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The state of Ohio was able to make its road trip this week.
After last week’s game against Illinois was canceled due to COVID-19 in the schedule, Ohio State will be back in action today at noon when the Buckeyes face Michigan State in their final game. on the road and the fifth game in total of this most unusual game. regular seasons.
While we’re still not sure exactly who will be available to play for the Buckeyes today – we’ll find out around 10am – and we might have different thoughts for today’s game once we find out. this we share part of our final. thoughts, questions and predictions coming into play right now.
Final thoughts
Don’t sleep on Michigan State’s big play passing ability
By several statistical measures, Michigan state’s offense was the Big Ten’s worst offensive this year, averaging just 18 points per game. And Rocky Lombardi is inconsistent, which makes it just as likely that he will make mistakes that allow the Ohio State defense to make big plays, as he will make big plays himself.
But one statistic that shouldn’t be ignored in this game is that Michigan State currently leads the Big Ten with seven passing games over 40 yards and is second in the conference with 10 passing games over 30 yards (behind only Indiana) this year. Given the Buckeyes’ difficulty allowing big plays in the air against the Hoosiers, Michigan State is able to exploit loopholes in the Ohio State’s pass defense if the Buckeyes haven’t tightened. things over the last couple of weeks, then it will. an area to watch in today’s game.
– Dan Hope
Ohio State Must Avoid Turnovers
Justin Fields threw three interceptions the last time he took the field as Buckeye. You may have heard of it. On Saturday, it will be important for him and his Ohio State teammates to downplay Michigan State’s opportunities to score their own mistakes. As long as they control the ball, you can imagine that they control the game.
One statistic to note: The Spartans rank 115th out of 127 college football teams with a turnover margin of minus 1.2 per game. They have recorded five interceptions and four fumble recoveries in five games. The Hoosiers, for what it’s worth, are second in the country by a plus 1.5 margin, and the Buckeyes are 12th by a plus 1. Even without the presence of Ryan Day – who, like his predecessor Urban Meyer, still preaches the importance of eliminating turnovers – on the sidelines, winning this category will be key to winning the game.
– Colin Hass-Hill
It looks like a game like “Justin Fields, Go Off, King”
After all the fair criticism Fields took after his three-way game against Indiana, it looks like a game where he’s going to wipe out the Michigan state defense.
The game against the Hoosiers was the worst of Fields’ career, and he still scored four total TDs with over 300 passing yards.
Maybe Ryan Day’s absences are going to hurt here, but I think it could be a game where Fields says “eff it”. As I said at this week’s roundtable, I think he’ll probably score five touchdowns in total, but maybe more.
– Zack Carpenter
If * this * offense causes problems for the state of Ohio, there are real problems
The Buckeyes have now had two weeks to make adjustments after Indiana overused the defense in the second half, and they now face an opponent who has the Big Ten’s worst offense by several measures.
I know Michigan State has shown big play potential, but if * that * offense can come out and constantly move the ball against the Ohio State defense today, the Buckeyes have real problems going the front.
– Kevin Harrish
Questions
How noticeable will Ryan Day’s absence be?
With Day still in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, the state of Ohio will be without his head coach and main attacker caller on Saturday. Will that have a negative impact on the Buckeyes in Saturday’s game? Considering this is the first time since 2011 that the state of Ohio will have someone other than Day or Urban Meyer to throw the punches in a game, that’s a valid question.
That said, I guess Larry Johnson will do the trick very well as an interim head coach, with plenty of experienced coaches around him to lean on as needed. Day has been fully involved in planning for the Ohio State game this week, even though he’s been out of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, so I don’t think the Buckeyes’ preparation for Saturday’s game should be hurt by his physical absence. I think he will miss the offensive play call as he is the architect of the offense and will not be able to communicate with the team during the game but it certainly helps that the play call was already a collaborative effort between Day and Kevin Wilson, who has plenty of experience in offensive appeal.
– Dan Hope
Will Ohio State look good enough to stay in the top four in the CFP?
Maybe that seems like a ridiculous question to ask as the Buckeyes play a bad Michigan State team. But I think it’s fair. Even with everything the program has had to deal with over the past two weeks, and even though there are a significant number of absent players (aka, absent players are of significant stature), a 35-24 win or a 38-28 win over these Spartans still wouldn’t be a good look.
I have the final score of 42-21 which, based on scoring alone, would almost certainly be enough to keep them in that top four. But if Ohio State’s 2020 second half emerges today, maybe the committee is starting to rethink its position and push Jimbo Fisher or Dan Mullen’s crew into place of the Buckeyes.
– Zack Carpenter
What does the defensive backfield look like?
There are plenty of questions, and more will emerge once the State of Ohio releases its status report around 10 a.m. on Saturday to detail who will play and who will not. But to be precise, I’m especially interested to see if this secondary is different, and if so, how has it changed.
Before Ohio State put the program on hiatus, Day said the Buckeyes were considering “other combinations” in the defensive backfield. Does that mean more of Josh Proctor in deep security? Does anyone else spell Marcus Hooker? Any additional opportunities for first-year cornerbacks? An adjustment in the scheme? Kerry Coombs could accept this one in a number of ways.
– Colin Hass-Hill
Who is away, for how long and what impact will this have on the team?
Throughout the preseason, we’ve heard Ryan Day insist that the team needs depth in every position this year in case a COVID outbreak sidelines some players for a few weeks. Well, it has now happened.
We’ll know who the Buckeyes are up to when the status report comes out ahead of the game, but we’ll have to wait during the game to see how that actually affects the squad. The state of Ohio would probably like to think it has enough depth to deal with any absence, but we’ll see for sure today.
– Kevin Harrish
Predictions
Garrett Wilson to equal Cris Carter’s record
Wilson has passed 100 receiving yards in all four Ohio State games this season, and if he does it again against Michigan State on Saturday, he will equal Cris Carter’s school record and become runner-up. school history player with 100 receiving yards in five straight games. As long as Wilson is healthy, since we know Justin Fields is healthy, I think he will.
No one has come close to slowing Wilson down this year, and in a game where the Buckeyes could potentially do without other offensive pieces, I think Wilson’s role as Fields’ favorite target will only increase against the Spartans. , putting him to hit three digits for the fifth straight game.
– Dan Hope
Ohio state will not cover the spread
I took the Buckeyes to cover the gap in all four of their games this season. This includes an embarrassing legend that the state of Ohio would “easily” cover up the spread against Indiana.
I thought it was pretty good there in the third quarter. I’m not taking that 24-point gap this time with Ohio State shorthanded and without its head coach and Michigan State having their best performance of the year.
So congratulations, Ohio State, on your 63-0 win today, I guess.
– Zack Carpenter
The defensive line pursues him
Ahead of one of the more recent events that led to the game being called off in Illinois, the defensive lineman was already intent on getting more sacks. It was a declared desire on their part.
With Larry Johnson as the interim head coach, they might not have as much individual work with him on Saturday afternoon as usual, but they will certainly want to show up for their coaching position as ‘he gains a more important role in the game. I guess their focus on more sacks combined with their inevitable goal of playing well enough that Johnson gives most of his attention to the whole team rather than just one position will lead to a big D-line game. .
– Colin Hass-Hill
Michigan State falls short of double digits
The Ohio State defense is looking for a rebound performance against an absolutely excruciating attack from Michigan State, and they’re going to get it.
The Buckeyes had some work to do defensively, but they’re nowhere near as bad on this side of the ball as they showed last time around. On the other hand, the Spartan attack is just as bad as it has shown in the last five games.
– Kevin Harrish
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