The Top 25 Michigan athletics moments since 2000: No. 3

We are 25 years into the 2000s, and to celebrate, we’re picking out the Top 25 moments for Michigan athletics this century. We’ve hit the Top 3, each playing spectacular roles in what will be remembered for a lifetime.

In the last three moments in this series, we will revel in the beauty of what was truly unbelievable. Fairytale-like moments that not only Michigan fans will remember, but all of college football and sports must respect. What the Wolverines did in all three occasions was unfathomable and thought impossible. At the end, they were the last ones confidently laughing.

And laughing we all were, when Michigan beat Ohio State and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti was forced to hand the Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh a trophy that he did everything he could to try and take away.

3. Michigan beats Ohio State without Jim Harbaugh, leads to Big Ten Championship (2023)

Unprecedented action was taken against Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines in 2023. Less than 24 hours before a crucial game in Happy Valley, the Big Ten, without any material evidence and against the recommendation of the NCAA, suspended Harbaugh for the remainder of the regular season. That included what wound up being a crucial win against the Nittany Lions.

Not once did this team or program even flinch. Player-driven leadership rallied the troops. Business remained unfinished for the Wolverines after they beat Penn State and Maryland the week following. Nothing, not even their head coach being absent from game day, would get in the way of destiny.

Undefeated teams clashed in the Big House. No. 3 Michigan, No. 2 Ohio State. The visiting Buckeyes were favored to win, head to the Big Ten Championship and make another appearance in the College Football Playoff. Once again, the Wolverines were counted out, and they should have been. Ryan Day was on the sideline, Jim Harbaugh was at home. Sherrone Moore was serving as a head coach for the fourth time in his career, all in the 2023 season.

Instead, Michigan defended its home turf. The Wolverines took a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter, but Ohio State responded before halftime to be within a score at 14-10. The game was knotted at 17 early in the third quarter. Making matters worse, Zak Zinter went down with a gruesome leg injury that required him to miss the rest of the season. But the very next play, Blake Corum would run for a memorable touchdown (No. 9 on this list).

A field goal in the early fourth quarter put Michigan up 27-17, but Ohio State wasn’t dead yet. Kyle McCord hit Marvin Harrison Jr. for a touchdown with eight minutes left. Then, the Wolverines ate up seven minutes of game clock on a 13-play, 56-yard drive. Michigan settled for a field goal to take a six-point lead.

With less than a minute left and no timeouts, Ohio State had the opportunity to go on a game-winning drive. It felt like the Buckeyes would do that after McCord threw a dime to Harrison for a 22-yard gain. A play later, McCord found Julian Fleming for another 21 yards. Suddenly, the Buckeyes were in their own territory with 21 seconds left.

Enter: Rod Moore (No. 8 on this list):

Everyone knew it. That was the moment. This play sealed the Wolverines’ spot in the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff.

But business wasn’t finished quite yet. Harbaugh and Michigan had to rub it in the faces of the Big Ten and all the haters in the media. They had to make Pettiti hand them the trophy that represented the resiliency of this team.

In Indy? The game was never close. Semaj Morgan almost took a punt return to the house, and Mikey Sainristil made a giant play (how many times have we gotten to say that?).

The Hawkeyes were skunked, had three turnovers and only 155 yards of offense. Michigan was Big Ten champions for the third season in a row.

Of the 13 games to this point, Harbaugh coached only seven of them. Yet, the Wolverines never missed a beat. They went through the most brutal portion of their schedule without their head coach and reigned triumphant over every ounce of adversity. They never stopped believing, they bet on themselves, and they were Big Ten champs.

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For more in this series:

• The Top 25 Michigan athletics moments since 2000: 25-21
• The Top 25 Michigan athletics moments since 2000: 20-16
• The Top 25 Michigan athletics moments since 2000: 15-11
• The Top 25 Michigan athletics moments since 2000: 10-6
• The Top 25 Michigan athletics moments since 2000: No. 5
• The Top 25 Michigan athletics moments since 2000: No. 4