The Spartans (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) are fifth in the playoff committee’s latest ranking, so there’s even more at stake in this game than the conference race. It won’t be an easy assignment.
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On a day when Michigan State scored eight touchdowns, the last two were scored by a combined 571 pounds of Spartan green.
WISCONSIN 31, MINNESOTA 21: In Minneapolis, Dare Ogunbowale rushed for a career-high 155 yards and a touchdown and Wisconsin beat Minnesota for the 12th straight time.
Meyer said no apology was needed and said Elliott and his family were at his house for Thanksgiving. We came in at halftime and made a couple adjustments on what they were doing.
The fact Penn State is a young team that still lacks depth shined through today. The Buckeyes’ offense has been out of synch and had play-calling issues all season, with co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tim Beck joining the collaboration with Warinner and Meyer. “I don’t know what the extent is to that, so I don’t think it will alter next week, but we’ll see”.
Michigan State will play unbeaten Iowa for the conference title next weekend, with the victor in good position to advance to college football’s playoff. Jim Harbaugh replaced him after last season and the entire vibe of the program has changed as well as the results on the field.
Nittany Lions weren’t good enough, but they’ve played way worse which all things considered could have led to an even bigger losing margin if that’s even possible to imagine. In a game like this you’ve got to be able to run the ball and play defense. This one’s on the players. Michigan State won the Big Ten’s East Division, the first in a series of lofty goals this season, and the Spartans have known since January: If they won their division, they would have a shot at the playoff.
Defensive end Joey Bosa, a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick next May, almost knocked some Wolverine heads off. Michigan State picked up the loose ball and ran it back for a touchdown.
“I’m very proud of the team the way they’ve worked and the way they’ve progressed”, Harbaugh said. “And I remember us missing a wide left (field goal attempt) right at the end as the clock ticked zero”.
“If you would have had a chance to be in the locker room last Saturday, you would have felt how fragile the team was”, senior linebacker and captain Joshua Perry said after the win in Ann Arbor. “We have a long way to go before we reach maximum capacity”.
Both teams have a plus-14 margin and making the most of opponents’ mistakes is a big part of how both are built, something Nebraska coach Mike Riley was quick to point out following Friday’s loss to Iowa.
Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer said Elliott should at least be at the ceremony honoring college football’s most outstanding player. Expect Elliott to make a big effort against the Wolverines to atone for his behavior a week ago.
It was a season-high for Ohio State and the most allowed by Michigan since OSU last played at Michigan Stadium, 393 yards in 2013.
-QB J.T. Barrett was rendered ineffective last week by the Michigan State defense and the miserable weather in Columbus.
Insane week for Ezekiel Elliott, who finished with 30 carries for 214 yards and two TDs.
Ohio State, which easily beat MI earlier Saturday, was holding out hope that Penn State would spoil the regular season finale in East Lansing, but the Nittany Lions didn’t come close.
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J.J. Panoske scored 18 points to lead the Milwaukee Panthers past Central Michigan 84-78 Wednesday in the Panthers’ final game of the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida. He is the Buckeyes’ second leading tackler with 88 stops and, as an OH native, understands the fierceness of the rivalry with the Wolverines.
