Ohio State vs. Michigan State Preview
Ohio State Buckeyes 3-1 vs. Michigan State Spartans 3-1
October 1, 2011
3:30 pm - ABC / ESPN2
Ohio Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
The Drama: Big Ten Season Starts
It’s Miller Time! The Silver Bullets! All this talk about beer is making me thirsty. The Buckeyes turned to a new page in Ohio State history with the third start for true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller. While he didn’t have a great game he did show promise and Ohio State fans are in for a treat as we watch this guy develop into a superstar. This year Miller will run too much, he will make poor decisions with the ball and he will get better. I still see a few losses for Ohio State’s this season but the future beyond 2011 is bright.
The Buckeyes will win because: It’s a home game
The Spartans have not played well this century in Ohio Stadium and I have to think that’s worth 7-10 points. MSU was vulnerable to Notre Dame’s running attack and that being the strength of the Buckeye offense bodes well for the good guys.
The Buckeyes will lose because: Veteran quarterback
Senior QB Kirk Cousins and his wide receivers are good, really good but the offensive line is inconsistent at times. If the Silver Bullet defense has trouble getting to Cousins, he will light up the Buckeye secondary. OSU must get pressure on Cousins and force him into bad passing attempts or the Bucks will be out of the B10 championship hunt.
The Spartan spotlight is on: RB Le'Veon Bell
While Bell isn’t tearing up the yardage stats, he does have 6 touchdowns on the season already. The Bucks have been pretty stout on run defense this year but if Bell gets going, the Spartans will have an easy day.
“Cooler” Stat of the game (macho stats for the water cooler): Not so good in Columbus.
The last time MSU beat OSU in Columbus was 1998 against arguably the greatest team in Ohio State history, 28-24.
The Bottom line: Make or Break.
This game will have momentous ramifications for Ohio State and Michigan State in the Big Ten race. Sparty has lost the last seven in a row to OSU and head coach Mark Dantonio is eager to get his first win and the Buckeye monkey off the Michigan State’s back. The Bucks are looking to build on the win over Colorado and continue to develop Braxton Miller at quarterback.
Prediction: Brutus 23– Sparty 21
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By 'Pia' Pete Quint
TBDBITL 1992-96
Buckeye50.com
