CLEVELAND — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is a man of his word, even if that means having to don Ohio State gear to pay off a friendly wager after the Buckeyes defeated the University of Michigan Wolverines last week.
Brady and Patriots defensive lineman Chase Winovich paid off a bet with defensive back Nate Ebner and defensive end John Simon and not only did they wear Ohio State shirts at New England’s practice facility Saturday, they had to go one step further.
With Ebner and Simon making the “O”s in the traditional arm spelling of “O-H-I-O.” Brady raised up an “H” and Winovich represented the “I.”
This year, the Buckeyes (12-0) came into “The Game” as the No. 1 team in the country, according to the latest College Football Playoff rankings, while Michigan was the 13th ranked team in America heading into their “Senior Day” matchup with Ohio State.
Behind a 211-yard, four-touchdown showing from running back J.K. Dobbins and quarterback Justin Fields throwing for 302 yards and four more scores, the Buckeyes lived up to the hype as the No. 1 team in the country, as they posted a 56-27 victory over the Wolverines.
Michigan leads the all-time series with the Buckeyes, 58-51-6, as well as the games played in Ann Arbor, 31-24-4, but Ohio State is on an eight-game winning streak against the Wolverines after back-to-back 20-point victories, including a 62-39 win at Ohio Stadium in Columbus in 2018.
With their perfect slate during the regular season, the Buckeyes clinched the Big 10 East Division title and will play the University of Wisconsin Badgers in the Big 10 Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis tonight.
With a win over the Badgers, the Buckeyes likely would clinch a berth into the College Football Playoff for the third time in school history.