Week 11 of the college football season is not void of some huge matchups with implications down the line as the season comes to a close through November.
We’re approaching the middle of November and the second edition of the College Football Playoff rankings has been released. The national championship picture is beginning to take shape but there’s still a lot that needs to be hashed out before we have a definitive idea as to who the real contenders are in the College Football Playoff landscape. But, the picture will definitely become more clear as Week 11 this weekend plays itself out.
Four big games are set to take place on Saturday, all of which carry some sort of national title implications as we head down the stretch run of the regular season.
No. 12 Michigan State at No. 13 Ohio State – 12 p.m. ET, FOX
We’ve known for most of the season that the Ohio State Buckeyes would be in the thick of things in the Big Ten title race. And while they come into Week 11 reeling following their stunning blowout loss to Iowa on the road last weekend to drop them to 7-2 overall and probably out of the national title race, Ohio State is still tied for the top of the Big Ten East.
Well, early in the day on Saturday, they’ll face off with the team that’s sitting on the perch with them in the East, the surprising Michigan State Spartans. After what was a miserable 2016 for Mark Dantonio’s Spartans program, they’ve rebounded better than he could have asked for, and as November moves along, they could soon be booking a trip to Indianapolis.
Key for Ohio State – Don’t let Brian Lewerke move around too much
Sophomore quarterback Brian Lewerke has done all he’s had to do to operate this Michigan State offense in 2017 to get them back on track, and one of the attributes he brings to the table is his ability to make plays happen with his legs. That’s not something you typically see from a traditional Spartans signal-caller, but it’s a dynamic that’s gotten them to this point. If Lewerke spreads the field on the Buckeyes’ defense, then it could be another long afternoon on that side of the ball for Ohio State.
Key for Michigan State – Put that rushing defense to good use
For whatever reason, Ohio State freshman sensation running back J.K. Dobbins has not had much time to do work. In the win over Penn State and the loss to Iowa, he carried the ball just 19 times. However, this past Wednesday, Urban Meyer made it clear that he wants to see Dobbins get that rock a little more, and with the Big Ten on the line, you could probably expect Dobbins to get a heavy workload once again — something Buckeyes fans have been screaming for.
With the third-ranked rushing defense in the nation, this week more than ever the Spartans’ front-seven needs to prove how formidable they can be. Should Dobbins carry the ball as much as he should, then they need to make the afternoon a living hell for the La Grange, Texas native. That will force the game into J.T. Barrett’s right hand, and last week we saw how that could make things go downhill for Ohio State.
Prediction – This is a severely very pissed off Urban Meyer team, still with something to play for this season, hosting this one at home. Michigan State won’t get blown off the field in the Horseshoe, but the Dobbins effect will make a difference and Urban will limit the chances for Barrett to make a mistake.
Ohio State 27, Michigan State 14