Ohio State football is done with their “opening round” games. Now it’s the “round of 32” game which doubles as the Big Ten East Division Title game. Then it’s Michigan in the Sweet 16, the Elite 8 versus Iowa and so forth. The analogy is slightly flawed but you get the idea.
Here’s what to watch for on Saturday in THEEEE game of the week.
TV: Game to be televised at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC; ESPN College Gameday back on campus
SPREAD: Ohio State football -13
Is Michigan State going to Play Better Pass Defense?
Questionable call aside, MSU has nobody to blame but their own pass defense for the predicament that they’re currently in. Nebraska stopped the State pass rush and Tommy Armstrong exploited the Spartans secondary. That was largely indicative of how this season has played out. The so-called No Fly Zone has now become completely deregulated, laissez-faire airspace.
Does Ohio State Football Have the Weapons to Exploit That Weakness?
Urban Meyer said in the post game press conference at Illinois that everything looked pretty good in Champaign other than the passing offense. So we’ll see if the Buckeyes air attack figures it out when they host Sparty. Meyer also made an opening statement that implied what we all knew- OSU was looking past the Illini to this week.
Still making this Ohio State football team a two touchdown favorite? Doesn’t that seem a bit extreme to anyone?
Do Style Points Even Matter in College Football?
Any college football player or coach will tell you the cliche “all wins count the same,” or “style points don’t matter.” To some extent that’s true, but look further than next week’s opponent, the Michigan State Spartans, for an example of how eventually, letting worse teams compete into the fourth quarter is a bad thing.
Sparty let it bite them in the ass in Nebraska. Sure, there was questionable officiating, but MSU really has no one to blame but their own pass defense.
Most Ohio State football personnel and Ohio State football fans will tell you that they probably don’t care about style points, and maybe they shouldn’t? I don’t know. Just ask Baylor, how destroying people to the point where the game is over by halftime worked out for them.
Who am I going to see in the First round of the NFL Draft in this game?
Glad you asked that. We just updated our NFL mock draft, and you can check that out here at this link. Buckeyes WR Michael Thomas, who we profiled here at this link, is one of many. Buckeyes have the best pro prospect at the tailback position too. You may have heard a thing or two abut that guy. There’s also Taylor Decker, Adolphus Washington, Connor Cook, Jack Conklin and many, many more.
Prediction: Ohio State football 34, MSU 29
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous television and radio talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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