The ninth-ranked MI State Spartans arrived on the Ohio State campus around 2 p.m., Friday afternoon, and carried out their final walk-through in anticipation of their matchup with the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday. Just about everything that has come before will either be validated or forgotten.
Advertisement
Don Speck | The Lima News Ohio State’s Braxton Miller (1) tries to avoid a tackle by Northern Illinois’ Renard Cheren (16) during a game earlier this season at Ohio Stadium. He’s tied for the Big Ten lead with 21 touchdown passes. “These are the opportunities that we really wanted and this is – these are those games that we really wanted to compete in, so having the opportunity is great and not many people have the chance to go back and play a team that they’ve lost – they had a loss to, so we’re going to take full heed of it and keep moving forward”. MI State beat Maryland 24-7 at home.
“It’s make or break”. Eight of the Buckeyes’ 10 games this season have gone under the total (Courtesy: Predict Em).
When Ohio State has the football, look out for wide receiver Michael Thomas. Only Ohio State (254 yards per game) is averaging more than the Hawkeyes’ 222 rushing yards in conference games. And MI State Spartans fans are certainly thankful Urban Meyer’s gamble in the recruitment of Damien Harris helped them land running back L.J. “They have a very impressive defensive front, but at the same time I think we’re starting to click on the O-line”. Senior wideout Aaron Burbridge is his go-to, leading the Big Ten with 65 receptions and 1,021 receiving yards. The Spartans are 33-4 the last three seasons.
MI State is out to expose Ohio State while the Buckeyes want to prove that they are one of the elite teams in college football. “If it were to work out and Ohio State beat MI State and we beat Penn State and Ohio State, we’ll take it. But I’m not banking on it or wishing for it because we didn’t take care of our business”. I guess a fluke win just means MSU is spiraling downward, right?
He says he is fine and Dantonio has said Cook is a 9 1/2 out of 10.
The Spartans have the receivers to challenge the Buckeyes’ secondary.
MSU quarterback Connor Cook is having a good season himself with 21 TDs and nearly 2,500 yards through the air. Cook has continued to struggle with his decision-making this season, and Ohio State is a team that will take advantage of any ill-advised throws. The Spartans will rely on his leadership and experience to pick their way through the tough Ohio State defense. While they may get away with this against teams such as IN and Purdue, the Buckeyes won’t allow MI State to hang around IN this one. TCU may have to rely heavily on their running game, which is the strength of the Sooners defense, which is the best in the Big 12.
The Buckeyes have given up sacks in a little over 5 percent of their pass attempts, which ranks 45th in the country.
Advertisement
Ohio State’s offense is led by junior tailback Ezekiel Elliott who has rushed for at least 100 yards in his last 15 games. With MI State generating better than 62 percent of its offensive production each contest through the air, shutting down Cook and the passing attack would put Ohio State in the driver’s seat.
