At No. 5, Michigan State appears to control its destiny, with Iowa up next in Indianapolis if the Spartans win their regular-season finale.
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“Being 3-0 against them, that’s something we’ve talked about, something we’re going to pride ourselves on and use as motivation”, Schutt said”. It can go either way. But there is no road map that guarantees it will arrive at that destination at noon Saturday in Ann Arbor. Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg has the talent to throw effectively against the Spartans, but he’s also been sacked 36 times this season. Now, it would take a lot of help and several upsets to get the Buckeyes back to the College Football Playoff.
Bosa remembered the bitter ending in the 2013 season, when the previously unbeaten Buckeyes closed the season with losses to Michigan State in the Big Ten championship game and Clemson in the Orange Bowl. The Wolverines are ranked slightly above the Buckeyes in the F+ Ratings and have a legitimate shot at beating them on Saturday.
THEY’RE STREAKING: Ohio State has won three straight and 10 of 11 in the series, its most dominant stretch since winning 11 of 15 from 1954-1968 – that span led MI to hire Woody Hayes’ pupil Bo Schembechler. Then a previously unbeaten OSU team came out and repeated the same mistakes that had been so costly against the Spartans in a loss to Clemson in the Orange Bowl in its next game. MI looks equipped for the job with its stout defense against the Buckeyes’ disjointed passing game.
Days ahead of his coaching debut in the century-plus Michigan-Ohio State rivalry and his first head-to-head matchup with Urban Meyer, the Wolverines’ new boss upped the emotional ante by making a surprise night-time visit to the grave of his mentor.
If the Buckeyes have faced entitlement concerns this season, players expect they will respond with an urgent edge Saturday.
“But… I always say my reaction to the coach vs. coach buildup is he’s not going to be blocking anybody, he’s not going to be tackling anybody”, he continued.
With Tyler O’Connor and Damion Terry both taking snaps, the Spartans beat Ohio State 17-14. They hadn’t lost a game in nearly two years, they’re the undefeated national champions, and they haven’t “lost a league game in regulation since Urban Meyer took over in 2012”.
But it’s not for a lack of trying, at least not on Jim Harbaugh’s side of the equation.
He says this will change in a week when the teams play each other and are forced to “eat their own”, but Bacon still considers it “a huge triumph for the Big Ten”. “Crazier things have happened”, he said. Michigan State and its coach, Mark Dantoinio, are proof positive of what Franklin hopes to accomplish is possible. But I don’t think myself or the administration or our fans really want to do it that way.
Defensive lineman Tommy Schutt said, “It would definitely be tough to lose your last two games going out. We’re playing for a lot on Saturday”, he said.
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All of Michigan State’s old-timers celebrated the win over Ohio State, but it was an especially celebratory time for Clinton Jones. Ohio State has won 12 of the last 14 games between the two teams.
