 passes for 124 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. However, he ran the ball 30 times for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Barrett was one of the stars of the game because of his ability to take key hits from the Michigan defense throughout the day and still find a way to keep coming at the Wolverines.
The Michigan defense kept Ohio State in check for the large majority of the game, but when the Buckeyes needed to make plays, Barrett found a way to make them.
The key play was his first-down conversion on a 4th-and-inches play in the second overtime that set up the game-winning touchdown.
YOU BE THE JUDGE. Did JT Barrett convert this 4th-And-1 that set up the Curtis Samuel TD to win for Ohio State? https://t.co/h1sFQ8V75W
— MySportsReader.com (@MySportsReader) November 26, 2016
Barrett scored on a seven-yard TD run in the first overtime period.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
QB Stephen Johnson, Kentucky
Heisman Trophy candidate Lamar Jackson of Louisville was not the best quarterback on the field as Louisville met Kentucky.
Jackson passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more, but he also threw three interceptions.
Johnson was able to take advantage of those turnovers and rally the Wildcats to a come-from-behind 41-38 victory after trailing by 10 points earlier in the game. Johnson completed 16 of 27 passes for 338 yards with three touchdowns and just one interception.
He also carried the ball eight times for 83 yards, and it was his ability to escape pressure that helped Kentucky come up with the upset on the road.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
WR ArDarius Stewart, Alabama
While the rest of the Top 10 continues to struggle for victories on a regular basis, the top-rated Alabama Crimson Tide continue to roll.
There was some thought that a rivalry game with No. 13 Auburn might be a struggle, but Alabama put the game away in the third quarter and earned a 30-12 victory.
Stewart was just too much for the Auburn defense to contain. He caught 10 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
At 6’1″ and 204 pounds, Stewart has the strength to win the battle for the ball against smaller defensive backs.
