No. 3 Ohio State started slow but finished strong in the second half on its way to 28-3 win over IL Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. This game won’t clinch the division with the MI Wolverines still in the picture after they hung on for a double overtime win against the Indiana Hoosiers, but Ohio State can move one step closer toward securing a College Football Playoff spot with a win over the Spartans.
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It started at the top. Find a way to beat the Buckeyes and MI State can lock up a trip to Indianapolis for the December 5 title game by beating Penn State at home. Never like seeing the quarterback have more carries than Ezekiel Elliott, which was the case at halftime, and OSU didn’t take enough shots downfield with the IL defense stacking the line. Every time he has carried 20 times this season, Howard has rushed for over 100 yards.
Big catch over the middle by Cain puts the Illini in business at the Ohio State 21 where they end up going for it on 4th and 1 and lose yardage on the play.
Miller has 539 yards receiving and rushing on 57 total touches, which is an average of about 9.5 yards per touch, but it seems like his touches are either a very explosive or a loss, more often a loss. Wes Lunt completed 19 of 33 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns.
The game between the Baylor Bears and Oklahoma State Cowboys opened as a pick’em, with the Bears coming off a 44-34 loss to Oklahoma as a 1.5-point favorite that dropped them to 8-1 SU and 4-5 ATS on the season. “They make it easy for me week in and week out”, he said. “We won’t tuck our tail and go into the corner”. Those teams are pretty elite.
“I thought (Hicks) played well yesterday”, Dantonio said.
The Cardinal were felled by a familiar nemesis Saturday night, losing to OR 38-36 in a game that left the Pac-12’s playoff hopes in a precarious position.
On a crucial, game-deciding play, Urban Meyer always talks about how he wants the ball in the hands of his best player.
Ohio State (10-0, 6-0 Big Ten) led, 7-3, for much of the first half before Elliott picked up the pace. “Michigan State had its best defense effort against Maryland this past week, but Ohio State can now see the finish line, and it will take a triple-A-plus effort to slay the beast”, Avello said.
Defense playing lights out early and a blocked punt by Curtis Samuel gives the Buckeyes the ball on the Illini 49.
Fortunately the defense has done a really fine job stifling opposing offenses until the offense finally clicks into gear-usually in the second half. That’s the only negative.
Fixing pass protection, Price said, is extremely difficult because it is hard to highlight one thing as the definitive issue.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Skyler Howard threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Wendell Smallwood rushed for 165 yards to lead the Mountaineers to victory.
Ohio State: DE Tyquan Lewis.
Dawuane Smoot set IL up at the Ohio State 31 late in the second quarter when he recovered a Barrett fumble.
Barrett only threw for a 150 yards and one touchdown, with an interception.
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Not only do the Buckeyes have to replace Russell, three other players who saw the lion’s share of minutes last season have graduated leaving just one senior on the roster.
