Ohio State never played fewer players in a game all season than it did in its regular season finale against Michigan.
With a season-high 19 players unavailable, the Buckeyes didn’t have as much depth available as usual. Multiple players who weren’t listed as unavailable but had missed time in previous games didn’t play against the Wolverines either. And while there have been plenty of times this season that Ohio State has been able to play its backups in the second half, the Buckeyes had to play the players who they felt gave them the best chance to win for four quarters in The Game.