Going into the biggest game of the year against Ohio State it is going to be imperative that he is as close to 100 percent as possible if the Spartans want to have a prayer.
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MI State (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten, No. 13 CFP) can still win the conference title if they go through the rest of their schedule without a loss.
Thanks to MI State’s 24-7 victory over Maryland, that will indeed be the case when it heads to Columbus, OH come Saturday afternoon. But make no mistake about it, if the Spartans win out, they’ll be in the College Football Playoff. Cook has stated that he will be good to go against Ohio State next week, according to Spartans reporter Graham Couch.
Yesterday, we answered a few questions about BC hockey for The Only Colors, SB Nation’s outstanding MI State Spartans blog. The Terrapins can no longer secure bowl eligibility with a. 500 record even if they win their remaining games. Maryland tied it at 7 on a 1-yard scoring run by Brandon Ross, and then Cook left during MI State’s next series with his right arm dangling by his side – he had been knocked down by Maryland’s Jesse Aniebonam while throwing a pass.
Just when it seemed neither defense could do much, both took charge of the game with aggressive play, including five offside penalties on the Spartans.
With Cook out, Tyler O’Connor led a pair of touchdown drives for MI State, one in each half, but was just 6-11 for 44 yards with one TD and a very bad interception.
When the Buckeyes face the underrated Illini on Saturday, J.T. Barrett will start at quarterback and converted receiver Braxton Miller is likely to play. Maryland is averaging just 23.9 points and 341.2 yards per game on offense this season while the defense is giving up 33.4 points and 411.9 yards per game.
Without their star signal caller, the Spartans opted for a run-heavy attack in the second half.
The Spartans scored early on the drive led by O’Connor, and it was the backup who hit Macgarrett Kings Jr. for a first-quarter touchdown.
With the ball at its own 9-yard line and 55 seconds left, Nebraska completed passes for 28 and 33 yards against MI State’s maligned defensive backfield. On the field, Robert Martin totaled 81 rushing yards, the most against UM by a player this year, with a 54-yard carry in the first quarter. For reference, MI State has 38 turnovers since the start of the 2013 season.
The Terps opened up as three-point favorites ahead of their game this Saturday against IN, which is a remarkable sign for a team that has lost seven games IN a row.
And with a healthy Cook and a developing defense, the College GameDay set in attendance will surely be broadcasting more than just its third MSU game of the season.
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TCU barely got past a winless Kansas Jayhawks team without Boykin and will clearly need him next week against the Sooners.
