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Ohio State Football vs. Michigan State: 3 bold predictions

By Frank Teriaca

COLUMBUS, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 24: The Ohio State Buckeyes take the field before playing the Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio Stadium on September 24, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gaelen Morse/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 24: The Ohio State Buckeyes take the field before playing the Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio Stadium on September 24, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gaelen Morse/Getty Images) /
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The Ohio State football team’s defense is much improved this season. Mandatory Credit: Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus DispatchOsu22tol Dc
The Ohio State football team’s defense is much improved this season. Mandatory Credit: Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus DispatchOsu22tol Dc /

Prediction 2: The Ohio State football team gets its first shutout under Jim Knowles.

If it wasn’t for an Emeka Egbuka muffed punt, the Buckeyes would have come really close to pitching a shutout last Saturday against Rutgers. This defense is starting to pick up defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ scheme and it’s showing.

The Spartan’s offense has been a trainwreck the last two weeks. Peyton Thorne has not played well, the running game can’t seem to get going and if you’re worried about Michigan State kicking a field goal, well they’re only 1-4 on the season between two kickers.

If Mel Tucker wants to win this game, the Spartans will have to go for it on fourth down due to the combination of having to score to keep up with Ohio State and not being able to rely on his kickers.

I believe all of this will spell doom for the Michigan State offense as it will fail to score, giving the Buckeye defense a long overdue shutout. This would be a seminal moment for this defense after being so bad the last couple of years that it kept the team from winning a national title.

If the defense gets a shutout in this one, they get some confidence heading into the hardest part of the schedule as well. That’s something that they’re going to need. The final bold prediction is an early look at the score.

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