Tressel became the first Ohio State coach to beat Michigan six times in seven years, and the seventh-ranked Buckeyes' 14-3 victory Saturday over their archrival gave them consecutive outright Big Ten titles for the first time in a half-century.
Chris Wells ran for a career-high 222 yards and two touchdowns and Vernon Gholston and the Buckeyes' defense dominated Michigan's banged-up offense.
“Our defense was not going to let Michigan control the game on the ground,” Tressel said. “I wish our offense could have scored more, and that we could have been a little more consistent, but today, 14 points was enough to win the Big Ten.”
The Buckeyes (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) are likely headed to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997. They also hold onto slim hopes of climbing back into the BCS title game, but several teams ahead of them would need to go down.
“I might have come from here, but now I bleed scarlet and gray,” said Gholston, who had three of Ohio State's four sacks. “Coming from Detroit didn't make this any bigger. When you go to Ohio State, you don't need anything to make the Michigan game big.”
A win would have put No. 23 Michigan (8-4, 6-2) in Pasadena for the fourth time in five years, but the loss might send it to a bowl game prior to New Year's Day.
The game might have been Carr's last regular-season game at Michigan, where the national championship he led the school to in 1997 is a distant memory while his loss to Appalachian State this year and 1-6 record against Tressel are often mentioned.
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