Ohio State Football: Major CFP and Heisman implications Saturday in Columbus

The whole country will have their eyes on Columbus on Saturday when the Ohio State football team takes on Michigan State in a heavyweight November collision.

The Ohio State football team draws its first official Top-10 showdown this Saturday against the Michigan State Spartans. It will be the first of back-to-back Top-10 matchups for the Buckeyes to finish the regular season schedule.

There will be no talent shortage on display in The Shoe as there are significant College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy implications on the line with ESPN’s College Gameday in town.

Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud has been playing at a high level since returning from a rest game against Akron. The youngster has thrown his way into the lead in the Heisman race alongside teammate TreVeyon Henderson and opponent Kenneth Walker III.

Stroud carved up the Purdue defense for 361 yards and five touchdowns to bring his season totals to 3,036 yards and 30 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Of course, Stroud’s job is a dream with wide receivers as talented as Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Olave is one touchdown shy of David Boston’s 34, which stands as the current school record.

It would be fitting for Mr. 2-Smooth to tie or break the record on Senior Day this Saturday. Wilson missed the Nebraska game but made his presence known against Purdue as he accounted for four total touchdowns after hauling in 10 receptions and a rush totaling 177 yards. On the same note, JSN has caught 24 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns over the last two weeks.

The Buckeyes have a real shot at having all three receivers amass 1,000 yards on the season. It would be the first time in school history to have three 1,000-yard WRs in a single season. Previously, there have only been five other instances in school history – JSN is the sixth (2021). Ryan Day, Kevin Wilson, Brian Hartline, and Corey Dennis are coaching a special group this year.

The Big Ten East is in playoff mode, and Ohio State finishes the round-robin with the most challenging tasks. Last week, the Buckeyes finally found the running game again behind an elite performance from NPF and the offensive line.

Henderson eclipsed the 1,000-mark on the season and will be crucial the next two weeks. Success on the ground is pivotal in November, and the Buckeyes appear ready to answer the bell.

The Spartans rank 130th in pass defense, but the Buckeyes are not much better at 108th. I expect to see many yards through the air on Saturday, although I expect Matt Barnes to dial up more pressure.

This showdown is undoubtedly the biggest game of the year, until next week, for Ohio State. Whether or not the scoreboard is indicative of the game coming down to the wire, it will be a four-quarter battle upfront. Mel Tucker’s brand is toughness, and that is how Michigan State has played all year.

The Buckeyes have excelled at stopping the run all year but have yet to face the tasks of Kenneth Walker III. Walker ran all over rival Michigan while finding the end zone a record five times. His season totals are 227-1,473-17.

The winner of Ohio State-Michigan State will be in the driver’s seat in the East and have an inside track to Indianapolis and the CFP. However, either team needs to win out to clinch a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game and College Football Playoff. Bring on the November rendition of March Madness.