Ohio State Football vs. Michigan State: 3 keys for a Buckeye win
By Riley Thomas
The stakes are only increasing each week for the Ohio State football team. The Buckeyes’ matchup with Michigan State on Saturday will likely determine the Big Ten East and conference champion, and even the Big Ten representative in the College Football Playoff.
The showdown of OSU vs. MSU is a make-or-break game for both teams; this game must be won to keep the season’s goals alive. Currently, the Bucks are heavy 18.5-point favorites over the Spartans, per WynnBET.
Ohio State has favorable matchups in several areas against the conference foe Michigan State. Here are three keys that could determine if the Scarlet and Gray win Saturday afternoon.
1. Ohio State football’s offensive line must show up
After the Buckeye offense has sputtered in three games this season, it is clear it all starts with the offensive line.
That is nothing new in football, winning in the trenches almost always guarantees a win. When OSU’s O-line has underperformed, that is win Ryan Day’s offense has looked human, rather than a machine.
The Spartans’ passing defense has not been good with extremely meager averages: 350.8 passing yards allowed per game (130th) and a 64.65% completion percentage allowed (98th). MSU’s passing defense has been ghastly, they even allowed TTUN to throw for over 400 yards.
It is fair to say Ohio State’s passing offense can do a lot more damage than TTUN’s passing game. The Buckeyes have the most potent passing attack in the country led by the Heisman favorite C.J. Stroud and three elite receivers.
As long as the offensive line can block effectively and give Stroud time, OSU should be able to shred the Spartans. This is not a tall task for the O-line either since MSU has a low sack percentage of 6.09% (76th).
The Buckeyes’ run-blocking has been the biggest concern on the offense. If the O-line creates rushing lanes like they did last week, Ohio State’s offense reaches that unstoppable level that will score nearly every time they touch the ball.
The play of OSU’s offensive line can determine just how successful the offense is. The O-line must show up so the Bucks’ offense can produce at its highest level.