Top-ranked Georgia may not have to face Ohio State and its high-powered offense in the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes, No. 2 in the CFP rankings, lost to No. 5 Michigan 42-27 Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Hassan Haskins scored five touchdowns and Aidan Hutchinson had three sacks for the Wolverines, who gave coach Jim Harbaugh his first win over Ohio State.
Georgia routed rival Georgia Tech 45-0. The Bulldogs play No. 3 Alabama in the SEC Championship game Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Cincinnati was fourth in the last CFP rankings. The Bearcats beat East Carolina 35-13 Friday.
Michigan (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) advanced to the conference championship for the first time. The Wolverines have a chance to win a Big Ten title for the first time since 2004 and a national championship for the first time since 1997.
Minutes after the game, long-suffering fans filled the Big House turf to celebrate a rare win in the storied series and they were in no rush to leave as music blared.
Ohio State had a school-record winning streak in the rivalry, taking 15 of 16.
The Buckeyes (10-2, 8-1) blew their chances to continue their dominance with 10 penalties, many before the snap, and because they simply could not stop Michigan’s running game.
Haskins had 169 yards rushing on 28 carries, scoring a go-ahead touchdown late in the second half and four more after halftime to pad Michigan’s lead. Blake Corum returned from a two-plus game absence to run six times for 87 yards, helping the Wolverines gain a total of 297 yards on a ground against a rival that has pushed them around for much of this century.
Ohio State’s high-powered offense seemed rattled against Michigan’s new-look defense with first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald making all the right moves. Hutchinson, who set a single-season school record with 13 sacks, was in the backfield all day.
C.J. Stroud was 34 of 49 for 394 with two touchdowns, including a 25-yard pass to Garrett Wilson that gave the Buckeyes a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. The Buckeyes turned it over on downs on their last possession, failing to protect Stroud. He was sacked four times, doubling the total from any other game this season.
