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Ohio State: 5 things I’d like to see from Buckeyes vs. Spartans
By Jim Tomlin
Published:
Ohio State still has all of its aspirations within reach at 8-1, but the Buckeyes will need to produce their best efforts of the regular season to get past these next three weeks.
First comes a visit to Michigan State (noon ET Saturday, Fox) in a game which has been a nightmare on several occasions for OSU in recent seasons.
The Spartans (6-3 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) have been inconsistent but still harbor extremely slim hopes of winning the East Division. Michigan State does a couple of things well, such as defend the run (ranked first in the nation at 71.7 yards a game) and create interceptions (T14th, 12).
But MSU struggles in some other significant areas and those areas include some of the 5 things I’d like to see from the Buckeyes against the Spartans.
Force third and long
This is always a good idea but considering the way Michigan State has been struggling to pass the ball lately, OSU’s defense can really make a difference here. MSU is 125th in the country in third-down conversions at just 32.3 percent. The Spartans have been most inconsistent through the air — they threw for 300-plus yards three times this season but had less than 100 yards passing in two of the past three games. One way to make sure MSU does not get into a passing rhythm is to …
Bring the heat again
The Buckeyes had just one sack last weekend against Nebraska but pressured Adrian Martinez enough to slow the Cornhuskers in the second half. OSU has not registered more than three sacks in a game since it had four against Penn State. With injured running back LJ Scott questionable for Saturday’s game, OSU has a chance to make the Spartans one-dimensional and that’s a winning formula for the Buckeyes.
Be wary of Heyward
Michigan State, partly thanks to Scott’s injury-riddled season, has not been very good on the ground. The Spartans rank 12th in the B1G and 111th in FBS in rushing offense. But an unexpected name emerged out of last weekend’s win over Maryland: Connor Heyward. The younger brother of former Buckeyes defensive lineman Cameron Heyward burst onto the scene with 157 yards on 15 carries, nearly doubling his season output. Was that a fluke or a sign of things to come? We will start to find out this week.
Haskins regains footing
Buckeyes sophomore QB Dwayne Haskins had his worst game statistically against Nebraska. It wasn’t bad, mind you — 18-of-32, 252 yards, two touchdowns and an interception — but it just was not at the level we have come to expect. Haskins has been on a record-setting pace in several categories so perhaps the Cornhuskers game was a blip. This game will tell us a lot because if the MSU defense has a weakness it is against the pass, where the Spartans are ranked 98th at 253.4 yards allowed per game.
No more injuries on defense
This is always a wish for every team, but it is especially relevant for Ohio State. Defensive backs Cameron Brown, Jeffery Okudah and Isaiah Pryor are all questionable against the Spartans. Add to that a defensive line that has been banged up — and has never quite been the same since losing Nick Bosa — and OSU is hurting all around on D. The Buckeyes are ranked 69th in total defense while MSU is 22nd, so this is a unit which cannot afford to get any weaker for the Scarlet and Gray.
Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a writer and editor for saturdaytradition.com and saturdaydownsouth.com.