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Coming into to Saturday's game against Michigan, Cooper and his Buckeyes had lost five consecutive games by a combined score of 138-58 at the Big House. And before three of those losses (in 1993, '95 and '97), the Buckeyes were ranked in the top five.

But on a day the Buckeyes were unranked and expected to get shelled, Cooper enjoyed one of his finest moments on a field usually reserved for his most embarrassing ones -- and still came out on the losing end.

"I think we lost the football game today," Cooper said. "The team that makes the fewest mistakes usually wins the game."

That pretty much sums up what happened in front of the biggest crowd ever to watch an NCAA football game (111,575). On a cold, damp and blustery afternoon, Cooper laid out a brilliant game plan and the Buckeyes responded with their most spirited effort of the season -- but mistakes cost them in the end.

Three second-half turnovers, two Steve Bellisari interceptions and a Kevin Houser fumble, resulted in 17 points for the No. 10 Wolverines -- just enough for them to escape with a 24-17 victory, a 9-2 regular-season record and likely a spot in either the Fiesta or Orange bowls.

"It's a huge sense of relief," said Wolverines quarterback Tom Brady, who was 17-of-27 for 150 yards and two touchdowns. "Everyone's just glad we got this victory."

Not ecstatic or exuberant, just glad because the Wolverines were outplayed and outcoached by a team who finished with a 6-6 record and out of the bowl hunt for the first time in a decade.

Offensively, Cooper spread things out, utilized motion on nearly every play and, consequently, had the Wolverines on their heels for much of the game.

After holding Penn State to just 7 yards on the ground last week -- an all-time low for a Joe Paterno-coached team -- the Wolverines surrendered 130 rushing yards to the Buckeyes in the first 30 minutes alone. And used sparingly, Bellisari suddenly didn't look as bad as his press clippings, completing 5 of 8 passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns in the half.

"They ran some plays we really weren't ready for," said Wolverines linebacker Ian Gold, who recovered to make one of the second-half interceptions. "They caught us off guard a little bit."

Cooper also seemed to catch the Wolverines off guard defensively by blitzing with reckless abandon and sacking Brady three times for minus-17 yards in the first half, enabling the Buckeyes to take a 14-7 lead into the locker room.

"We were not able to establish anything consistently," Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr said "Obviously, I was not very happy at the half."

But Carr's mood swung dramatically after the break because, although the Wolverines offense continued to sputter for the most part and their defense still bent like a hunter's bow, the Buckeyes managed to give the game away.

On their first possession of the second half, a Bellisari pass went over the head of receiver Reggie Germany and into the waiting arms of free safety DeWayne Patmon, who ran the ball back 32 yards to the Buckeyes 31. And three plays later, Hayden Epstein connected on a 42-yard field goal to make it 14-10.

Dejected teammates Michael Wiley (5) and Matt Keller sit on the sidelines in the final moments of the game.(AP)

Later in the third quarter, Bellisari -- who finished just 8-of-20 for 84 yards -- again attempted a throw to Germany. But this time Gold was the spoiler, grabbing the ball at the Buckeyes 25 and rumbling all the way down to the 8. And on the very next play, Brady made the Buckeyes pay for their turnover by hitting tight end Shawn Thompson with a touchdown to tie the game at 17.

"We did everything we could to stop Michigan," Buckeyes linebacker Na'il Diggs said. "Most of the game we were successful. But we made too many crucial mistakes."

Including the backbreaking turnover with about 10 minutes left in the game.

After driving all the way to the Wolverines 34, Bellisari hit Houser over the middle for an 11-yard gain. But he coughed the ball up after getting hit hard by cornerback James Whitley, and cornerback Cato June recovered at the Wolverines 23.

With the momentum now fully on their side, the Wolverines then marched down the field in 10 plays for the winning touchdown, which came on a 10-yard pass from Brady to receiver Marquise Walker.

"Our defense came up with big plays," Carr said. "Those turnovers were instrumental."

In addition to forcing the turnovers that turned the tables, the Wolverines got another key stop from their defense when cornerback Todd Howard made what might have been a game-saving tackle.

Midway through the third quarter, tailback Jonathan Wells tore down the right sidelines, broke free of everybody and appeared headed for the end zone. But 76 yards later, Howard caught him from behind at the Wolverines 6.

"I don't know if it would have put the game away," Cooper said of the play. "But that was a big turning point in the ballgame, there's no doubt about it."

Howard's stop was even more devastating for the Buckeyes because, three plays later, Dan Stultz field-goal attempt went wide left, keeping the Wolverines within a touchdown, 17-10.

And so on a day the Buckeyes came to play, outrushed the Wolverines 263-102 and outgained them 368-252, they still lost another one at Michigan Stadium -- the sixth in a row for Cooper, who was hardly to blame and refused to be too hard on his team either.

"I'm really proud of the effort we gave," said Cooper, who also fell to 2-9-1 overall against the Wolverines. "Unfortunately, we did not give that kind of an effort all season long."