Ohio State vs. Michigan State: Complete Game Preview

The No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) hit the road for the first time this season to play the No. 20 Michigan State Spartans (3-1) this Saturday in East Lansing. 

This Big Ten opener features the conference’s two highest-ranked teams and will be the site for ESPN’s College GameDay pregame show.

The Buckeyes face Michigan State for the first time in East Lansing since routing the Spartans 45-7 back in 2008. That game marked Ohio State’s seventh straight victory over Michigan State, but the Spartans got the best of the Buckeyes last year in Columbus with a sluggish 10-7 victory.

What are the storylines heading into this year's matchup? Find out with this complete game preview.

Game-Day Information

Who

Ohio State vs. Michigan State 

When

Saturday, 3:30 p.m (ET)

Where

East Lansing, Michigan

Stadium

Spartan Stadium (75,005)

TV

The game will be televised nationally by ABC.

Radio

Ohio: Akron - 1590 AM | Cincinnati - 1480 AM | Cleveland - 850 AM | Columbus - 1460 AM | Columbus - 97.1 FM | Toledo - 1470 AM | Youngstown - 1390 AM

Michigan: Ann Arbor - 1290 AM  |  Battle Creek - 95.3 FM  |  Detroit - 760 AM  |  Flint - 1570 AM  |  Grand Rapids - 107.3 FM  |  Lansing - 1240 AM  |  Midland - 100.9 FM  |  Port Huron - 1380 AM |  Saginaw - 1250 AM

Depth Chart for Ohio State

Quarterback

Braxton Miller  |  Kenny Guiton

Running Back

Jordan Hall  |  Rod Smith

Fullback

Zach Boren  |  Adam Homan

Wide Receiver (H)

Jake Stoneburner  |  Chris Fields

Wide Receiver (X)

Devin Smith  |  Michael Thomas

Wide Receiver (Z)

Corey Brown  |  Evan Spencer

Left Tackle

Jack Mewhort  | Darryl Baldwin

Left Guard

Andrew Norwell  |  Antonio Underwood

Center

Corey Linsley  |  Jacoby Boren

Right Guard

Marcus Hall  |  Chase Farris

Right Tackle

Reid Fragel  |  Taylor Decker

Tight End

Nick Vannett OR Jeff Heuerman

Defensive End (LEO)

John Simon  |  Steve Miller OR Noah Spence

Nose Tackle

Garrett Goebel  |  Joel Hale

Defensive Tackle

Johnathan Hankins  |  Adolphus Washington OR Tommy Schutt

Defensive End

J.T. Moore  |  Nathan Williams 

Outside Linebacker

Ryan Shazier  |  Conner Crowell

Middle Linebacker

Curtis Grant  |  Storm Klein

Outside Linebacker

Etienne Sabino  |  Joshua Perry

Cornerback

Bradley Roby  |  Doran Grant

Safety

Christian Bryant  |  Orhian Johnson

Safety

C.J. Barnett  |  Corey Brown

Cornerback

Travis Howard  |  Adam Griffin

Kicker

Drew Basil  |  Kyle Clinton

Punter

Ben Buchanan  |  Drew Basil

Punt Returner

Corey Brown  |  Devin Smith 

Kick Returner

Corey Brown  |  Bri’onte Dunn

Depth Chart for Michigan State

Quarterback

ANDREW MAXWELL  |  Connor Cook

Running Back

LE’VEON BELL  |  Larry Caper

Fullback

NIKO PALAZETI  |  Lawrence Thomas

Wide Receiver (X)

TONY LIPPETT  |  Aaron Burbridge

Wide Receiver (Z)

KEITH MUMPHERY  |  DeAnthony Arnett

Wide Receiver (F)

 BENNIE FOWLER  |  Andre Sims Jr.

Left Tackle

DAN FRANCE  |  Michael Dennis

Left Guard

JACK ALLEN OR BLAKE TREADWELL

Center

TRAVIS JACKSON  |  Ethan Ruhland

Right Guard

CHRIS MCDONALD  |  Nate Klatt

Right Tackle

SKYLER BURKLAND  |  Michael Dennis

Tight End

DION SIMS  |  Andrew Gleichert

Defensive End

MARCUS RUSH  |  Shilique Calhoun

Nose Tackle

ANTHONY RASHAD WHITE OR JAMES KITTREDGE

Defensive Tackle

MICAJAH REYNOLDS OR TYLER HOOVER

Defensive End

WILLIAM GHOLSTON  |  Joel Heath

Outside Linebacker

CHRIS NORMAN  |  Taiwan Jones

Middle Linebacker

MAX BULLOUGH  |  Kyler Elsworth

Outside Linebacker

DENICOS ALLEN  |  Ed Davis

Cornerback

DARQUEZE DENNARD  |  Mitchell White

Safety

JAIRUS JONES OR KURTIS DRUMMOND

Safety

ISAIAH LEWIS  |  RJ Williamson

Cornerback

JOHNNY ADAMS  |  Arjen Colquhoun

Kicker

KEVIN MUMA OR DAN CONROY

Punter

MIKE SADLER  |  Kevin Muma

Punt Returner

NICK HILL OR  LE’VEON BELL

Kick Returner

NICK HILL OR LARRY CAPER 

What Happened to the Buckeyes Last Week?

The Buckeyes got a surprising fight from the UAB Blazers (0-3) and needed all four quarters to pull away for a 29-15 victory.

Ohio State struggled against one of the worst defenses in the country, piling up just 347 yards of offense against the Blazers.

The Buckeyes had four very effective scoring drives Saturday, but in Ohio State’s other seven possessions, they averaged just 15 yards per drive.

The defense didn’t play much better. The Buckeyes came into the game needing a confidence-building performance before conference play, but giving up 403 yards to the Blazers was a punch in the gut to the unit. 

Ohio State continued to struggle with tackling and defending the short, perimeter passes, a trend that has been consistent throughout the year. 

What Happened to the Spartans Last Week?

Like the Buckeyes, Michigan State also struggled to score points against an overmatched team.

Also like the Buckeyes, the Spartans were able to squeeze out a victory in the fourth quarter, beating Eastern Michigan 23-7 in East Lansing.

Michigan State's passing woes continued last week as Andrew Maxwell completed just 55 percent of his passes (16-of-29) for 159 yards. Le'Veon Bell became the workhorse, carrying the ball 36 times for 253 yards and a touchdown.

Michigan State was anemic in the first half, scoring just three points against one of the worst defenses in the country. In fact, the Spartans didn't get into the end zone against Eastern Michigan until the fourth quarter.

You can't be too upset with the game, even if you're a Michigan State fan, because it produced this beauty of a post-game presser. 

What It Means to Both Teams

For Ohio State

A victory over the favored Spartans would be huge for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

Not only would it establish Ohio State as the best team in the conference, it would give the Buckeyes a huge boost toward winning the Leaders division.

Although Michigan State plays in the Legends division, starting 0-1 in the conference would be damaging to Ohio State's chances for a division title. The Buckeyes' conference schedule is front-loaded with Nebraska coming to Columbus next week, so getting a victory in what might be Ohio State's toughest game of the year this early would be huge.

For Michigan State

A victory over Ohio State would further validate Michigan State as a true power in the conference.

When people talk about traditional powers in the Big Ten, Ohio State and Michigan are the first teams mentioned. Penn State, Nebraska and Wisconsin comprise the second tier, while Michigan State is largely dismissed.

But as every season passes for Michigan State, that notion loses validity. The Spartans have claimed 11 victories in back-to-back seasons, and Dantonio has done a terrific job turning Michigan State into an annual contender in the conference. The Spartans shared a conference championship with Wisconsin in 2010 and played in the conference championship last year.

A win over the Buckeyes would put Michigan State in the driver's seat toward another trip to Indianapolis this year. 

Key Player for Ohio State

Braxton Miller, QB

It's no secret that Ohio State will go only as far as Braxton Miller takes them on offense.

With no big-play threat at running back, Miller is the only legitimate home-run hitter in Ohio State's backfield.

Against the best defense in the conference, Miller will have to be at his best for the Buckeyes to win.

That might mean throwing the ball a bit more than we're used to seeing, because Michigan State has a front seven geared toward stopping the run. The Spartans rank 10th in the country in rush defense, giving up just under 70 yards per game on the ground.

Of course, they're almost equally stout defending the pass—they rank 13th in pass defense, allowing teams to throw for 164 yards per game so far.

Last year against the Spartans, Miller struggled. He completed just five of his 10 passes for 56 yards and actually lost 27 yards on nine carries—although that was mainly because Michigan State blitzed without shame almost every play.

That game was Miller's second career start, so the Spartans will obviously face a much better quarterback Saturday.

Key Player for Michigan State

Andrew Maxwell, QB

Some would argue for Le'Veon Bell here, but the running lanes will be close to nonexistent if Maxwell can't keep Ohio State honest with the passing game.

Ohio State has struggled on defense this year, but their biggest trouble has come against teams that attacked the perimeter.

Michigan State does the exact opposite on offense. The Spartans want to line up and go right at you with the running game, and Ohio State's defense looks to be built toward shutting down that type of attack.

Maxwell will need to play the best game of his career to keep Ohio State from putting more than seven in the box and teeing off against Le'Veon Bell every play. Accuracy on play-action passes, misdirection and roll-outs will go a long way in keeping the Buckeyes on their heels, and if Maxwell can't do that, things could get ugly in East Lansing.

Ohio State Will Win If...

The Buckeyes will win if Braxton Miller gets the best of Michigan State's defense.

The sophomore quarterback will need to play a superb game on the road to get the win. Michigan State doesn't have the kind of offense that would bury Ohio State in a big hole early, so Braxton should have every opportunity to take control of this game.

If he does, Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes will be 5-0.

Michigan State Will Win If...

The Spartans will win if they contain Braxton Miller on defense while Andrew Maxwell throws the ball well and avoids turnovers on the other side of the ball.

Michigan State's No. 1 goal should be keeping Miller in the pocket and limiting his big plays. If the Spartans control field position and play turnover-free football, the home crowd should be able to carry them to a victory.

Prediction

Urban Meyer squeezes just enough offense from Braxton Miller, and the Buckeyes escape a hard-fought game with a three-point victory.

Ohio State 20, Michigan State 17