Ohio State Game Grades vs. Michigan State
Ohio State defeated Michigan State as a Top 5 team in November for the first time since 1973 on Saturday. The Buckeyes offense looked shaky throughout the game, but timely plays by quarterback J.T. Barrett and running back Mike Weber aided them. A late, game-saving interception on a two-point conversion attempt gave the Buckeyes a 17-16 victory, with OSU getting revenge on the Spartans from last season's upset in Columbus.
Here are the game grades for Ohio State.
Rushing Offense
1 of 6
Many questions were being asked after J.T. Barrett’s 15 first-half carries. Why was he carrying the ball so much? Barrett ended the game with 24 carries for 105 yards, but his tailback outdid his performance. Mike Weber had 14 carries for 111 yards and a score.
The offensive line looked sloppy and committed unnecessary penalties. The run game came through when it needed to in order to survive in East Lansing. The offensive line also could not control the line of scrimmage against a young and inexperienced Spartans defensive line. This will be something that the team needs to address heading into the game with Michigan next week.
Grade: B
Passing Offense
2 of 6
Ohio State's passing game looked more like the October version of the offense than the team that had averaged 62 points per game in the first two weeks of November. The cold, windy weather was a large reason why.
Barrett finished 10-of-22 for 86 yards and a touchdown, with 24 of those yards coming on his touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel in the first quarter to tie the game at seven.
Grade: C-
Rushing Defense
3 of 6
The Buckeyes defense struggled with the ground attack of Michigan State. LJ Scott had 19 carries for 160 yards and a touchdown. He gashed the Buckeyes on multiple occasions in big moments and kept the Spartans in the game at crucial points.
Chris Worley’s name was mentioned many times, as the middle linebacker had one of the better games of his career.
Grade: C-
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Passing Defense
4 of 6
The passing defense and secondary of Ohio State was good, partially because Michigan State was throwing in the same conditions Barrett was.
Spartans quarterback Tyler O’Connor finished 6-of-16 for 105 yards, a touchdown pass, which came on the second play of the game, and two interceptions, including one to Gareon Conley to secure the Buckeyes' victory in the fourth quarter. The other interception came from Worley, who was an unsung hero of the passing defense.
Grade: B
Special Teams
5 of 6
Tyler Durbin was perfect on the day, knocking in both of his extra points and a 39-yard field goal in the bad weather. Cameron Johnston also handled the wind well, booting seven punts with an average distance of 41.6 yards. Although that is well under his season average, he did what was needed for the field-position battle.
Grade: B
Conclusion
6 of 6
The Buckeyes survived a road scare from one of their rivals in the Big Ten East and can now focus on one of the most heated rivalries in college football. "That Team Up North" will come to Columbus next week for a noon kickoff.
How do you think the Buckeyes looked? Let me know in the comments section below.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
