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LGHL A nearly nice percentage of Buckeye fans feel good — not great — about Ohio State’s national title chances

A nearly nice percentage of Buckeye fans feel good — not great — about Ohio State’s national title chances
Matt Tamanini
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.

Throughout the
Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.



Big Ten season is finally upon us as the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes travel to East Lansing, Michigan tonight to take on the Michigan State Spartans at 7:30 p.m. ET in a game to be streamed exclusively on Peacock. In our weekly fan survey, as we do every game week, we asked Buckeye Nation what they thought the margin of victory would be in the game tonight, but we also wanted to gauge their feelings on OSU’s national title chances.


The expectations for a Buckeye team are always to win the national title, but it feels different this year. The players have been saying “national title or bust,” but the road to a College Football Playoff Championship doesn’t feel as fraught as it has in recent memory, at least not to me. So, we polled the fandom to see where they are following the first three games of the season.

You can check out the collective responses below, and if you want to share your agreement (or disagreement), feel free to do so in the comments at the bottom of the page. You can also sign up to be a part of LGHL and SBNations’ weekly Reacts surveys here.


Question 1: How are you feeling about Ohio State’s non-conference performance?



I know that Ryan Day — and a certain segment of the Ohio State fandom — are primarily focused on the negative so far this season, but I’ve got to tell you, I am having more fun watching this team through three games than I have in a long time. Perhaps that has to do with me turning over the gameday controls to the Land-Grant Twitter account for the first time since 2017 meaning that I don’t have to see the real-time toxicity during games. Or, it could just be that this time is really good and really fun.


Obviously the Buckeyes haven’t been perfect, there are things to improve — still want to see the offensive line perform against better competition, would like the defensive line to create more havoc, and the special teams... woof — but through three not-very-competitive games, they have exceeded my expectations. I feel far more confident about this unit’s ability to win a national title than I have in recent years. So as they enter Big Ten play, all I have to say is Let’s F***ing Go!!!

So, while the respondents to this week’s survey were ever so close to being nice, I think they are right, but if I could straddle the good and great answers, that’s where I would be.


Question 2: What will the margin of victory be in Saturday’s game against Michigan State?



When odds for the game were released last Sunday, the Buckeyes opened as 24.5-point favorites according to the FanDuel Sportsbook. The gold standard college football analytics system SP+ projects a score of 35-6 in favor of the Buckeyes over the Michigan State Spartans, so the respondents in the survey were pretty fairly in line with the numbers.

As we do every week, members of the LGHL staff all made our predictions for the game. We’ve got score, storyline, and MVP picks, and while you should click on that link and see what we’ve got to say, I will tell you that I am going 42-6 in favor of the Buckeye. I went further in-depth on this morning’s edition of the “Land-Grant Tailgate Podcast,” which you can listen to below.

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Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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LGHL Streaming expert has the best way to watch Ohio State vs. Michigan State without cable

Streaming expert has the best way to watch Ohio State vs. Michigan State without cable
Matt Tamanini
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Michigan State v Ohio State

Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

It’s a Peacock-exclusive, so there’s really no other option this week.

The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes are back in action after an odd Week 3 bye. On Saturday, Sept. 21, they will welcome the Marshall Thundering Herd to Ohio Stadium. The Bucks and Broncos will kick off at 12 noon ET in a game airing on Fox. This will be OSU’s first Big Noon Game of the week, and with it comes the Big Noon Kickoff traveling road show. The pregame show will begin at 10 a.m. ET also on Fox.

This season, the Buckeyes will play on three different broadcast networks (CBS, Fox, and NBC), at least one cable channel (Big Ten Network), and exclusively on a streaming service (Peacock); it can be tough to keep up with where and how to watch your favorite team.

As cord-cutting has become far more the norm than the exception across the United States, it would not be a surprise if you gave up cable or a live-streaming service following last year’s season only to realize that it’s the day of the game and you have no way to watch it.

And I know it can be incredibly confusing to find the best way to watch a game in today’s entertainment landscape. Fortunately for you, I am something of a streaming expert... no really, I write about streaming services for a living. So, I am going to walk you through the best — and cheapest — ways for you to stream today’s game.


How can I watch the No. 3 Ohio State vs. Michigan State college football game?


Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: Peacock
Broadcasters: Andrew Siciliano, Colt McCoy
Betting Line: Ohio State -23.5 | 48.5 o/u


Only Option to Stream Ohio State vs. Michigan State: Peacock


Not only is this the best streaming option to watch the Ohio State vs. Michigan State game today, but it is, in fact, the only way to watch it at all. While having to sign up for a new streaming service just to watch your favorite team beat the snot out of an overmatched opponent (let’s hope) is not ideal, Peacock is about the best option for doing so that you could hope for.

NBCU has made the service one of the cheapest subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platforms on the market. You can sign up for the ad-supported Peacock Premium for just $7.99 per month or the ad-free Premium Plus for $13.99. At one point, Comcast offered a version of Peacock for free and a subsidy to Xfinity cable and internet subscribers, but that is no longer the case. Also, there is no free trial to the service, so if you want to watch the Buckeyes and Sparty, you will need to cough up at least $8.

However, with all of the Big Ten action — and sports in general — on the streamer, it might be worth it keep the subscription moving forward, especially if you are a fan of “That’s what she said” jokes, real housewives, and four-chair turns.


Best Streaming Option for All College Football Games:
Hulu + Live TV | 3-Day Free Trial


If you’re either looking for a streaming service just for this weekend of football or to watch as much college football as possible, then Hulu + Live TV very well might be the perfect option. Everyone who signs up gets a three-day free trial, so you can watch the entire college football Saturday, NFL Sunday, and “Monday Night Football” without having to pay a single penny.

But, if you are looking for something for the whole season, then Hulu is great because it comes with ESPN+ (more on that below), so in addition to all of the channels available on the live streaming service, you also get all of the streaming-exclusive games via the worldwide leader’s platform.

Hulu + Live TV has one of the few guaranteed multi-day free trials in the industry and provides nearly all of the major cable channels on the market. The basic package comes with all of the major broadcast network channels — all of which have college football — ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. It also has ESPN, ESPN2, Big Ten Network, FS1, FS2, ESPNU, CBS Sports Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, and the NFL Network (yes, they have college games) without having to sign up for any sports add-on plans. However, if you do want more sports, you can add NFL RedZone, MLB StrikeZone, FanDuel TV, the Tennis Channel, and more.

What’s great about Hulu + Live TV is that in addition to all of the broadcast and cable channels that you could possibly want, it also comes with the Disney Bundle for free. So, you also get the full on-demand Hulu library, Disney+, and ESPN+, which also has hundreds of college football games every season.

Currently, a subscription to Hulu + Live TV costs $76.99 per month after your three-day free trial. However, that will go up to $82.99 in mid-October. But between now and then, this is the best choice for watching college football


Other Streaming Options for College Football Week 5:


DIRECTV STREAM: $79.99 per month five-day free trial
Sling TV: As low as $40 per month | First month 50% off | Get four months with all sports channels for $199.
Fubo: $84.99 per month, at least a one-day free trial
YouTube TV: $72.99 per month


Join the conversation


Below is your Ohio State vs. Michigan State 2024 game thread. Be respectful, be kind and — as always — keep it classy, BuckeyeNation. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s finish the season strong!

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LGHL Ryan Day provides final updates before Ohio State opens Big Ten play at Michigan State

Ryan Day provides final updates before Ohio State opens Big Ten play at Michigan State
Matt Tamanini
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Marshall v Ohio State

Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!


For your Earholes...


Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio


On the Gridiron


Ryan Day is wrong, there is plenty to feel good about concerning this Ohio State team
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ryan Day provides update on Jayden Fielding, kicking situation for Week 5
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Ryan Day Radio Show: Ryan Day Says Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles is “Very Dangerous” and That the Spartans “Certainly Have Our Attention” As Ohio State Starts Big Ten Play
Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors


How can Ohio State football beat Michigan State? Three keys for its Big Ten opener
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Three Keys for Buckeyes in primetime showdown at Michigan State
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Ohio State has owned Michigan State football lately; the MSU defense wants to end that
Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press

Things you need to know about Michigan State — and a few you don’t need to know, but are fun anyway
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land


ICYMI‼️ Ryan Day and the Buckeyes spoke to the media yesterday ahead of their first B1G Ten matchup of the season ✨

For more on the Buckeyes⬇️#GoBucks | https://t.co/jxMn2cbilq pic.twitter.com/b6yI5Vm5Hb

— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) September 26, 2024

Football: Cody Simon Named to Witten Man of the Year Watch List
Oio State Athletics

Film Study: Curious Decisions with the Defensive Structure and More Dominance on the Ground Against Marshall
Kyle Jones, Eleven Warriors

Evaluating grades beyond box score as Buckeyes head into Big Ten opener
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes

Jeremiah Smith still learning from mistakes amid incredible start to career
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row


#CFB’s Fastest Five Players of Week 4️⃣:

T2. @OhioStateFB’s Quinshon Judkins

RB, 86-yard TD Run 21.4 MPH ⚡@quinshon_ #BuckeyeNation #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/FMEMDTMbdG

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 25, 2024

Ryan Day confident in Tegra Tshabola, Austin Siereveld; Buckeyes will continue to rotate at right guard
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Patience a virtue? OSU’s Jackson learned it with hamstring injury
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

MC&J: Week 5 in the Big Ten features Ohio State’s first road game
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land


On the Hardwood


Cotie McMahon earns preseason All-Big Ten honor for Ohio State women’s basketball
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land


OSU hoops coach Jake Diebler must win now
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State men’s basketball player preview: Sean Stewart
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land


And now for something completely different...


Cannot wait for Season 2 to come out.


Season II.

The HBO Original Series #TheLastOfUs returns in 2025 on Max. #TLOUDay pic.twitter.com/Wdzk759JIg

— Max (@StreamOnMax) September 26, 2024

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LGHL MC&J: Georgia and Alabama’s clash is the star of Week 5’s national slate

MC&J: Georgia and Alabama’s clash is the star of Week 5’s national slate
Brett Ludwiczak
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Tennessee Tech v Georgia

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Picks for the Bulldogs-Crimson Tide and six other fun games nationally on Saturday’s schedule.

Last week ATS: 11-8 (4-3 National, 7-5 B1G)

Season ATS: 42-38 (13-12 National, 29-26 B1G)


My picks for this week’s games involving Big Ten teams can be found here.


National games:


No. 20 Oklahoma State v. No. 23 Kansas State (-4.5) - 12:00 p.m. ET - ESPN

Both Oklahoma State and Kansas State enter this game coming off tough losses. The fourth quarter rally of the Cowboys against Utah fell short, while the Wildcats were dominated by BYU in Provo. With each team having a conference loss, this has the feel of an elimination game in the Big 12.

Where has Ollie Gordon II been this season? After rushing for 126 yards in the opener against South Dakota State, the Oklahoma State running back hasn’t cracked 50 yards on the ground in the last three games. The Cowboys need Gordon to get back on track since Alan Bowman is a decent quarterback, he’s just not a game-changer.

On the other hand, Avery Johnson has the potential to be the difference in games. I’ll chalk up his performance against BYU to it being his first real road test. The Wildcats completely shut down Arizona in Manhattan a couple of weeks ago and I can see them making life miserable for Mike Gundy and company.

Kansas State 35, Oklahoma State 20



No. 22 BYU v. Baylor (-3.5) - 12:00 p.m. ET - FS1

What am I missing here? Sure BYU has to hit the road, but it’s not like Waco has any mystique as a place that is tough to win at. Also, you have to wonder what letting Colorado tie the game on a hail mary on the last play of the fourth quarter, followed by losing in overtime will do to the Bears.

BYU v SMU
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

BYU is looking better with each outing. The Cougars have won three of four games by at least 20 points, with their only tight game being an 18-15 win at SMU. Could we have a Jake Retzlaff Heisman campaign starting? Even though I’m joking about that, the BYU quarterback has been very impressive this season. Retzlaff adds to his legend by keeping the Cougars undefeated with a win in Waco on Saturday

BYU 27, Baylor 17



No. 15 Louisville v. No. 16 Notre Dame (-6.5) - 3:30 p.m. ET - Peacock

Notre Dame has rebounded from their shocking loss to Northern Illinois with wins over Purdue and Miami (OH). I’m still not sold on the Fighting Irish, though. Riley Leonard is very pedestrian at quarterback, which could make a huge difference in this game. We saw in their loss earlier this season just how much Leonard can’t be trusted when the pressure is raised.

Do you want to know who has been sneaky good this year? Louisville’s Tyler Shough. The former Oregon and Texas Tech quarterback hasn’t thrown a pick so far in three games this year while tossing eight touchdowns. After doubting the Cardinals last week against Georgia Tech, I joined the bandwagon and backed them to add to Marcus Freeman’s problems.

Louisville 31, Notre Dame 27



Arkansas v. No. 24 Texas A&M (-3.5) - 3:30 p.m. ET - ESPN

I’m trying to figure out why Texas A&M is ranked aside from the voters trying to pack the poll with SEC teams. The Aggies lost at home to Notre Dame, won in Gainesville against a weak Florida team, and struggled with Bowling Green. You can’t honestly tell me they are one of the best 25 teams in the country.

Arkansas has to be kicking themselves for not finishing off Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Imagine where a 5-0 Razorbacks team would be ranked! Taylen Green has been entertaining this year. It hasn’t all been good, but at least it has been fun to watch. Running back Ja’Quindon Johnson already has eight rushing touchdowns this year, cracking 100 yards on the ground in three of four games.

The annual meeting in JerryWorld so be another interesting contest. This feels like SEC version of El Assico. I like how Arkansas has been playing more than the Aggies this year, so I’ll grab the points on the neutral field.

Arkansas 28, Texas A&M 24



No. 21 Oklahoma (-2.5) v. Auburn - 3:40 p.m. ET - ABC

This game has beautiful disaster written all over it. Oklahoma had an SEC debut they would love to forget, not putting up much of a fight in Norman against former quarterback and assistant coach Josh Heupel and his Tennessee Volunteers. Adding to their issues, there are quarterback issues with Jackson Arnold having some underwhelming performances.

Auburn is also coming off a 10-point loss at home in their SEC opener against Arkansas. The Tigers already have two losses at Jordan-Hare after falling to Cal a few weeks ago. Even though Auburn’s offense hasn’t look good, I just think Oklahoma has some problems right now on offense. This feels like a low-scoring game with some shenanigans.

Auburn 23, Oklahoma 20



No. 2 Georgia (-2.5) v. No. 4 Alabama - 7:30 p.m. ET - ABC

Normally we would be salivating for this matchup. With the expansion of the playoff, the game loses a bit of luster just because there’s a very good chance we could see this in the SEC Championship Game, and in the playoff. This will be the first installment of Kirby Smart against Kalen DeBoer.

Last time we saw the Crimson Tide they were toying with Wisconsin in Madison. Jalen Milroe has yet to throw an interception this year and rushed for two touchdowns in each of Alabama’s first three games. The level of difficulty will turn up on Saturday night when he tries to solve a Georgia defense that has yet to allow a touchdown.

Both teams will be coming off bye weeks, so they are fresh. I have a feeling Georgia is going to respond a little better. I’m sure Kirby Smart wasn’t too happy with a 13-12 win last time out at Kentucky and he likely let his team know about it the last two weeks. The same mistakes won’t be made on Saturday.

Georgia 31, Alabama 21



Washington State v. No. 25 Boise State (-7.5) - 10:00 p.m. ET - FS1

This matchup is fascinating to me. Washington State is undefeated and if they beat the Broncos they would have an inside track to the Group of Five playoff spot since they have a manageable schedule the rest of the way. John Mateer has been a fun watch this season. The quarterback has 16 total touchdowns for the Cougars, who are coming off a thrilling 54-52 overtime win against San Jose State.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 20 San Jose State at Washington State
Photo by Oliver McKenna/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Winning in Boise won’t be easy. The Broncos are 2-1 this year, with their only setback being a close loss in Eugene to Oregon. Running back Ashton Jeanty has run wild so far this season, rolling up nearly 600 yards and nine touchdowns this year.

I’m rooting for the Washington State magic to continue so I’ll take the points here. Mateer outduels Jeanty on the blue turf in a high-scoring thriller.

Washington State 38, Boise State 34

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LGHL Ohio State v. Michigan State: 2024 game preview and prediction

Ohio State v. Michigan State: 2024 game preview and prediction
Brett Ludwiczak
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 14 Prairie View A&M at Michigan State

Photo by Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ohio State hits the road for the first time this season, taking on Michigan State on Saturday night.

After not being challenged in their first three games of the season, Ohio State will not only hit the road for the first time this season, the Buckeyes will also be playing their first conference game of the season on Saturday night when they take on the Michigan State Spartans.

Ryan Day’s team opened up their season by beating Akron, Western Michigan, and Marshall by a combined score of 157-20. Last time out, Ohio State got off to a slow start against Marshall, allowing the Thundering Herd to march down the field and take a 7-0 lead. The Buckeyes responded quickly with a 68-yard touchdown pass from Will Howard to Emeka Egbuka on their second offensive play of the game.

Howard would lead the offense on three more touchdown drives to open up a 28-7 lead before Marshall answered with a touchdown before half. After the break, the Buckeyes would tack on three more touchdowns to earn a 49-14 win.

Now Ohio State will try and continue their recent dominance of Michigan State, having won eight straight meetings with the Spartans. Under Ryan Day, Ohio State is 5-0 against Michigan State, averaging 569.8 yards and 45.8 points per game against the Spartans. During that span, the Buckeye defense has given up just 52 points to Michigan State.


History against Sparty


Even though Ohio State has been in control of recent meetings with the Spartans, Michigan State has been a thorn in the side of some of the best Buckeye squads. Since 1972, the Spartans have beaten top-five ranked Ohio State teams five times. Most recently. Michigan State won 17-14 in Columbus in 2015, handing the Buckeyes their first and only loss of the season.

Overall, Ohio State holds a 37-15 edge in the series, with a 19-5 record in East Lansing.


Continuing to carve up defenses


Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson followed up their performance against Western Michigan with another strong outing last week. The dynamic duo scored two rushing touchdowns each for the second straight game, marking the first time since 2014 the Buckeyes have had two players run for at least two touchdowns in consecutive games.

Against Michigan 10 years ago, Ezekiel Elliott and J.T. Barrett each found the end zone twice on the ground, followed by Elliott and Curtis Samuel scoring twice each the next week in the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin.

Marshall v Ohio State
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images

Judkins not only cracked 3,000 career rushing yards with his 173 yards rushing last week, his 86-yard touchdown was the third-longest in school history. Henderson is 48 yards away from also reaching 3,000 career rushing yards. When he reaches that mark he will pass Carlos Snow for 12th-most rushing yards in school history. With two more trips to the end zone, Henderson will tie Barrett and J.K. Dobbins for fifth in school history with 43 touchdowns scored.

After Jeremiah Smith received most of the attention in the first two games, Emeka Egbuka made his mark early against Marshall, taking a Will Howard screen pass 68 yards for a score. Egbuka finished with five catches for 117 yards in the victory. Now Egbuka sits three catches away from passing Santonio Holmes for 10th in school history, and is 90 yards from tying Garrett Wilson’s 2,213 receiving yards, which currently sits 11th in Ohio State history.

Smith wasn’t silent on Saturday, finishing with 70 yards and a touchdown on his three catches, including a 53-yard touchdown in the third quarter. With the score, Smith became the first known Buckeye true freshman receiver to score a touchdown in his first three games. Along with Egbuka and Smith, sophomore Carnell Tate was the third Ohio State receiver last week to record at least 60 yards, finishing with 64 yards on four catches.

Aside from throwing his first interception as a Buckeye, Will Howard had another solid performance on Saturday, missing on only four of his 20 pass attempts, throwing for 275 yards and two scores, while adding a rushing touchdown to his stat line. Through three games, Howard has nearly 800 yards passing and eight total touchdowns, completing over 75 percent of his pass attempts.

With his experience at Kansas State, Howard won’t be flustered by the Buckeyes heading into enemy territory for the first time this season.


The defense still looks nasty


Despite allowing their first touchdown of the season, Ohio State’s defense had another strong performance against Marshall. The Buckeye defense took a drive to wake up against the Thundering Herd, as Stone Earle’s running and throwing ability had them on their heels early.

Following the 75-yard opening drive from Marshall, Ohio State gave up less than 200 yards the rest of the game. The Buckeyes have been especially stingy after halftime, allowing just 160 total yards and no points in the second half of their three games so far.

One reason Ohio State might have struggled early against Marshall is because of the absence of defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, who missed the game due to an elbow injury. Luckily the injury isn’t one that is expected to sideline Williams for an extended amount of time, and it’s likely he’ll be available to play on Saturday night. Williams is tied with J.T. Tuimoloau for the team lead with 1.5 sacks. As a whole, the defense has nine sacks and 22 tackles for loss through the first three games of the season.

Lathan Ransom continues to be a tackling machine for Ohio State, finishing with a team-high eight tackles against Marshall, while Sonny Styles recorded seven tackles, and Denzel Burke had six stops. Through three games, Ransom is the team leader in tackles, as he has been credited with 19 tackles.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 21 Marshall at Ohio State
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeye secondary has shown how complete they are this year, making opponents fight for every reception while tackling everything in front of them. What makes this group even scarier is Caleb Downs hasn’t yet some of those huge impact plays like were seen from him last year at Alabama.

Upcoming opponents should be fearful that the Ohio State secondary hasn’t yet hit their top speed yet, and they are still shutting down everything thrown at them in the first three games.


How season of the Spartans has gone so far


Michigan State will enter Saturday’s game angry after suffering their first loss of the season last week, falling 23-19 to Boston College in Chestnut Hill. The Spartans took a 19-16 lead with just over four minutes left in the game when Jonathan Kim hit a 27-yard field goal. Michigan State couldn’t make the lead stick, as Boston College used a 42-yard touchdown pass with 1:28 left to take the lead for good.

The setback was the first for the Spartans under Jonathan Smith, who is in his first year as head coach after spending the last six years in charge at Oregon State. After struggling in their season-opening win over Florida Atlantic, Michigan State won their first conference game of the season, using a fourth quarter comeback to win at Maryland. Following the win over the Terrapins, the Spartans shutout Prairie View A&M 40-0 before suffering the loss to the Golden Eagles last week.


What to expect from Michigan State on offense


Not only did Jonathan Smith join Michigan State from Oregon State, also new to East Lansing are former Oregon State quarterback Aidan Chiles and tight end Jack Velling. After serving as backup quarterback last year, Chiles is now the starter for Michigan State.

Chiles can be electrifying at times, but he also has made some poor decisions in the first four games, throwing seven interceptions. Along with his throwing ability, Ohio State will have to be aware of the run threat Chiles brings to the game, already scoring three rushing touchdowns this year.

So far this season, Michigan State has utilized two running backs. Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams is a sixth-year graduate transfer from UMass and has carried the football 49 times for 271 yards, while Nate Carter has 47 carries for 27 yards. Both backs have found the end zone once through the first four games. Last week against Boston College, Lynch-Adams had 61 yards in the return to the state where he spent most of his college football career.

Early in the season, Chiles formed a connection with freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh. The duo were critical to the comeback win over Maryland, with Marsh hauling in eight passes for 194 yards and a score. Unfortunately Marsh was injured the following week against Prairie View A&M and missed the Boston College game.

With Marsh on the sidelines, last week Montorie Foster Jr. caught four passes for a team-high 87 yards. Foster enters Saturday night’s contest with a team-high 17 catches.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 14 Prairie View A&M at Michigan State
Photo by Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

As mentioned earlier, Jack Velling followed Smith from Corvallis to East Lansing. Last year Velling had a breakout season, finishing with eight touchdowns for the Beavers. While Velling hasn’t found the end zone yet this season, it is obvious Velling and Chiles have comfort in the passing game from their time together last year.

Through four games as a Spartan, Velling has caught 12 passes for 159 yards, catching half of those passes in last week’s loss.


Sparty on defense


Ohio State will need their offensive line to continue to be at the top of their game on Saturday night since Michigan State has done a great job at creating pressure so far this season. The Spartans are currently second in the FBS with 15 sacks and lead the Big Ten with 32 tackles for loss.

Leading the team in sacks are defensive end Khris Bogle and linebacker Jordan Turner, with each Spartan registering three sacks through four games. Turner has six TFLs, while Bogle sits just behind him with five TFLs. The sixth-year senior Bogle transferred to Michigan State from Florida three years ago.

Another sixth-year senior has been starting at defensive tackle for the Spartans this year. D’Quan Douse transferred into the program from Georgia Tech during the offseason and has started all four games this season. A couple of Michigan products round out the line. Defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren from Bay City missed all of last year due to injury, while Jalen Thompson from Cass Tech occupies the other defensive end spot.

Michigan State v Maryland
Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Leading the linebacker group for Michigan State is Cal Haladay, who has started 27 straight games and has 326 career tackles. Haladay not only has led the team in tackles three years straight, he has scored three defensive touchdowns. After four years at Wisconsin, Jordan Turner transferred into the program in January and has made an immediate impact. Expect to see Wayne Matthews III and Jordan Hall at linebacker at times during the game.

While the Michigan State secondary will be tested by Ohio State’s receivers, the Spartans have some playmakers in the defensive backfield. Against Prairie View A&M, Charles Brantley returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, which is not only the longest defensive play in school history, it is the 16th 100-yard play in Big Ten history. The redshirt junior has two picks on the year and four passes defensed.

Ohio native Angelo Grose has played in 44 career games, starting 38 contests. Grose not only has an interception, he has also forced a fumble this season. Nikai Martinez, Ed Woods, and Malik Spencer are the rest of the starters for Michigan State in the secondary.


Very special teams


One area where the Spartans have been exceptional this year is on special teams. Kicker Jonathan Kim has hit all eight of his field goal attempts, with his biggest kick being the game-winner with a second remaining against Maryland. Punter Ryan Eckley is averaging 50.3 yards per punt and is on the Ray Guy Award watch list.

If Michigan State wants to have any shot at upsetting the Buckeyes they’ll need both to continue kicking at a high level.


Prediction


There’s no question Smith has stabilized the program after the Mel Tucker fiasco. After winning their first three games, the Spartans did have their first hiccup against Boston College last week. Saturday’s game against Ohio State is likely going to be tough for Smith and his team to stomach since the Buckeyes are so talented, but it will likely make them even hungrier for success going forward.

Where Michigan State is going to have problems in this game is with their inconsistency. Aside from the Prairie View A&M contest, the Spartans haven’t put together a full game of good football. Michigan State struggled in the second half against Florida Atlantic, had shaky moments against Maryland, and faltered late last week. To beat Ohio State, you have to be great for 60 minutes.

The Buckeyes need at least a little resistance with games against Iowa and Oregon following this game. At least Ohio State should be pushed a little without being on upset alert. Will Howard will have no problem dealing with the crowd in East Lansing since he has been in more hostile environments during his time at Kansas State. To win, Michigan State is going to have to force Howard into making mistakes, and that likely won’t happen.

Where the Buckeyes should be able to have success is getting after Chiles and creating turnovers. Chiles already has seven interceptions this year and the Buckeyes will be hungry for turnovers after not forcing any against Marshall. If Ohio State is able to force one early it could rattle the redshirt freshman and lead to more and an easy Buckeye victory.

LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 45, Michigan State 17


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LGHL Life in Simulation: EA CFB 25 predicts Ohio State vs. Michigan State

Life in Simulation: EA CFB 25 predicts Ohio State vs. Michigan State
Gene Ross
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Marshall v Ohio State

Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images

The virtual Buckeyes take on the virtual Spartans in Week 5.

College football finally returned to the virtual world in 2024 with the release of EA Sports College Football 25, allowing fans of all 134 FBS schools to take control of their favorite team. For Buckeye Nation, that means getting to dominate with one of the best rosters in the game,

The new game also allows us to get a glimpse at what the season could look like, at least if the computers had their say. Each week, Land-Grant Holy Land will simulate
Ohio State’s real-life matchup to see what our AI overlords think will happen.

Here are the results of our Week 5 sim:

Ohio State 48 - Michigan State 17


Ohio State got off to a bit of a slow start in this week’s sim, leading just 7-0 after the first quarter, but a 24-point second quarter opened the door for an eventual Buckeyes blowout. Michigan State scored all 17 of its points in the second half, as the Silver Bullets held the Spartans to 70 yards rushing and 118 yards passing while Ohio State put up 503 yards of offense of their own in the lopsided victory.

Quinshon Judkins opened up the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, and nobody would score again until a Jayden Fielding field goal made it 10-0 to begin the second quarter. From there, Will Howard found three different Ohio State receivers for touchdowns in the frame, with a 32-yard TD by Emeka Egbuka followed up by a pair of 5-yard TDs by Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith as the Buckeyes took a 31-0 lead into halftime.

Ohio State opened the third quarter Wirth a 44-yard field goal, and a few minutes later Michigan State scored its first points of the game on a 20-yard touchdown run by Nate Carter as the two teams entered the fourth quarter in a 34-7 game. The Buckeyes added on to their lead on the first two drives of the final period with a 9-yard TD catch by Gee Scott Jr. and a two-yard TD run by TreVeyon Henderson to make it 48-7, and from there the offense just looked to run out the clock.

The Spartans made the most of garbage time, scoring another 10 points in the final five minutes of action on a 51-yard field goal by Noah Jim and a 54-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Alante Brown as we reached the final score of 48-17.

Will Howard completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts for 256 yards and four touchdowns with one interception, adding another 20 yards on the ground. Henderson and Judkins were both efficient, averaging nearly five yards per carry on 183 combined yards with a touchdown apiece. Egbuka led the way in the receiving yards department with four catches for 77 yards and the score, while Smith led the way in catches with five for 57 and the TD.

Defensively, Davison Igbinosun paced the group with six total tackles, followed closely by Denzel Burke and Jack Sawyer with five each. Sawyer also led the team with two tackles for loss, with Jordan Hancock and Kayden McDonald each recording one TFL as well, and the defensive line trio of Sawyer, Tyleik Williams and Tyler Bourne (J.T. Tuimoloau) each tallied one sack. Hancock recorded the defense’s lone takeaway on an interception, as he and Sonny Styles tied for the team lead with two PBU’s apiece.

For Michigan State, Aidan Chiles completed only nine of his 27 pass attempts for 118 yards with one TD and one pick. Nate Carter put together a decent day on the ground with 12 carries for 77 yards, but 44 of those yards came on the one long TD run at the end of the game (33 yards on his other 11 carries). No Spartan receiver recorded more than two catches, with Brown’s long score late rewarding him a team-high 63 yards on two receptions followed by two catches for 25 yards for tight end Jack Velling.

Ohio State’s offense was almost perfectly balanced, with 256 yards passing and 249 yards rushing. They dominated on the conversion stats, with 24 first downs to Michigan State’s six and 9-of-15 on third down compared to the Spartans’ 2-of-13. The Buckeyes also held the ball for the majority of the contest, finishing with 41:58 of possession time to just 18:02 for Michigan State.



The virtual Buckeyes move to 4-0 on the year. Check back next week to see how Ohio State actually performed on the field compared to the simulation, and see how they fare in our Week 6 simulation against Iowa.

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