Whoever said patience is a virtue apparently wasn’t a college football junkie, or a sports fan in general.
Finally, mercifully, the big one is almost here. We’ve been looking forward to the Ohio State-Michigan State game since the kickoff of the college football season, and although it’s lost a little of its mojo because of the Spartan loss to Nebraska a couple of weeks ago, there are still a lot of dangling carrots for both teams to grab.
OSU and MSU both sit in the penthouse of expectations this year, and the game could go either way on Saturday, but there’s reason to believe that one team has the upper hand over the other.
Here are five reasons Ohio State will take care of business on Saturday:
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5. J.T. Barrett: Ohio State’s offense hasn’t been nearly as explosive as last year’s version, but a lot of that can be traced back to the musical chairs at the quarterback position. Despite a run-in with some of Columbus’ finest and a resulting suspension, Barrett is now clearly the guy. With him under center, opposing defenses now have to pull their hair out over a more accurate passer that can also make some plays with a little Nike action.
In addition to that, the entire team just seems to be a more confident bunch with the leader of the team calling the shots. There’s something to be said about everyone knowing the team has a better chance of moving the ball and getting everyone involved. I know, you know, and Mark Dantonio knows Ohio State is a much more dangerous team with No. 16 performing feats of strength and dexterity in these high-profile athletic endeavors.
4. Defense, Baby: It was a slow burn, but the unit responsible for stopping opposing defenses has slowly gotten better in Columbus. It may be a surprise to some, but OSU’s defense is now a top-ten unit in scoring (No.2), passing yards allowed per game (No. 8), and total yards given up (No. 9).
For all the hand-wringing and consternation with the Buckeyes’ lack of consistency on offense, the defense has been playing at a higher level than last year’s national championship squad. There are athletes in the secondary, at linebacker, on the line, and sitting by the Gatorade tub, and they’re all making plays. There’s a good bet they’ll make them on Saturday, too, against a rather one-dimensional Spartan offense.
3. Ezekiel Elliott: Elliott burst onto the scene late last year when OSU made the most improbable of runs to a first-ever College Football Playoff and subsequent national championship, but he’s cooking with gas earlier this year.
Ohio State prides itself on being a balanced and complete team, but that hasn’t stopped Zeke from taking advantage of the touches he’s gotten. He’s averaging 6.5 yards a carry and currently ranks No. 3 in total rushing yards in all the FBS, behind just Derrick Henry and Leonard Fournette — and he’s rising quickly.
His size, speed, power, and vision will give Ohio State a decided advantage in the “tough yards” aisle of a hard-hitting affair.
2. Joey Bosa, meet Connor Cook: We know Cook had to leave the game against Maryland last Saturday with a shoulder injury. What we don’t know is how gimpy and fragile that shoulder is, and it’s unlikely the Spartan coaches will tweet that little detail out to all of their followers.
Healthy or not, that’s bad news with Lombardi Award finalist Joey Bosa lining up on the other side of the ball with bad intentions on his mind. Bosa has been unblockable lately, even with double- and triple-teams becoming the norm. When he’s not getting to the quarterback, he’s freeing up others to share the wealth.
With the issues on the offensive line this year for the Spartans, there’s a good chance Mr. Bosa will not only get a feel for the PH scale of Cook’s breath, but he’s going to push the senior quarterback to his physical limitations — whatever they may be.
1. Coaching: Take nothing away from Mark Dantonio, but given the choice between filet mignon or a New York strip, I’m taking the filet every time because … well, I’m a male and I like quality meat products.
The same is true with Urban Meyer. He’s got three national championship rings hugging his knuckles, is a great motivator, and is known for his ability to game-plan prior to, and inside the framework of, a game.
When and if the game turns into a steel-cage match for the ages, and the only separators are scheme and play-calling, I’ll go with the guy who has the highest winning percentage of active coaches in all the land.
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Phil Harrison is a contributor to The Student Section. He is also a the founder of Big10news.com and featured contributor to collegefootballews.com, talking10.com, and occasionally campusinsiders.com. You can follow him on twitter @PhilHarrisonCFB or email him at pharrison28@gmail.com. If that doesn’t work, you can find him in the doghouse at home.
