COLUMBUS, Ohio — Eleven months after a devastating loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten championship game, Ohio State gets its chance for redemption on Saturday night in the biggest Big Ten game of the season in East Lansing, Mich.
The Buckeyes were unbeaten and riding a 24-game winning streak last December when they were upset 34-24 by the Spartans in Indianapolis. Since losing their shot at a Big Ten title and a BCS championship game berth, they’ve waited a year for this day to come.
“I’ll never forget that game,” Ohio State offensive tackle Taylor Decker said. “You never know what could have been. I know me personally and every guy on the team has been looking forward to this. They’ve had this date circled since the game last year. There’s a lot at stake.”
No. 13 Ohio State carries a 20-game Big Ten regular-season winning streak into the showdown that likely will determine the Big Ten East Division champion. No. 7 Michigan State has won 13 straight conference games.
If the Buckeyes win, they’ll break the conference record for consecutive wins that their 2005-07 teams set. Coach Urban Meyer knows that won’t be easy against a solid, no-nonsense, no-frills Michigan State team.
“There’s not a whole lot of creativity in this one,” he said. “Everybody knows what’s at stake. I think the most important thing that I have to do and the leaders’ job and the coaches is the immediacy of the task at hand.”
The two teams have identical records at 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference. Michigan State’s loss was at Oregon. Ohio State stumbled at home against Virginia Tech.
Because the Spartans lost to a ranked opponent, it’s generally believed that they have a better shot at making the four-team College Football Playoff over the Buckeyes if either of the teams wins the remaining games on the schedule.
“These are, say what you want about any other teams any other conferences or whatever, this team can play at any level, any conference, anywhere,” Meyer said. “I’d like to think that the Ohio State Buckeyes can, too. This is going to be a big football game that we have to be very smart.
“The only thing that matters is when the foot hits the ball at 8 o’clock that night that our guys are mentally, physically ready to rock and roll because it’s going to be a rugged game.”
The Big Ten’s best two teams are similar in many ways.
Michigan State’s defense is ranked fifth in the nation, allowing 279.4 yards per game, and Ohio State is eighth, giving up 300 yards per game.
Offensively, the Buckeyes and Spartans are No. 4 and 5 in points per game at 45.6 and 45.5. Michigan State is ninth in total offense (515.3 yards per game) and Ohio State 14th (505.1), and the Buckeyes are 13th in rushing yards (259.3) and the Spartans 15th (254.9).
Michigan State has more experience on offense with quarterback Connor Cook, running back Jeremy Langford and wide receiver Tony Lippett, but Ohio State might have more overall talent at the skill positions. Both teams’ defenses are physical and relentless.
For all that Meyer has accomplished into his third season at Ohio State, the one missing piece is a signature win. The highest ranked team the Buckeyes have beaten was No. 16 Northwestern last year. Beating Michigan State definitely would qualify as the program’s biggest under Meyer.
“This is a game to get the respect that Ohio State deserves and has had in the past,” Meyer said. “You have to go compete and win this game and it’s going to be a task. But that’s real.”
SERIES HISTORY: Ohio State leads 28-14 and has eight of the last 10 meetings, but Michigan State has won two of the last three. The Buckeyes are 14-5 in games in East Lansing, with the Spartans’ last win at home in the series coming in 1999.
NOTES: Ohio State is hopeful RB Brionte Dunn is back Saturday against Michigan State. He missed last week’s game against Illinois with a leg injury. Dunn is the team’s third running back behind Ezekiel Elliott and Curtis Samuel and a key player on special teams. … DB Armani Reeves did not play last Saturday against Illinois and his status is unknown this week against Michigan State. Asked about Reeves’ availability, Buckeyes co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said, “I don’t know. He was not there for us this past week and you would probably have to talk to (coach Urban Meyer) or one of the doctors to find out. Sometimes we’re the last to know on some of those things.”