Week Five: Ohio State at Michigan State—LIVE Blog, History Lesson and Prediction

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

      



Ohio State—Michigan State History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State leads the all-time series vs. MSU, 27-13.

• Ohio State is 13-5 all-time vs. MSU in East Lansing.

• Ohio State is 70-24-4 all-time in B1G confer. openers.

• Ohio State has won 7 of the last 8 meetings with MSU.

• Urban Meyer coached teams are 38-4 overall in September.

• Meyer is 10-0 in conference openers in his coaching career.

• Meyer can become just the 3rd OSU coach to start 5-0 in his 1st year.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponents to 10 points or less 37 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed only 10 100-yard rushers in their last 53 games.

• Ohio State has held 70 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State is 19-10 in games that ESPN's College Gameday originates from—Michigan State is just 2-3.

• Michigan State last beat ohio State in back-to-back seasons in 1998/1999.

• Michigan State is just 7-14 under coach Mark Dantonio against Top 25 opponents.

• Under coach Dantonio (2007-2011), Michigan State is 27-14 vs. Big Ten conference opponents.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

Everyone is expecting a defensive battle and a low-scoring game, much like the meeting in Columbus last year.

I won't be surprised a bit if that is exactly what happens, but I also won't be shocked if the opposite occurs, as both teams are capable of wearing down a defense and punching it into the endzone.

The key for Ohio State on defense is obviously to play man-to-man on the outside and load up the box in hopes of containing MSU star-tailback, Le'Veon Bell.

On offense, they must have balance between the passing and running game, and QB Braxton Miller is going to have to make plays with his legs to help open up the passing game. Jordan Hall, Corey Brown, Jake Stoneburner and Devin Smith all need to step up for Miller today.

Ohio State has owned Michigan State overall and in East Lansing, and the Spartans never seem to perform well in national spotlight games, so for those reasons, I'm going with the Buckeyes in a closely-contested, relatively low-scoring battle.

Ohio State 27
Michigan State 20

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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College Gameday Heading To East Lansing For No. 14 Ohio State At No. 21 Michigan State

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

I'm not sure if this game is actually being considered worthy of having the Gameday crew on-site or if it's just the best of the weak, week five matchups...


Whatever led to the decision, this obviously puts the national spotlight on both teams and the Big Ten, not that I care about the conference's image, because I don't—most likely because I don't live down south and piggyback the success of every team in the conference like SEC fans, but I digress.

The Spartans and the Buckeyes kick off at 3:30Pm on ABC to open conference play. Michigan State is 2-3 in games that Gameday has come to town for. Ohio State has won seven of the last eight meetings with MSU and has not lost in East Lansing since 1999.

The trends don't guarantee anything, but they do bode well for the Bucks, should they hold up.

— HD

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Ohio State vs. No. 25 Michigan State -- Week 5 Game Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

The Buckeyes officially began the Braxton Miller era last Saturday in Ohio Stadium -- and in a way -- hit the reset button on their 2011 season.


Better late than never as they say...

After three weeks of indecision that culminated with an embarrassing loss in Miami to the now 1-2 Hurricanes, coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman finally pulled the plug and took the failed Joe Bauserman, starting-quarterback-experiment, off of life support in favor of Miller.

The week five depth chart no longer lists the starting QB as Joe Bauserman OR Braxton Miller -- but just Miller. After his showing against Colorado, the coaching staff has finally made it official -- This is his team now.

Miller's debut against the Buffaloes was far from perfect, but the offense moved the ball -- often literally on the legs of Miller -- and scored 37 points -- which could have actually been 45, but unlike Miami against OSU the previous week, Ohio State instead showed class and ran out the clock rather than going for a touchdown to run-up-the-score in the final seconds.

Buckeye fans got a promising glimpse into the future (and the present) as Miller hooked up with wide receiver, and fellow true freshman, Devin Smith for two touchdowns in the win.

Miller needs to play within himself, protect the football, and do a lot less of this, and a lot more of this and this instead -- and the Buckeyes should definitely be in the mix for the Leaders division crown and another Big Ten title.


Brief Game Outlook / Players of Note

Ohio State and Michigan State have each lost their only road games so far this season -- both to teams they probably should have beaten (Miami-Fl and Notre Dame respectively) -- but, those losses are in the past, and there's no time to dwell on those defeats as the two rivals kick off inter-divisional conference play this week in The Horseshoe.

The Spartans currently lead the nation in total and pass defense, giving up just 172 yards per game and 101 yards through the air (albeit against a fairly weak OOC schedule).

They also rank eighth in fewest points allowed per game (11.0) and the defense leads the Big Ten with six interceptions in four games.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has thrown for 935 passing yards, with five touchdowns and two interceptions. His passer efficiency rating is 148.

Wide receiver and Biletnikoff Award candidate B.J Cunningham (pictured at left) leads the Big Ten with 29 catches for 428 yards and has scored once.

The running back duo of Le'Veon Bell and Edwin Baker have combined for 433 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Ohio State is currently 16^th in the nation in total defense. They rank 18^th in fewest points allowed per game (15.8). The defense has four interceptions and 10 QB sacks through four games.

In a little over two games, Miller has 235 passing yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also has 145 yards rushing with a current passer efficiency rating of 147.

Smith appears to be everything Duron Carter was supposed to be at wide receiver. He leads the Buckeyes with eight receptions for 183 yards and three scores.

TE Jake Stoneburner has been quiet the last two weeks, but is still second on the team with eight catches for 94 yards and four touchdowns.

Carlos Hyde leads the team in rushing with 263 yards and three touchdowns, but Jordan Hall is close behind with 171 yards rushing and a touchdown in just two games since coming off a two-game suspension to open the season.

Ohio State and Michigan State both play traditional Big Ten football -- they like to run the ball and mix in the pass. Bell and Baker vs. the Buckeye defense and Hyde and Hall vs. the Spartan defense could decide this game.

Both defenses will be challenged, but the team whose defense can best limit and contain the opposing running backs (and the occasional dual-threat QB) will likely win the game.


Ohio State—Michigan State History Lesson

• Ohio State is 67-7 in Ohio Stadium since 2001.

• Ohio State is 27-12 all-time vs. Michigan State (14-7 at home).

• Ohio State has won the last seven meetings against Michigan State.

• Ohio State is 70-23-4 in Big Ten openers since joining the conference in 1913.

• Ohio State defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 30 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just five 100-yard rushers in their last 38 games.

• Ohio State has held 64 of 77 opponents to 21 points or fewer since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just one 100-yard rusher in the past 25 games at Ohio Stadium.

• Michigan State is 10-10 on the road since 2007 under coach Mark Dantonio.

• Michigan State is 20-12 overall vs. conference opponents since 2007 under Dantonio.

• Michigan State last beat Ohio State in Columbus over the then-No. 1 Buckeyes in 1998.

• In the most recent meeting, then-No. 12 Ohio State dominated then-No. 20 MSU, 45-7, in East Lansing in 2008.


Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

In the 24-6 loss at Miami, Ohio State didn't have a passing game or a quarterback -- now, all indications are that they do (even if he is a work-in-progress).

In the loss at Notre Dame, Michigan State did have a passing game and a quarterback (Cousins threw for 329 yards and a touchdown) -- but, they still lost 31-13.

The Spartans could only muster 29 rushing yards against ND, while their own defense yielded 114 rushing yards to the Irish.

The Ohio State defense all-but-NEVER gives up 100 yards rushing at home, and the Buckeye "O" is averaging 184 yards rushing per contest. Those trends should continue on Saturday.

So, what do you get when you put together everything you just read?

This.

Ohio State 34
Michigan State 20


"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Looking Ahead to 2012—Ohio State's Top 5 Head Coach Candidates Are...

Ohio State has already announced that previously-named interim coach Luke Fickell will guide the team for the entire 2011 season before the University evaluates the position going forward into 2012 and beyond -- assuming the Mayans are wrong.

At the end of the day -- despite the NCAA sanctions that the program is facing -- this is still THE Ohio State University and you can rest-assured that should the school decide to conduct a national coaching search post-2011, there will be no shortage of big-name candidates willing to accept the job if offered.

Here are the top five coaches that are most likely to comprise tOSU’s want-list.


Number Five - Mark Dantonio

The Michigan State head coach was the defensive coordinator at OSU before taking the gig in East Lansing.

Under Dantonio, the Spartans have closed the gap on Michigan as the state’s premier college football program, but Michigan may finally be back on track and coming back to Columbus to run the Big Ten’s best team over the past decade would be hard to pass up.

Considering what he was able to do at MSU, the sky is the limit with the resources and recruiting advantage Ohio State over practically every other Big ten school.


Number Four - Bo Pelini

Pelini is from Ohio and was a team captain of the 1992 Buckeyes football team, so it’s obvious that he’s a guy who will value the tradition of Ohio State football and, especially, the rivalry with Michigan.

He is, however, a complete contrast from Tressel, in that, he seems to be a bit of a hot-head, and if he thinks there’s pressure to win in Lincoln, he ain’t seen nothing yet.

Yes, he played here, but coaching here and trying to meet the expectations of the rabid Buckeye fanbase is a whole different animal.


Number Three - Luke Fickell

Fickell is a Buckeye through-and-through. He is a Columbus native and was a four-year defensive starter for Ohio State in the early to mid-1990’s.

He’s been an assistant coach for nine seasons and the assistant defensive coordinator since Dantonio headed north to MSU. He tops Pelini and Dantonio on the list as of right now because each of them are already head coaches in the Big Ten that may not be as available as Fickell is at the end of the 2011 season -- and, Fickell has a full year to audition for the job.

If he can lead these players to another Big Ten title in the face of all the adversity and against the mountain of turmoil the team must overcome, he will be considered a legitimate top-five candidate .


Number Two - Jon Gruden

The ESPN Monday Night Football commentator and former Super-Bowl-winning coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs has recently been rumored to be “getting the itch” to coach again.

The Sandusky, Ohio native played his college ball at Dayton and has been quoted as saying he is immensely proud of his Buckeye roots. It just feels safe to believe that Gruden would run a clean program with the right kind of players.

A lot can change in nearly a year and a half, but according to Sports Illustrated, Gruden, who would absolutely deny any and all rumors linking him to Ohio State until something was official, would almost definitely take the job too, if offered.


Number One - Urban Meyer

Health issues and family commitments aside, practically all speculation about who might take over as head coach of the Buckeyes in 2012 is centered on former Florida/Utah/BGSU head coach Meyer.

Meyer currently works as a college football analyst for ESPN and stated he isn’t looking to leave the network for the sidelines -- not this season, anyway.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, Meyer’s family moved to Ashtabula, Ohio when he was just a child. He played football at the University of Cincinnati and was on Earle Bruce’s OSU staff in the mid-1980’s as a graduate assistant -- making Meyer the one coach that makes the absolute most sense to the pundits and the fans of Buckeye Nation alike.

One issue that does create some concern is the number of player arrests during Meyer’s tenure at Florida. With Ohio State looking to salvage and rebuild their image, that issue could be a deal-breaker if and when Meyer shows interest in what he has been quoted as saying is one of his all-time dream jobs.


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Michigan Reality Check: Wolverines Lose First Road Game Of The Year To Sparty

By HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation




Close, but no cigar.....

Little tiny TAINT Forcier looked pretty average until the final few minutes of the fourth quarter for Coach DICKrod and the Wolverines today as UM came back down to Earth after escaping losses two of the last three weeks.

The third time WAS NOT a charm.

The Spartans (2-3) handed formerly No. 22 ranked Michigan (4-1) their first loss of the year, in their first road game of the season.

Michigan State's horrible defense, and Tressel-ball-like offensive ineptitude (Dantonio is a Tressel disciple) late in the game allowed UM back into the game, but in the end, it was not enough as the Spartans pulled off the 26-20 upset.

Forcier forced an ill-advised pass into the endzone on the first possession of overtime, and the Spartans made him pay, intercepting the pass, and ultimately sealing UM's fate. Three plays later, MSU's Caper ran in for the game-winning 24 yard touchdown rush.

It looks as though last weeks close call at home vs. Indiana was a clear indicator that UM was overrated, and today's loss all but confirmed that suspicion. Heck just going into OT with a 1-3 team is practically enough to confirm that UM is not back just yet.

Hospital ER's across the Michigan region are preparing for the influx of broken ankles expected today and over the next couple of days as fans scramble to jump off the TAINT Forcier and even-more-so the DICKrod and the 2009 Michigan bandwagon.


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