On the afternoon of Nov. 30, Michigan stunned more than 106,000 fans who toughed out the sub-20-degree temperatures in Columbus, and millions more at home who watched the annual rivalry matchup between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes. An overwhelming majority of those in attendance were there to watch their Ohio State Buckeyes end the three-year losing streak to Michigan in a game that was expected to be a blowout.

Ohio State fans tailgated, partied and celebrated in the morning hours leading up to the noon kickoff, acting as if their team had already beaten Michigan. But who was to say they were acting out of place? Even Michigan fans had little-to-no hope going into the rivalry showdown.

The three-touchdown spread in favor of Ohio State indicated a blowout was on the horizon.

But as the game continued to be played, Ohio State fans' confidence disappeared, and an eerie feeling fell over Ohio Stadium. Aamir Hall's second-quarter interception set up Kalel Mullings with a 1-yard touchdown score, and with just over 10 minutes left in the first half, not only did Michigan have the lead, but Ohio State still hadn't scored a touchdown.

The eeriness from Ohio State fans subsided a bit when Will Howard connected with Jeremiah Smith on a 10-yard touchdown just before halftime to even up the score, but it came back in full force in the second half.

Ohio State's offensive ineptitude resulted in zero second-half points, and Dominic Zvada's 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left put the dagger in Ohio State, with millions of people either witnessing or watching the impossible happen.

Much has been made about Ohio State's awful offense in that game, but Michigan's defense was as impressive as the Buckeyes' offense was abysmal.

On Saturday morning in Tampa, Florida, Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale met with reporters for the first time since the legendary performance in Columbus exactly four weeks ago. He described how Michigan limited Ohio State's high-powered offense.

"We were really confident in the game plan," Martindale said. "The heart of the message all week was, 'Take 'em to the deep end in the fourth quarter.' And then we knew we could take over the game defensively. ... We just physically outplayed them. When your best players are playing their best, that's when you have a lot of success."

"We felt good going into the game of how we were going to attack them, and give them some different looks they weren't used to, and when they started getting used to it, we went to a different look. And it kept them guessing (and) reaching the entire game."

Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, arguably Michigan's two best players all season, were dominant against Ohio State, and the dynamic duo proved to be vital in the overall success of the team.

Hall's interception played a big role, too, and captain Makari Paige played one of his best games in a Michigan uniform, making an interception and rattling Howard with a big hit.

"(The Buckeyes) have a very talented group, and it was just our day that day, and I'm glad we had it."

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