#3 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0, 5-0) at Michigan State Spartans (0-2, 2-3) |
4:00 - East Lansing, MI - ABC |
Dantonio was a bit of a thorn in the side of his former employer, winning 3 of 5 from 2011-2015, twice costing Ohio State a shot at a Big Ten and national title, and a handful of other times (2007, 2012, 2016, 2018) keeping the game way closer than it should have been. So far, Mel Tucker has not done that. He's lost his first two games against Ryan Day, by a combined score of 108-19. C.J. Stroud had his worst game of the season last year, with lows in completion percentage, passing yards, and QBR. Nothing gets you right again like facing this Michigan State secondary, allowing their two Big Ten opponents to complete over 80% of their passes. Stroud has stuck it to the team, who for a minute, he was leaning towards committing to, before putting on a show at the Elite 11 camp, and dramatically increasing his recruiting profile. He made his lone 2020 appearance in mop up duty in East Lansing, scoring on a 48 yard run. Last year he was 32-35 for 432 yards and 6 touchdowns. Kenneth Walker tried to give it a go despite being injured in that game, and clearly was not healthy. So maybe that should have been a hint as to exactly what this roster was without him. Michigan State often comes up the biggest in this series when there are zero expectations. When both teams are in contention (2013 and 2015 aside) and the Spartans draw all of Ohio State's attention, things tend do go poorly. But, obviously famously in 1974 and 1998, but several times recently, when Ohio State has reason to overlook Michigan State, they do, and either lose, or let Sparty hang around. The problem here is that passing game is just too damn good, and Michigan State's secondary is just so damn bad. I don't think it will be the bloodbath of the past two seasons, but I also don't see Michigan State being within two scores at any point past the first quarter. |
OHIO STATE 38, MICHIGAN STATE 17 |
You meant last week.
#3 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0, 5-0) at Michigan State Spartans (0-2, 2-3) 4:00 - East Lansing, MI - ABC C.J. Stroud had his worst game of the season last year, with lows in completion percentage, passing yards, and QBR. OHIO STATE 38, MICHIGAN STATE 17
While Michigan State will always concern me at least somewhat, I think you are being overly optimistic here. Ohio State is first in the league and third nationally at 530 yards per game while MSU is third-to-last in the league defensively, allowing over 400 yards per game. That just has bloodbath written all over it.
#3 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0, 5-0) at Michigan State Spartans (0-2, 2-3) 4:00 - East Lansing, MI - ABC OHIO STATE 38, MICHIGAN STATE 17
And this game will be closer than anybody expects because Michigan State will finally play a game much closer to their upside potential than they have all season.I think offensively that's certainly possible. Jayden Reed is hurt (and granted that's a pretty big one guy), but aside from that the offense has been healthy, just underwhelming. The defense has been destroyed by injuries. At one point they were missing 7 starters. The captains of the DL, LB and secondary have not played since the WMU game. They started a true freshman on the DL last week who wasn't even on the travel list two weeks earlier. I think this just is the defense. You take what was at best questionable, and remove over half the starters, it's a disaster
Medina will ban me for some of this/ because it is not based on Data, but rather just a hunch.I wouldn't ban you even if I could. I don't dislike you or even most of your posts but your take on tOSU is annoying because it never changes, it is always doom and gloom.
Every weekend there’s usually at least one “surprise “outcome in the big 10 and I think this weekend it will be this game.
Ohio State will not beat Michigan State bypassing but rather by running. And this game will be closer than anybody expects because Michigan State will finally play a game much closer to their upside potential than they have all season.
I think the Spartans will hit a couple deep balls for scores and it will be tight most of the way.
Notre Dame has the style and the players to slow the game down. They can hold the ball for long periods of time even without scoring.You were mostly right on the ND game. The actual MOV of 11 was about even with the spread and considerably less than I expected.
They also have the defensive personnel and style to make Ohio State Dr. the whole field.
Those things alone point to a tighter game.
I will be happy with a win even if it is 24-21.
it's not unusualFrankly there is a lot of it on here. Also, I'm probably more sensitive to it than most because I tabulate the Power Rankings each week. Occasionally someone will say something to suggest that Power Rankings on a message board are a waste due to homerism and I have to correct them. It isn't just @Honestbuckeye (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=37) , it is typical for the fans or at least a lot of the fans of each team to vote their team lower than everyone else. Just looking at this week's votes:
it's called "sandbagging"
I wouldn't ban you even if I could. I don't dislike you or even most of your posts but your take on tOSU is annoying because it never changes, it is always doom and gloom.Who is the Annoying one?
I think you simply try to hard to not be or to prove you aren't a homer and you end up overcompensating and being an anti-homer.
You always predict that tOSU will perform less impressively than expected and of course you are right once in a while. The thing about always saying the same thing is that you are bound to be right occasionally.
Here are your pregame takes on tOSU/UW from that game thread:
Quote from: Honestbuckeye 9/19/2022, 3:40:16 PM
May be a good time to play OSU from injury standpoint.
Quote from: Honestbuckeye 9/20/2022, 11:51:42 AM
When you put 2 quality Big Ten Teams on the field- all bets are off. Wisconsin is one of the more physical teams out there. They have the skill to dictate a bit of a game in a phone booth- like ND did with OSU, only with a better and more experienced QB, and a much more talented set of RBs.
Here is you pregame take on tOSU/ND from that game thread:You were mostly right on the ND game. The actual MOV of 11 was about even with the spread and considerably less than I expected.
You were wildly wrong about the Wisconsin game.
This time you might be right, broken clocks are right twice a day. Your analysis is equivalent to a broken clock in that it ALWAYS comes up with the same response: Buckeyes will not perform as well as most people expect.
I tend to think Ohio State is going to blow Michigan State out- but Sparty is a weird team- they always knock off teams they have no business knocking off every year- and this one is at home.Meh. Playing the “ who have they played “
I THINK Ohio State is the best team in the country- and they've been doing this without JSN- which is kinda scary- but I also feel like as much as people bag on Michigan's schedule- OSU has played NO ONE. Notre Dame and Wisconsin flat out suck- Notre Dame lost at home to freaking Marshall and got pushed to the absolute wire at home by a pretty crappy Cal team. Wisconsin lost at home to freaking Wazzu State and got blown out at at home by freaking Illinois and just fired their coach- so yeah. Maryland is A LOT better than people realize this year imo and while Iowa's offense is complete and utter ass- they do have rock solid special teams, a VERY good defense and that was JJ's first ever road start in a TOUGH ass place to play- Kinnick is a MOTHERF*KER to play at- and that game was 27-7 with about 30 seconds left before Iowa scored a garbage time TD vs a prevent defense against Michigan's back-ups.
SO just sayin'. While I do think OSU is legit af this year- they haven't really played anyone. This COULD wind up being closer than any of us think. I really don't know just how good Ohio State is. At least Michigan has faced a legit offense (Maryland) and a legit defense (Iowa). Ohio State has faced nothing so far.
I suppose I should start voting and even things out(https://i.imgur.com/geNEyD3.png)
one of my favorite movies back when it came out"I love the smell of napalm in the morning"