Ohio State vs. Michigan State: Score and Twitter Reaction
No. 14 Ohio State paid no attention to No. 8 Michigan State and the reputation of its sterling defense, putting in a strong, prolific effort on offense en route to a 49-37 Big Ten victory at Spartans Stadium.
Yes, Ohio State put up 568 total yards of offense against a team that had allowed just 279.4 per game coming into Saturday's showdown. Redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett was the main source of offense, throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 86 yards and two more scores on the ground.
Running back Jeremy Langford starred for Michigan State in the losing effort, carrying the ball 18 times for 137 yards and three touchdowns..
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Here is a look at the quarter-by-quarter score from the game.
| Ohio State | 7 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
| Michigan State | 14 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 37 |
Michigan State drew first blood in the contest, Following a missed Ohio State field goal, quarterback Connor Cook hit wideout Keith Mumphery on a 44-yard bomb that put the Spartans in the red zone. Three plays later, Cook again found Mumphery for a 15-yard score and an early 7-0 lead.
Ohio State came right back with a touchdown of it's own. Running back Ezekiel Elliott broke off a 47-yard run which set up Barrett for a five-yard scoring carry of his own to tie the game at seven points apiece.
Langford, who would be instrumental to the Spartans' success on offense, returned the lead to the Spartans on a dazzling 33-yard run late in the first quarter. Big Ten Network's Tom Dienhart noted Langford was hot coming into Saturday's contest:
The same couldn't necessarily be said for Cook, who struggled to complete passes with any regularity during the game. CBS Sports' Dane Brugler did note coming into the game that Cook is a big NFL prospect, although few plays from this game will end up on any demo reel:
After a trade of punts, Ohio State tied the game early in the second quarter on a one-yard run from Barrett. Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein noted his powerful running on the play:
Langford notched his second scoring run of the day to put the Spartans back in front 21-14 and the Spartans had a golden opportunity to go even further ahead when Ohio State's Dontre Wilson fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but Michael Geiger missed a 39-yard field goal.
Barrett made the Spartans pay for this minor transgression. Ohio State Buckeyes' relays the instant offense conjured up by Barrett:
No Buckeye fan was going to forget Braxton Miller, but Barrett did his best to at least make them impatient for the future of this program under his helm. He hit Devin Smith in stride 44 yards downfield to give the Buckeyes their first lead of the ballgame at 28-21.
ESPN's Kevin Weidl gave his take on Smith's future prospects in the NFL:
Geiger atoned for his earlier sins with a 40-yard field goal midway through the third quarter. Cook's lack of accuracy and Ohio State's composed defensive performance limited the Spartans opportunities, although the game would open up a bit in the fourth quarter.
Six minutes later, Ohio State went up 35-24 after a one-yard run from Elliott capped off a 13-play, 67-yard drive. Simply put, the Buckeyes were playing mistake-free football and having their way with the Spartans. ESPN Big Ten was shocked by the Buckeyes' efficiency.
"Ohio State now leads 49-31 in East Lansing. Michigan State's defense hasn't looked this helpless in a very long time.
— ESPN Big Ten (@ESPN_BigTen) November 9, 2014"
Spartans coach Mark Dantonio, sensing his team was running out of opportunities, decided to go for it on 4th-and-5 right at the death of the third quarter, but Ohio State snuffed out the reverse and the Spartans turned the ball over on downs, still facing an 11-point deficit.
The Buckeyes would capitalize on the change of possession with Barrett notching his third touchdown pass of the day with just over 12 minutes to go in the fourth quarter to put his team up 42-24.
Michigan State kept fighting despite the dwindling prospects. Cook hit Josiah Price for a touchdown three minutes after Barrett's score, but Ohio State covered 78 yards on four plays on their next drive, which ended in a 17-yard scoring run from Elliot. FoxSportsOhio.com's Zac Jackson liked the way Elliott, and Barrett, finished off their runs:
Langford would notch a consolation touchdown for the Spartans with five minutes left in the game, and the Buckeyes held on to win by a final score of 49-37.
The future of Ohio State's program looks to be completely secure with Barrett running the show. The freshman has plenty of time to learn and grown under head coach Urban Meyer, and should be able to keep this team in Big Ten contention for the remainder of his time with the program.
The Spartans' dim College Football Playoff hopes are done for after this loss. They have very winnable games against Maryland, Rutgers and Penn State in the final three weeks of the regular season, and should be able to close out the season on a high note.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
