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No. 7 Michigan State hosts No. 13 Ohio State Saturday
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Published: 11/8/2014  at  5:04:00 AM
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OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (7-1)
at MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (7-1)

Kickoff: Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Michigan State -3.5, Total: 58

No. 7 Michigan State faces its most difficult game on the schedule Saturday night when it hosts No. 13 Ohio State in what should be the most important Big Ten game of the season.

These two teams played in last year's Big Ten championship game, with the Spartans winning, 34-24. Michigan State QB Connor Cook was able to take control of the game with 304 passing yards and 3 TD to help the Spartans get out to a big lead. The game last season was the only game during the past two seasons the Buckeyes have not covered the spread (9-1 ATS) when the total score was between 56 and 63 points. For the season, OSU is 6-2 ATS and has rattled off six straight SU wins since its lone loss of the year to Virginia Tech in Week 2. Michigan State has also bounced back nicely from a loss to Oregon in Week 2 with six straight SU victories (4-2 ATS). The club is still in good shape when it comes to the playoff race, and a win against Ohio State could be the last time the Spartans face a ranked team this year. Michigan State is 12-1 ATS over the past two seasons when scoring 28 points, but the Buckeyes have held four straight opponents to 24 points or less. On the injury front, there are no new injuries for OSU, but the Spartans have two players listed as questionable -- RB Gerald Holmes (knee) and DL James Kittredge (lower body).

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Ohio State struggled early in the season on offense, but quarterback J.T. Barrett (1,856 pass yards, 496 rush yards, 30 total TD) has been great filling in for injured Braxton Miller. The Buckeyes offense currently ranks 4th in FBS scoring (45.5 PPG), 14th in rushing (259.5 YPG) and 55th in passing (245.9 YPG). RB Ezekiel Elliot (126 carries, 709 yards, 5 TD) is quickly becoming one of the most dynamic players in the country, providing the Buckeyes with big-play ability. At 225 pounds, he is both strong enough to wear his opponents out, and then has the speed to run away from other defenders. He will continue to get the ball more as RB Rod Smith was kicked off the team last week. The Buckeyes have a lot of receivers that Barrett throws to, but WR Michael Thomas (28 catches, 447 yards, 6 TD) has become the go-to receiver. WR Devin Smith (16 catches, 435 yards, 7 TD) is the deep threat on the team, as he averages 27.2 yards per reception. The defense has been tremendous this year, ranking 17th in the nation in points allowed (19.9 PPG). The leader on the defense is DL Joey Bosa (10 sacks, 14.5 TFL). He is not the fastest guy on the team, but he has a great motor, continuing to work until he gets to the quarterback. LB Joshua Perry (70 tackles, 5 TFL, FF) is the leading tackler on the team, getting the space to run to the ball because of the offensive line’s focus on Bosa. LB Darron Lee (34 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 INT, 1 FR) is the playmaker on the unit who always has a knack of finding the football. This defense will be tested against one of the best offenses in the country.

The Spartans enter this game ranked 5th in FBS scoring (45.5 PPG), 17th in rushing (254.9 YPG) and 43rd in passing (260.4 YPG). Cook (1,868 pass yards, 17 TD, 5 INT) has continued to improve in his first full season as the starter, and is especially good off the play-action fake. The Michigan State ground game is very strong, and has become even more effective because of the passing game. RB Jeremy Langford (160 carries, 841 yards, 10 TD) has been on a tear as of late, rushing for at least 100 yards in the team’s past five games. He is a strong and powerful running back, capable of carrying the ball 30 times and wearing out a defense. His ability to take over the game makes RB Nick Hill (79 carries, 482 yards, 6 TD) even more dangerous running the ball. Hill is an explosive athlete, who once he hits the hole, has the chance of taking it to the end zone. With these two rushing the ball, defenses are forced to put another defender in the box. That allows WR Tony Lippett (42 catches, 889 yards, 9 TD) a lot of one-on-one matchups on the outside, where he is most dangerous. Lippett is known for his elite speed, but he is also an outstanding route runner. The Spartans rank 22nd in the nation in scoring defense (20.3 PPG allowed), and have some playmakers on that side of the ball. It starts with DE Shilique Calhoun (6 sacks, 25 tackles, 8.5 TFL), who demands a double-team on nearly every snap. With Calhoun forcing offenses to send tight ends and running backs to chip him, that opens things up for LB Ed Davis (6 sacks, 37 tackles, 10 TFL). S Kurtis Drummond (3 INT, 39 tackles) has shown the potential of being the next great Spartans defensive back.


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