(9) MI State Spartans at (3) Ohio State Buckeyes

MSU: LB Ed Davis (knee), out for season; CB Vayante Copeland (fractured vertebra), out for season; OT Dennis Finley (leg), out for season; S Jalen Watts-Jackson (hip), out for season; S RJ Williamson (biceps), out; OT Kodi Kieler (upper body), questionable; DT Joel Heath (leg), probable.

And if there’s one team that should be confident in its ability to knock off the Buckeyes, it’s the Spartans.

This rivalry game has been pretty intense over the past couple of years and it’s decided Big Ten titles and, apparently, College Football Playoff appearances. I disagree, although Ohio State is #2 in the country with home-field advantage. He has thrown 21 TDs and four INTs, but he sat the second half against Maryland after the injury in the first quarter. But he was in a few pain last week and a few of his passes lacked the usual velocity.

No turnovers: This OSU-MSU game will be a slugfest.

MI State has looked inconsistent but with only one loss still has a chance to win the Big Ten if it can pull off the upset against Ohio State. MI State is going to be by far and away the best team they’ve faced this season.

OSU is solidly third in the CFP rankings and figures to be in with three more wins. He’s from OH, has never played them in the Shoe, has family and friends there, knows a lot of the players… they’ll shoot him up, do whatever they have to do to play the guy. A key to the Buckeyes victory will be establishing a good running game, behind the legs of Ezekiel Elliot, who leads with ground game with 1,425 yards and 16 touchdowns.

-WR Aaron Burbridge has been hard to contain for any opponent this season and has now gone over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Although Jalin Marshall is listed as a running back, he has only one carry on the season and works nearly exclusively as a wide receiver. The difference? Golden State had the nation’s best defense, and right now Ohio State is not even close. Bosa, projected by a few as the No. 1 overall pick in the next National Football League draft, is a player to watch Saturday as always.

Sophomore linebacker Raekwon McMillan had 14 tackles last week.

“The most prepared team will win this game”, head coach Urban Meyer said.

Not only were they notable matchups between two of college football’s blue-blooded programs, the Penn State cornerback says they were among the most physical games he’s ever played. They’re willing to run through a wall. “They have a very impressive defensive front, but at the same time I think we’re starting to click on the O-line”.

Though Ohio State has much the same personnel as last season, it has stepped up its play defensively.

Other than that, this game is a bit personal with 29 players on the MSU roster from the state of Ohio.

“I think for the rest of the season, just until someone takes it, we’ll go with that”, Meyer said.

Of course, if Ohio State does not take care of business in the Horseshoe, then all the skeptics can claim that the Buckeyes have, indeed, been fraudulent all along.

That result was absolutely on the minds of the Buckeyes when they came to Spartan Stadium last November.

Reporter on the weekly Big Ten teleconference: “Just to be clear, you expect Connor Cook to play?” I saw that he is expected to be fine for this weekend, but do you have any concerns about his health, and if he misses any time what do the Spartans have at backup?

Check out more staff predictions here.