Rivalry games highlight the best college football games of the week
By Cephas Evans
(10) Ohio State at (18) Michigan State – 12:00 pm – FOX
Ohio State will look to keep their playoff hopes alive when they travel to Lansing for a game against Michigan State.
The Spartans will be going for their third straight victory after falling to in-state rival Michigan. Since the loss, Michigan State looks to have returned to form and continued to play some of the best defense in the country. The Spartans defense shouldn’t be an issue this weekend, but they will still be the key to victory. The Michigan State offense comes into the game averaging 360 yards and 23 points per game, so if the Spartans can’t keep the Buckeyes off the board, I don’t see them having the firepower to keep up.
To say it nicely, Ohio State has not played great football over the past few weeks. The Buckeyes were blown-out by Purdue two weeks ago, then struggled to overcome a 2-7 Nebraska team last weekend. With three games left in conference play, Ohio State is not looking like a team that can challenge Michigan for the Big Ten East. Furthermore, the Buckeyes may have never been the team many thought to they were after starting the season 6-0. Their wins against TCU and Penn State look average at best and I’d argue they are facing their toughest opponent to date on Saturday against the Spartans.
Trying to find your identity in November usually doesn’t end well for college football teams. Ohio State will continue to show their recent struggles and drop another game on the road to the Spartans.