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A 3.5-point advantage on the road for Ohio State is far too friendly to the Buckeyes in the eyes of 247Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons. From Ohio State’s recent lackluster performances to Michigan State’s two wins in a row since Michigan week, Simmons bets on the Spartans to get it done at home this week.
“There are two teams playing in that game,” Simmons said Thursday on the 247Sports College Football Podcast. “One of them is a luxury automobile that has got a few dents, hasn’t been serviced and is running a little loose right now. The other one is a big dump truck that likes to be banged up, likes to have some scratches and dents, likes to have some paint-job issues, likes to be ugly and play in this sort of stuff. I’m going to take the dump truck. Give me Michigan State plus 3.5 against the sports car that just isn’t running right, right now.”
Simmons picked the Buckeyes to fall a few weeks ago in shocking fashion to Purdue. Those trends may continue in Lansing tomorrow afternoon against Mark Dantonio.
“Ohio State, I’m going to trust what you’re telling me,” Simmons said. “You weren’t impressive against Indiana. You weren’t impressive against minnesota. You lost badly to Purdue. You nearly lost to Nebraska. You’re telling me you’re not that good. You’re telling me you’re just a good team. You’re not an elite team. Then you’ve got a Michigan State team that is doing what Michigan State always does. They’re playing teams close. You don’t know how they’re going to figure it out, but they figure it out. It’s at home.”
Ohio State (8-1, 5-1) cannot afford a second loss if it wants to stay in the hunt for the College Football Playoff. Michigan State (6-3, 4-2) is long out of the race for the Playoff, but a win vaults the Spartans into second place in the East behind Michigan.
“They’re very motivated here,” Simmons said. “Ohio State feels like they … need an oil change. I don’t think they’ve gotten it since last week. Give me Michigan State to figure it out. Maybe it’s a one-point loss, but maybe it’s a win, too. I’ll take the 3.5 points.
“… (Michigan State) don’t go by your blueprint, man. They don’t do it the way they’re supposed to do it. They just figure it out. … They’re going to bang around until they come out with a win.”
Simmons went into more detail this week during a CBS video segment.
“If you look at strengths and weaknesses, Ohio State should be able to handle Michigan State,” Simmons said. “I think Ohio State, because of the way they play and the way Michigan State plays, this shouldn’t be a matchup that gives them as much trouble as maybe a Purdue. With that said, I think Ohio State has real issues beyond the X’s and O’s stuff and I think Michigan State embraces these sort of games. I think Michigan State just makes it ugly and figures out a way to win.”
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