No. 9 Michigan State Spartans vs. No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes
In a rematch of last year’s late-season game at Spartan Stadium in which the then-underdog Ohio State Buckeyes came out on top against the Michigan State Spartans, ending the latter’s hopes of making the College Football Playoff. As we all know by now, Ohio State went on to win the national title.
This rivalry game has been pretty intense over the past couple of years and it’s decided Big Ten titles and, apparently, College Football Playoff appearances.
Two great quarterbacks will be facing off as the Spartans will feature senior gunslinger Connor Cook and the Buckeyes will trot out sophomore dual-threat J.T. Barrett. It’s pretty evident that these two guys are the top QBs in the conference.
Columbus will be rocking on Saturday afternoon as this is likely to be the Big Ten game of the year before it’s all said and done. Will the Spartans reverse roles and march into Ohio Stadium as the underdog and steal a win or will Ohio State remain unbeaten?
Details for Friday’s Michigan State vs Ohio State game are below:
Date: Saturday, November 21
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Columbus, OH
Stadium: Ohio Stadium
TV Info: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN app
Radio: For Michigan State radio affiliates, click here. For Ohio State radio affiliates, click here.
Ticket Info: For Ohio State ticket info, click here. For Michigan State ticket info, click here.
Keys to Victory
Michigan State Spartans
This one is easy: the secondary. Michigan State needs to play well against J.T. Barrett and the pass game much like it did a week ago against the Maryland Terrapins. The Spartans have been anything but the ‘No Fly Zone’ this season and that has the coaching staff searching for answers.
Another key will be the run game. Michigan State has one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Connor Cook, so passing won’t be an issue, but the run game has struggled. Get true freshman LJ Scott, Gerald Holmes and Madre London going and this team will have a shot.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Attacking Michigan State’s run defense is probably going to be the best way to wear down the MSU linebackers and even the secondary. Although Michigan State’s defensive backs have been inconsistent all year long, they’re currently confident heading into this one. A great way to fix that is by sicking Ezekiel Elliott on them.
Defensively, trying to slow down Connor Cook in any way would be wise. He’s the best quarterback in the conference and he dissected a tough Michigan secondary earlier in the year.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Ohio State -13.5
Moneyline: Ohio State -560, Michigan State +455
O/U: 53
Prediction
Unfortunately for the Spartans, their run at the College Football Playoff will be ending on Saturday. As much as I think this game is a toss-up, Michigan State’s secondary will let them down in crunch time yet again as it did against Nebraska. The Spartans will struggle to hold a late touchdown lead and lose in the final minutes thanks to a couple miracle throws by Barrett.
Final Score: Michigan State 31, Ohio State 37