ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was too easy for too long. Michigan was due for difficult, and difficult has arrived, right on schedule.
The Wolverines expended every gasp, every second and every kick to dispatch Illinois on Saturday. The Buckeyes did the same to outlast Maryland, setting up the latest clash for the ages. Michigan and Ohio State haven’t met as 11-0 peers since 2006, and that No. 1-versus-No. 2 showdown ended in a 42-39 Buckeye victory.
Dare we say, this one is even larger? The winner goes to the Big Ten championship game, possibly to face undaunting Iowa. Win there, and it’s on to the playoff. Michigan’s 19-17 victory against Illinois in blustery Michigan Stadium was a display of grit and grimace, and afterward, Jim Harbaugh bubbled with uncommon joy, calling it “one of the biggest wins ever.”
