Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans Complete Game Preview
Finally, it's here.
After months of anticipation that date back to last season's Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State and Michigan State will square off this weekend in a game that will again have heavy conference title implications—and perhaps even more.
With the Spartans ranked eighth and the Buckeyes coming in at No. 16 in the first College Football Playoff poll of the season, this weekend will go a long way toward building the resume of one playoff hopeful and eliminating the other's national title chances. As both teams have only suffered a single loss each to this point in this season, Saturday will have everything at stake that it was expected to in what should be a de facto Big Ten East championship game.
Will Ohio State gain revenge on Michigan State for ending its national championship hopes a year ago or will the Spartans again be victorious over Urban Meyer's squad? We'll find out Saturday. But until then, here's viewing information about the biggest Big Ten battle of the season followed by a game preview:
Date: Saturday, Nov. 8
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Place: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan
TV: ABC
Spread: Michigan State (-2), via Odds Shark
Ohio State Keys to Victory
1 of 6
Open It Up
While Meyer has managed an impressive 31-3 record in his first two-plus seasons in Columbus, his three losses as Ohio State's head coach have all shared one common factor. Starting with last year's Big Ten title game and extending to the Orange Bowl and this season's loss to Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes have been at their worst when their play-calling has been conservative, as it was a season ago when Ohio State fell behind 17-0 to the Spartans.
The Buckeyes managed to reel off 24 consecutive points, but when the game mattered most, Meyer and offensive coordinator Tom Herman opted to rely on the legs of quarterback Braxton Miller. As a result, Ohio State's offense became predictable and ultimately abandoned star running back Carlos Hyde.
With Miller nursing a torn labrum, "Braxton left, Braxton right," as Meyer has called it, will no longer be an option, although quarterback J.T. Barrett is also plenty capable with his feet. Nevertheless, the Buckeyes would be best served exploring all of their playbook, including Wildcat looks with Jalin Marshall and the use of emerging playmakers Ezekiel Elliott, Curtis Samuel, Michael Thomas and Dontre Wilson.
And while Meyer has admitted that his team's play-calling has been too conservative at times already this season, he's also stated that the most important thing to him is obviously coming out on top. That's why the offense may not seem as sexy as some fans would like at times when games get tight, as the third-year Buckeyes coach insists that he always sticks to his primary objective.
"Sometimes I watch TV, sometimes and I'm like, 'What are they doing? Win the game,'" Meyer said following Ohio State's double-overtime win over Penn State on Oct. 25. "Sometimes fans don't want to. They want to throw, throw, throw; do this; where is the reverses? Where is this? And you look at the score and you're up 17-nothing, and you gotta do what you gotta do to win that game."
Maintain (Defensive) Momentum
While Ohio State's defense struggled throughout 2013, it reached a breaking point against the Spartans, surrendering 304 passing yards and three touchdowns to quarterback Connor Cook in Michigan State's 34-24 victory over the Buckeyes.
Enter new defensive coordinator Chris Ash, who has re-engineered Ohio State's pass defense this season, largely to successful results. Through the first eight games of the year, the Buckeyes possess the nation's 13th-best passing defense, giving up an average of 181.4 yards per contest.
Those numbers, however, are somewhat skewed by Ohio State's season-opening win over Navy and its triple-option attack, as well as overmatched opponents in Kent State, Maryland and Rutgers. And while Cincinnati's Gunner Kiel and Penn State's Christian Hackenberg are solid signal-callers, neither has been as consistent as Cook has been this season, with some projecting the Ohio native as a potential first-round pick in next year's NFL draft.
That's why it will be important for the Buckeyes to maintain the momentum that they've found in the past month on defense, a unit which ranks 17th in the country with an average of 19.9 points allowed per game. Senior linebacker Curtis Grant insists that Ohio State will do just that this Saturday in what will ultimately be an opportunity for redemption against the Spartans.
“I’m very confident because of the team that I have," Grant said. "I wouldn’t trade these guys for anybody. We go to war every week. Just our preparation and how we work together is a great thing."
Michigan State Keys to Victory
2 of 6
Light Up the Line
With four multiyear starters from a season ago having since moved on, offensive line figured to be an issue for Ohio State in 2014. And while the Buckeyes have managed to sustain success upfront for the better part of the season, they've struggled against the two best defensive lines that they've faced this season, evidenced by their Sept. 6 loss to Virginia Tech and Oct. 25 close call with Penn State.
That's an issue that will surely be raised for Ohio State this week, as Michigan State possesses the best defensive line that the Buckeyes will see all season. With stalwarts Shilique Calhoun and Marcus Rush controlling the edges, Ohio State will have its hands full on the offensive line in a matchup that could ultimately decide the outcome of Saturday's game.
"We’re just taking it one game at a time. We focused on Penn State, we focused on Illinois and now Michigan State’s here and we just have to be ready for it," said Buckeyes right tackle Darryl Baldwin. "We’ll be ready for them."
Given the advantage that the Spartans' defensive line could have over Ohio State, the Buckeyes better be.
Dictate The Tempo
Following Ohio State's 55-14 win Saturday over Illinois, Barrett was asked to explain when the Buckeyes offense was at its best. Without a moment of hesitation, the freshman signal-caller kept his answer simple.
"When we're going fast," Barrett said.
It's no secret that Ohio State has benefited from an uptempo, no-huddle approach, wearing out opponents en route to claiming the country's No. 4 scoring offense (45.6 points per game). That figures to be the Buckeyes' approach this Saturday as well, as OSU attempts to keep Cook and the Spartans' fifth-ranked attack (45.5 points per game) on the sideline.
"That’s our thing," Baldwin said. "We’re really focused on tempo and this isn’t going to be any different."
Of course, Michigan State will do its best to disrupt that, attempting to force quick three-and-outs and get its offense back on the field. In a battle between two of the country's top offenses, it will be the defenses that decide the game, as each have proven steady yet susceptible.
Ohio State Players to Watch
3 of 6
J.T. Barrett
Given the struggles that Barrett has endured against Virginia Tech and Penn State this season, it will be interesting to see how the freshman quarterback responds to this weekend's highly touted matchup. But despite his two worst games coming against the Buckeyes' two best opponents thus far on the schedule, Barrett is embracing the challenge of taking on the Spartans on the road.
"This is why you come to Ohio State," Barrett said. "To go play Michigan State at Michigan State."
Of course, that's easy to say a week before the game, when it's the media and not the Spartans' fifth-ranked defense standing in front of you. But when the lights come on inside of Spartan Stadium this Saturday, the Buckeyes are going to need a big game from their quarterback, as Meyer is well aware that the Ohio State passing game isn't at its best right now.
"We had opportunities early in the game to hit some wide open guys and we just misfired," Meyer said following the Buckeyes' win over Illinois. "So, no, we're not 100 percent there. And we're going to work real hard at it at practice."
What comes out of those practices could go a long way toward determining Ohio State's success this weekend.
Jalin Marshall
As a number of Ohio State playmakers have stood out in recent weeks, perhaps none has stood out more than Jalin Marshall, who has been used at wide receiver, running back and even quarterback this season. Marshall's versatility was on full display in the Buckeyes' win over the Illini, when the Middletown, Ohio, native rushed the ball five times for 42 yards and a touchdown, caught one 18-yard pass and came up incomplete while attempting another.
As Meyer explained, Marshall's responsibilities—even as a passer—will likely only grow in the coming weeks.
"We've been working on Jalin playing quarterback first because he's very talented," Meyer said. "He's a gifted guy. So we're trying to expand his package each week."
Now it's entirely possible—perhaps, even likely—that Meyer had Marshall attempt a pass just to put something extra on film for the Michigan State coaching staff to study this week. Nevertheless, it will be worth watching whether or not the Buckeyes use Marshall as their ace in the hole Saturday against the Spartans.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Michigan State Players to Watch
4 of 6
Connor Cook
As was noted earlier, Cook enjoyed a breakout game against the Buckeyes a season ago, momentum which he rode to an MVP performance in last season's subsequent Rose Bowl. Throwing for 1,868 yards and 17 touchdowns in Michigan State's first eight games of 2014, Cook has continued to roll this season, ranking third in the Big Ten in passing yards and second in touchdowns.
But while Cook has put up big numbers in terms of yardage and touchdowns, he's also struggled with his accuracy, as evidenced by his 60.6 completion percentage. That's just a minor improvement from a season ago, when the then-sophomore completed just 58.7 percent of his passes.
As is the case with the Buckeyes with Barrett, the Spartans' success will largely hinge on their quarterback, who is plenty capable but still somewhat unproven. Cook may have a more impressive resume than Barrett does at this point in their respective careers, but both could play significant roles in either keeping their teams in Saturday's game or taking them out of it.
Pat Narduzzi
OK, he may not be a player on the field. But it's not an over-exaggeration to say that Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi will play as big of a role in the outcome of this weekend's Big Ten battle as anyone else involved.
The 2013 winner of the Broyles Award, which is presented annually to college football's top assistant, Narduzzi played a key role in drawing up the game plan that stifled Ohio State's offense early in last season's Big Ten title game. That hasn't been lost on Herman, who has been anticipating this weekend's matchup for quite some time.
"His defenses the last four or five years have been in the top 10 in the country in damn near every category, so it’s an exciting challenge these last two years that we’ve played them," the Ohio State offensive coordinator said. "We’ve come out on top in one and not so much in the other. Yeah, to answer your question, it’s a really exciting challenge."
How excited Herman is feeling Saturday will obviously come down to how prepared the Buckeyes wind up for the challenges that facing a Narduzzi defense presents. Narduzzi is one of the best in the country at what he does, and it will be even all the more interesting to see what he comes up with in the two weeks that he's had to prepare for the Buckeyes.
What They're Saying
5 of 6
Given that last year's loss in the Big Ten Championship Game took away an opportunity for Ohio State to play for a national title, there are no shortage of Buckeyes who still feel the sting of last year's defeat at the hands of the Spartans. That rings especially true for senior wide receiver Devin Smith, who admitted that last year's loss to MSU was the toughest of his college career.
“I’ll tell you what I’m not going to lie to you, I cried for, like, two days," Smith said. "It was tough, and the whole team it seemed like after we took that loss it just took the whole soul out of the team. It was hard for everybody to get back and just kind of work hard, and we lost sight of that a little bit going into the Orange Bowl.
"After a while we kind of were like, ‘Alright, we got to forget that, we got a game to prepare for.’ I think that game, us losing to Michigan State last year, kind of really messed the whole season up and really took a toll on all of us.”
"The dream was ripped away from us, ripped away by a very good team, and we're going to face a very good team that we have a lot of respect for," Meyer said. "It's all about the most prepared team. That's what's going to win this game. And I don't think there will be a whole lot of necessary we'll do our part about motivation, but this is a motivated team. And I think the most prepared team will win it."
A native of Zanesville, Ohio, and a former Buckeyes defensive coordinator, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio admitted that there's something special against matching up with his former employer. Big Ten and potential national title implications aside, the Dantonio said that there's simply something different squaring off with a program and area that he's so familiar with.
"It's a little bit different, because in that [Ohio State] game you want to measure up,'' Dantonio said, via MLive.com. "I think in the other game we want to measure up as well, but I think in this case, it's more about your background, where you are from, you know a lot of people back there and you want to measure up.''
Prediction
6 of 6
The minus-two Michigan State line on the game is an interesting one, as most oddsmakers automatically credit three points to the home team. That means that, theoretically, if this game were to be played at a neutral site or in Columbus, Ohio State would potentially be favored.
However, the game will be played in East Lansing, and some betting lines are already shifting to give the Spartans a wider advantage. Factor in Ohio State's struggles against the Hokies and Nittany Lions, and it's hard for me to bet on the Buckeyes this weekend, against the best team that they will face all the season.
On the flip side, the same could be said about the Spartans, who haven't seen a team as talented as Ohio State since losing to Oregon on Sept. 6. With that in mind, I expect both teams to be tight and for play-calling to remain conservative despite both teams possessing two of the more talented offenses in all of the country.
Nevertheless, I see Michigan State dominating the line of scrimmage on defense against an OSU offensive line that remains unproven against quality opponents. While both teams could come out tight, I expect second-half scoring surges from both the Buckeyes and Spartans, with the latter ultimately having the last laugh.
Final Score: Michigan State 38, Ohio State 34
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com and recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
