Ohio State at Michigan

Recap

The Big Storyline: Both teams had outstanding starts to the 2021 season. Michigan proved the hype is real, and Ohio State put the woes of 2020 definitively in the past. Morgan Lowe fell in the beam leadoff spot for the Buckeyes, which would’ve led to cascading issues last year. This squad rose to the occasion, hit the next five and finished with a 49.100. The meet was a gutsy performance for the Buckeyes, with excellent debuts from Hannah Oliveros and Emma Pritchard.

Implications: Michigan’s total is the fourth-highest in the nation as of Saturday night and puts the Wolverines in lofty air with Oklahoma, LSU and Florida. With room for improvement on landings, wobbles and handstands, Michigan has a case as a national championship dark horse. This was also a stellar start for the Buckeyes, who didn’t hit 196 until mid-February in 2020. Natalie Wojick will debut in the top five in the all around rankings.

Records: Michigan’s total is the second-highest debut by a Big Ten team behind only Nebraska’s 2012 squad. The Wolverines have lofty national finals aspirations, and this outing makes those goals seem realistic.

Controversy: We didn’t see anything from Michigan freshman Carly Bauman; and we’re not even sure if she was dressed out.

Note: Rutgers was initially scheduled to attend this meet, but withdrew on January 12 due to COVID cases within the program.