Ohio State trying to avoid another upset against Spartans

The door to a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game is wide open for Penn State and what was unthinkable just weeks ago – a shot at the four-team College Football Playoff – is within reach. “We had some guys on that team that didn’t lack confidence in anything”.

Just for fun, throw Michigan State back into the mix. If “game control” is still a thing, they’re getting dinged.

The Saturday meeting in East Lansing, Mich. features a huge contingent of players from the Detroit area – a college football recruiting hotbed. Still, this will act as a positive and a building block for the future.

Why not? Getting killed by MI and losing to Pitt hurt, as does the fact that Ohio State is their only high-quality win. “They understand that. It’s something we’re working on”.

CLEMSON – The Tigers, who were runners-up to Alabama last season and figured to be the Crimson Tide’s strongest challenger again, stumbled badly with a home loss to Pittsburgh. Because of injuries and ineffective play, Michigan State has had a different starting lineup on each side of the ball every game this season… On the surface this game looked embarrassing, but deep down was anything else truly to be expected? Clemson defeats the Hokies and makes the Playoff.

The Big Ten East race is crowded at the top, with Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State tied at 6-1. That’s an equation that can only be played out in the next few weeks.

Despite the results of this past weekend, the Big Ten East’s top two teams – MI and Ohio State – are nonetheless in an ideal position to give the conference two representatives in the playoff.

With Ohio State ahead, 21-7, in the fourth quarter, Penn State managed to block not one, but two kicks. However, it will not be a blowout like many believe.

Michigan’s backup is certainly capable of going into the lion’s den that is Ohio Stadium, especially with the supporting cast around him. This is their revenge game, it always will be.

Thanks to Louisville, they’ve got one less team to worry about. The proverbial chip on MSU’s shoulders will be living large in this game.

These running game struggles carried over to ineffective quarterback play from Wilton Speight. In those four, OSU has went 2-2.

Beware Mark Dantonio and his wounded Spartans team. The future is bright for this bunch.

Michigan State enters this game, far removed from the successes the Spartans have enjoyed over the previous seasons.

Penn State’s coach said he would answer questions this week in one of two ways – talking about Saturday’s game against Rutgers or with uncomfortable silence.

It could be a hard game for the Buckeyes, as Dantonio built one of the nation’s top programs in his first nine seasons at Michigan State, averaging nine wins a year and winning three Big Ten titles.

That means continuing to ride running back Corey Clement and sidekick Dare Ogunbowale, along with more use of freshman Bradrick Shaw, who had 19 carries and 80 yards against IL. Though Michigan State has built its recent run of success with defense, the Spartans aren’t at the same level this year, as evidenced by just 12 turnovers caused and seven sacks made on the year.

“Ohio State climbed from No. 5 to No. 2, while MI stayed put at No. 3 after losing to unranked Iowa”.

Michigan State is coming off a big win over Rutgers, but it’s clear the season is lost at 3-7. Even worse, MI quarterback Wilton Speight was injured, and will be out for a little while. MSU is 2-0 against the spread as underdogs. That ended Ohio State’s 23-game winning streak.

Michigan State has righted the ship a bit lately.

“That was the reason why we didn’t accomplish the goals that we had set for past year, so I think a lot of the guys take this game personal”, safety Malik Hooker acknowledged. I don’t think that will happen this year.