INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan State turned all that discussion about an unbeaten Ohio State team possibly being left out of the national title game into wasted energy.
Connor Cook passed for a career-high 304 yards and threw three touchdown passes as the No. 10 Spartans beat the No. 2 Buckeyes 34-24 on Saturday night in the Big Ten Championship Game to end the Buckeyes’ national championship hopes and qualify for the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1988.
“We’re the ones, baby! We’re the ones!” Cook said. “We’re going to the Rose Bowl!”
Running back Jeremy Langford ran for 128 yards and a touchdown for the Spartans (12-1), who ended Ohio State’s nation-leading 24-game winning streak. Michigan State will play Pac-12 winner Stanford on Jan. 1.
Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns but completed just 8 of 21 passes for 101 yards. Running back Carlos Hyde ran 18 times for 118 yards for Ohio State (12-1), which lost for the first time with Urban Meyer as coach.
“You know, it’s going to haunt all of us, I imagine, for a little while, but that’s part of the game,” Meyer said.
The Buckeyes came into the game knowing they had to win, and perhaps do so impressively. The Big Ten title game started minutes after Auburn defeated Missouri 59-42 in the SEC championship game. Though No. 3 Auburn entered its game with a loss, the Tigers were nipping on Ohio State’s heels in the BCS standings heading into Saturday’s action.
Michigan State had pretty high hopes, too.
“They believed,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. “They believed. Nobody else around them believed. They believed.”
Michigan State led 17-10 at halftime, but Miller opened the second half by leading the Buckeyes right down the field. He ran 24 yards on a draw, then later scored on an 8-yard run to tie it at 17 with 12:21 left in the third quarter.
Miller scored again on a 6-yard run to give the Buckeyes the lead at 24-17 with 5:36 left in the third quarter.
The Spartans responded when kicker Michael Geiger snuck a 44-yard field goal over the bar to cut Ohio State’s lead to 24-20 late in the quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Cook completed a 48-yard pass to Macgarrett Kings Jr. to move the ball into Ohio State territory. A pass interference penalty against Buckeyes cornerback Doran Grant moved the ball to the Ohio State 11-yard line. Cook’s 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Josiah Price put Michigan State ahead 27-24 with 11:41 to play.
Michigan State failed to score on its next possession and was forced to punt. Linebacker Ryan Shazier blocked Mike Sadler’s punt and the Buckeyes took over at the Michigan State 47. The Buckeyes went for it on fourth-and-1 at the MSU 38 and Miller was stopped for no gain.
“It was my call,” Meyer said. “I wanted to have the ball in the hands of our best player, Braxton.”
Michigan State responded with a clinching touchdown drive. Langford’s 26-yard touchdown run increased the Spartans’ lead to 34-24 with 2:16 to play.
“We stayed the course,” Dantonio said. “We were having a tough time running the football and again, pretty much like it’s been all season long, we just battled, battled, battled, then towards the end of the game, Jeremy Langford will bust one.”
Michigan State got on the board with a 40-yard field goal by Geiger, the only real highlight of the first quarter.
Michigan State struck with the game’s first big play. Cook found receiver Keith Mumphery for a 72-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter to push the Spartans’ lead to 10-0.
Cook found wide receiver Tony Lippett for a 33-yard touchdown pass to increase Michigan State’s advantage to 17-0.
Ohio State answered quickly when Miller found receiver Corey Brown in the middle of the end zone for a 20-yard score with 6:26 left in the second quarter. Miller highlighted the drive with an electrifying 48-yard run.
Miller connected with tight end Jeff Heuerman for 36 yards in the final minute of the first half to set up a 28-yard field goal by kicker Drew Basil as time expired to cut the Spartans’ lead to 17-10.
Michigan State handled Ohio State’s second-half surge, then rallied to claim one of its biggest wins.
“They came at us the first two quarters, and the biggest thing is how we finished it,” Michigan State defensive end Shilique Calhoun said. “I feel like that last quarter was showing how we roll.”
NOTES: Ohio State was held to 28 yards on nine plays in the first quarter. Michigan State gained just 43 yards in the first 15 minutes. … Ohio State QB Braxton Miller surpassed 5,000 yards passing for his career in the first half. … Wisconsin defeated Michigan State 42-39 in the first Big Ten title game. … Miller was named the Big Ten’s quarterback of the year and Carlos Hyde was named running back of the year. … Michigan State’s Shilique Calhoun was named the Big Ten’s defensive lineman of the year and Darqueze Dennard was the defensive back of the year.