Ann Arbor, Mich-- Some days, it just isn't meant to be.

Ohio State had one of those days yesterday, the only one, really, of this football season. Talk about bad timing. Michigan 28, Ohio State 0.

The streak continues. That's six straight times the Buckeyes have left the 90-game rivalry without a win. However they did leave yesterday with a souvenir: a great big knot upside their head.

"We were outplayed in every way," an obviously dejected OSU coach John Cooper said.

Six times he's gone against the Wolverines as head coach of OSU, and only last year's 13-13 tie is an upward blip on the chart. Yesterday, he'd have taken a tie, no doubt, over what happened. Even a tie would have put the Buckeyes (9-1-1) in the Rose Bowl for the first time in nine years.

Instead, they were shut out for the first time since Wisconsin turned the trick 6-0 in the fifth game of the 1982 season. They were shut out by Michigan for the first time since a 22-0 loss in 1976. The 28-point deficit was the same as in the 31-3 defeat in Ann Arbor two years ago.

Now it's going to take a win or tie by Michigan State against Wisconsin (8-1-1, 5-1-1) in Tokyo to send the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl. Illinois could have done it yesterday, but the Badgers prevailed 35-10.

Whereever the Buckeyes end up for the holidays, rising from the canvas after that knockout yesterday might be the toughest chore. Michigan (7-4, 5-3), entering the regular season finale with as many as four losses for the first time since 1984, for the second straight week played up to the preseason predictions that had it winning its sixth straight Big Ten title.

On both sides of the ball, the Wolverines dominated, outgaining the Buckeyes 421 to 212 in total yards, including 256-134 in the first half, when they jumped to a 21-0 lead. Ohio State, in the biggest game of at least the Cooper era, never really got into it, especially on offense.

I know you'll rip 'em up; I know they're a good football team and we played a heck of a football game today, and don't think that wasn't part of it," Michigan coach Gary Moeller said. "We beat a heck of a football team today that's ranked fifth in the country and deserving of it."

So what happened?

"Michigan made some big plays, especially with their passing game, and we didn't," OSU sophomre quarterback Bob Hoying said.

That's it in a nutshell.

Just when the Buckeyes seemed to be getting a handle on tailback Tyrone Wheatley, Michigan quarterback Todd Collins linked up with a backward-reaching Mercury Hayes for the 25-yard opening score at 6:34 of the first quarter. Then a seemingly covered Derrick Alexander made a diving catch on a 50-yard pass to set up the seconds TD, a 1-yard run by fullback Jon Ritchie at 5:30 of the second quarter.

In the meantime, Ohio State couldn't get anything going with its two-quarterback system. After Hoying failed to lead the team to the end zone on the first three possessions, senior Bret Powers entered as planned.

By the time Powers exited three possessions later, Michigan defensive backs Alfie Burch, Ty Law, and Chuck Winters all had interceptions, two of them intended for the Big Ten's leading scorer, wide receiver Joey Galloway.

"Part of our game was we wanted to throw it deep, to keep their corners off so they wouldn't sit on the underneath routes," Powers said. "They played the deep ball well. And sometimes we just put it out there hoping, well, not hoping, but asking our receiver to make a big play. Their DBs were coming up with the ball, though."

The Winters interception set the Wolverines off on a six-play, 31-yard drive, capped by a 3-yard TD pass from Collines to fullback Che' Foster.

With four quick plays on the enxt possession, Hoying moved the Buckeyes from their 20 to the Michigan 36. He then fired a pass to wide receiver Chris Sanders on a deep slant at the goal line. But Law came from behind to grap his second interception.

At times it seemd as if the Wolverines were playing with 12 men on defense.

"They did a good job, especially on the bootlegs and rollouts, of taking away receivers that had been open for us earlier this season," Hoying said. "All you could do was throw to the guy in the flat. He was the only one open."

Which explains why tight end Cedric Saunders had six catches for 65 yards and Galloway had only three for 47 yards. The Wolverines did more than cover, though. They also brought tremendous pressure up front, which the veteran OSU offensive line had trouble handling, especially in the last 20 minutes of the first half.

"I hate to say it, but maybe they wanted it at that particular time more than we did," OSU senior guard Jason Winrow said. "I can't speak for everybody, but I know they cam up and they hustled, they hustled all the time, ... No. 94 (Jason Horn) and No. 60 (Buster Stanley), they're relentless. They don't quit until the whistle blows. That's a tribute to them."

On the other side, they young Michigan offensive line strung out the OSU defense, creating seams for Wheatley-- he had 105 yards to get to 1,0005 for the season before being held out in the second half because of a concussion-- and backup Ed Davis, who had 96 yards on 22 carries.

When OSU punter Tim Williams dropped to his knee to pick up a low snap from center at the end of the Buckeyes' first second-half possession, giving Michigan the ball at the OSU 32, it seemed obvious to all there would be no miracle comeback. Three plays later, Davis outran the OSU defense to the corner for the last touchdown, at 10:39 of the third quarter. It was done.

After 10 straight weeks of making plays when they needed to be made, of staying unbeaten and setting up yesterday's game as the one for all the roses, the Buckeyes didn't have the final punch.

"This is definitely a team loss," Winrow said. "We all have a big L on us right now. We'd almost forgotten how to lose, but today, Michigan remembered how to win."