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Ohio State at
Michigan State
10/18
**Note this game is also a 5*
Key Release
The Ohio State Buckeyes are in an unfamiliar situation. For the
first time in several seasons they are not a contender for the
national championship. This is not to say they aren’t good, because
their record at 6-1 is superb. Their only loss came to #1 USC
earlier in the year in a blowout. The loss was the worst in Ohio
State history. They have since come back to defeat #18 Wisconsin and
are on the road to recovery. They have several tough games left on
their schedule, and this weeks match against Big Ten rival #20
Michigan State will not be an exception
The Michigan State Spartans got their season off to a slow start,
losing a heartbreaker to California. Since that loss they have won 6
straight, catapulting them into the top 25. Their best win was a
dominating 23-7 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but the
Buckeyes are clearly their toughest opponent so far this year. Tied
at 3-0 atop the Big Ten standings along with Penn State, both of
these teams can expect a hard fought battle.
Led by Terrell Pryor, the Ohio State offense is fairly balanced, but
leans toward running the ball. They are averaging 177.3 rushing YPG,
143.6 passing YPG, for a grand total of 320.9 YPG. Pryor has thrown
5 Touchdown passes this year, and rushed for 4 more. His total
passing yards are 537 with 232 of them going to Brian Robinskie, who
has also caught 4 Touchdown passes from 24 receptions. Chris
“Beanie” Wells is the top Running Back, averaging 6.7 yards per
carry. On the whole, the offense is averaging 24.3 points per game.
While the offense is capable, the defense is the heart of this
Buckeyes team. They are allowing on average just 14.3 PPG. Remove
that loss to USC, and they would be giving up just 10.8 PPG. I know
the Ohio State fans are sick of hearing about that USC game, but
Pete Carroll did say the OSU defense is the best in the
country-before his team trampled it.
Michigan State is seeking to win 7 straight for the first time in
over 30 years. Running Back Javon Ringer is the heart of the
offense, racking up 14 Touchdowns thus far and grinding out 1,112
yards on the ground. He steps it up against good teams, running for
201 yards and 2 Touchdowns against Notre Dame. He is clearly the
heart of the offense which is averaging 368.9 YPG. Quarterback Brain
Hoyer has also been a pivotal part of the offense. His QB rating is
122.91 as he has thrown for 1,314 yards and 5 Touchdowns.
The Spartan defense has been phenomenal, pitching a shutout against
Florida Atlantic, and holding Notre Dame to 7 points. They were also
able to hold Iowa to 13 points. They are allowing just 16.7 PPG on
average. When playing at home they are giving up 7.5 PPG. I expect
to see them hold Ohio State to a score less than their average.
This will be a great football game between two Big Ten rivals. They
appear to be evenly matched, but I will give the tip to Michigan
State for two reasons. The first reason is they will have home field
advantage. OSU hasn’t played its best football on the road, and
Michigan State seems twice as good when playing at home. I also like
Michigan State because they are getting 4 points. I encourage you to
take a long look at the Spartans! Mich
State +3.5
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