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Game Thread Game Seven: #1 Ohio State 38, Michigan State 7 (10/14/06)

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Haha... during halftime of the Florida-Auburn game, Rece Davis introduced the Ginn punt return highlight by saying, "Ohio State took on M*ch*g*n State today in East Lansing, but Sparty won't be involved in this highlight..." He was right. There was a lot of green in the picture - it just wasn't green jerseys.

:lol:
 
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Did Teddy really change anything about his return game today? Or did he just FINALLY get someone to punt deep to him, and get some blocking? I seem to remember him having a nice return a few games ago when someone punted deep.


Gotta say, I'm a bit sad we broke out the Ginn reverse pass play... I was hoping we'd save that for UM.
 
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jwinslow;633875; said:
Did Teddy really change anything about his return game today? Or did he just FINALLY get someone to punt deep to him, and get some blocking? I seem to remember him having a nice return a few games ago when someone punted deep.


Gotta say, I'm a bit sad we broke out the Ginn reverse pass play... I was hoping we'd save that for UM.
Click to expand...

Don't worry. There's still a little somethin' somethin' in the back of the playbook waiting for LLLLoyd. Now it's on film, they're gonna have to prepare for it, and it's gonna set up something else.
 
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No doubter: Bucks shelve downtrodden Spartans early
By JON SPENCER
NNCO

EAST LANSING, Mich. ? Brave the wind and cold to watch Michigan State bomb in another football game or head indoors to catch the World Series-bound Detroit Tigers on TV?
Top-ranked Ohio State solved that dilemma for the boo-birds Saturday, giving a frazzled and freezing home crowd every reason to bail early in a 38-7 clobbering of the Spartans and their woozy quarterback.
So much for a rerun of 1998 and 1974, when Michigan State knocked OSU from the top of the polls. So much for all the talk about these Buckeyes (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten)walking into a trap.

?None of the guys on this team think we are the hunted; we do the hunting,? quarterback Troy Smith said after completing 15 of 22 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns on the blustery afternoon.

?Hopefully (our) ranking lets everybody else know we set the bar. We have to be on top of everything. We?re not hunted. We come out every game and play with the same mentality ? that?s dominate, dominate, dominate.?

Fans began squirming in their seats when Ted Ginn Jr. raced 60 yards with a punt to make it 17-0 in the second quarter. A few minutes later they started streaming across the foot bridges outside Spartan Stadium after Smith?s 12-yard TD pass to Anthony Gonzalez made it 24-0 with 1:48 left in the first half.

Quarterback Drew Stanton was right behind them.

The gutsy senior, already playing with bruised ribs and sacked three times, exited midway the third quarter after hitting his head on a cooler on the OSU sidelines while being chased by linebacker Marcus Freeman.

Stanton, second in the Big Ten in total offense entering the game, was held to 48 yards (minus-six rushing). The Spartans (3-4, 0-3) were outgained 421-198 and didn?t score until the final minute. Five Buckeyes found the end zone.

It was painful for partisans to watch. The scoreboard operator finally took mercy on the Spartans and their faithful, putting the Tigers-A?s playoff game on the large video screen with 8:33 left in the game.

?We played an awfully good football team and we?ve got to give them credit,? said embattled MSU coach John L. Smith, now 0-8 in his tenure against OSU and Michigan. ?We had an opportunity or two early that we needed to capitalize on and we didn?t, which made for a long day.?

As usual, self-destruction played a big part in the Spartans? fourth straight loss. They had a chance to seize control at the outset on Chris Wells? fumble at the OSU 31. But a pass to tailback Jehuu Caulcrick that carried to the 1 was called back by holding. Then on third down from the 25, Stanton was sacked for a 16-yard loss by James Laurinaitis, taking his team out of field goal range.

Before the game got out of reach, Michigan State had other drives that started at the OSU 44 and its own 48, but failed to capitalize. Quinn Pitcock came up with big plays on both series, stopping Stanton on a fourth-down keeper and then sacking him for a seven-yard loss.

?This was the first time we really put our defense in a predicament, but they didn?t blink,? coach Jim Tressel said, referring to MSU?s opening possession. ?We flat-out stopped them. Talk about tables getting turned, that was huge.?

The offense thanked the defense by driving 80 yards on its second series, capped by Antonio Pittman?s two-yard run. The carnage was underway.

Ginn?s punt return TD was his sixth, giving him the Big Ten career record he had shared with Iowa?s Tim Dwight. He also scored on a 60-yard return here two years ago, part of a three-touchdown performance in a comeback win over the Spartans.

?Same way, same side, same distance,? said Ginn, who dodged one tackle immediately after fielding the punt and flew untouched down the left side. It?s a great feeling. It?s something you have to experience on your own ? like having a kid, I guess.?

When Smith and Gonzalez hooked up on their TD after an interception by Freeman inside Spartan territory, many in the crowd of 73,498 had seen enough.

?We faced some tough situations, but our coaches are always telling us to prepare for anything,? Freeman said. ?It was like we were telling (the Spartans), ?Hey, we?re here. We?re ready to play.?
 
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No. 1 Ohio St. Dominates Michigan St.
Oct 14, 8:07 PM EDT
By TIM MARTIN
Associated Press Writer

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Top-ranked Ohio State has Heisman Trophy contender Troy Smith, the explosive Ted Ginn Jr. and a potent running game.
The Buckeyes' defense doesn't get as much publicity, but it can be just as dominant as their offense.
The Ohio State defense battered and bruised Michigan State in a 38-7 victory Saturday. The Buckeyes (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) narrowly missed a shutout, giving up a meaningless TD to the reeling Spartans (3-4, 0-3) with just more than a minute left to play.
The victory extends the nation's longest winning streak to 14 games, and the Buckeyes appear to have a fairly clear path in the Big Ten until it hosts No. 4 Michigan in the last game of the regular season Nov. 18.
The Buckeyes - despite heavy losses from last year's defense - are allowing just nine points per game.
"I face them all the time in practice," Smith said of his buddies on D. "They make me better every day."
Smith did nothing to hurt his Heisman Trophy candidacy, smoothly leading the Ohio State offense. He completed 15 of 22 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
Anthony Gonzalez caught seven passes for 118 yards and a TD, while Ginn returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown.
Michigan State entered the game averaging 31 points per contest. But the Spartans gained just 79 yards in the first half and trailed 24-0 at the break.
The Spartans had upset the Buckeyes the last two times they played with Ohio State ranked No. 1 - in 1974 and 1998.
There was no threat of a similar upset Saturday.
Michigan State won three straight to start the season, including a quality win at Pitt. But the Spartans have struggled since blowing a 16-point, fourth-quarter lead and losing to Notre Dame on Sept. 23. They've now lost four straight, making coach John L. Smith's future with the school somewhat murky.
The Spartans had an early chance to steal momentum from Ohio State, recovering Chris Wells' fumble at the Buckeyes' 31 just three plays into the game. But a holding penalty and a sack took the Spartans out of scoring range.
"We had an opportunity early," John L. Smith said. "We needed to capitalize on it. We didn't capitalize on it."
Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis made the sack on quarterback Drew Stanton, throwing him for a 16-yard loss.
"We were in control the whole game," Laurinaitis said. "But that first sack turned momentum around."
Ohio State responded with an 80-yard, 12-play drive - capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Antonio Pittman - to take a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. A 37-yard catch by Ginn, who broke a tackle near midfield, moved the Buckeyes into Michigan State territory.
Michigan State drove to the Ohio State 36 early in the second quarter, but failed on a fourth-and-2 on a draw by Stanton.
Ohio State then marched downfield and took a 10-0 lead on Aaron Pettrey's 32-yard field goal.
Stanton was jarred by Ohio State defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock on the Spartans' next possession, appearing to hurt his back. Stanton was knocked out of the game for good midway through the third quarter, hitting his head on a large sideline Gatorade container after a hit by linebacker Marcus Freeman.
He walked back to the Michigan State sideline under his own power, but was replaced by backup Brian Hoyer on the Spartans' next possession. Stanton is expected to be OK but has a sore neck and back, Smith said.
Michigan State defensive back Greg Cooper was carted off the field in the third quarter after tackling Pittman. Cooper briefly lost consciousness but is responding and moving, Michigan State officials said. He was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
The Spartans played the entire game without leading rusher Javon Ringer (knee) and receiver Matt Trannon (ankle).
Stanton completed 8 of 16 passes for 54 yards. He was intercepted by Freeman in the second quarter.
Ginn's punt return made it 17-0 with about five minutes left in the first half, taking Michigan State out of it for good.
"Getting that punt return for a touchdown was gigantic," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.
The Buckeyes have won five straight against Michigan State.
 
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Dye: MSU faithful skip out on another thrashing
Spartans (3-4) look ahead to Northwestern to right ship



EAST LANSING ? It was difficult to tell how much the Michigan State fans were booing Saturday.
They were drowned out by the roars of Ohio State fans during the top-ranked Buckeyes' 38-7 victory.
It was clear by the red jackets in prime-seat locations that some of the Spartans' season-ticket holders decided to sell their tickets.
Many other MSU fans left at halftime ? including much of the student section ? and it just continued the rest of the game until there was more red than green at the end.
Why sit through a rout in the cold weather, especially when there's a certain playoff baseball game on television, right?
?I didn't notice that,? MSU coach John L. Smith said of the crowd, which was announced at 73,498.
To pull the upset, Michigan State would have needed a near-perfect performance, along with turnovers and other mistakes by the Buckeyes (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten).
The Spartans (3-4, 0-3) got some early help when cornerback Greg Cooper recovered a fumble at Ohio State's 31-yard line just 70 seconds into the game.
MSU had a great opportunity to take an early lead and regain some confidence.
It appeared that might happen when Jehuu Caulcrick took a screen pass to inside the Buckeyes' 1-yard line on first down.
However ? and there's always a ?however? these days for the Spartans, isn't there? ? the play was called back because of a holding penalty on freshman receiver T.J. Williams, who started in place of injured Matt Trannon (ankle).
Quarterback Drew Stanton then took a 16-yard sack on third down when he tried to avoid a blitz by linebacker James Laurinaitis, and that knocked Michigan State out of field-goal range.
?You're not going to get many opportunities against that caliber of football team,? Smith said. ?We needed to capitalize on that. When we didn't, we lost a little wind. It made for a long day.?
On the next possession, two more holding penalties ? one on receiver Carl Grimes, the other on right tackle Jesse Miller ? ultimately left MSU with a third-and-21. The Spartans also could do nothing with great field position after starting at Ohio State's 44 and their own 48 on the first two drives of the second quarter.
Those wasted chances proved costly because the Buckeyes couldn't be stopped once they got rolling.
Ted Ginn Jr. scored on a 60-yard punt return with 5:09 left in the first half. The Buckeyes scored again with 39 seconds remaining for a 24-0 halftime lead.
?We couldn't sustain anything offensively,? Smith said. ?There were not a lot of positives on offensive end. We're going to have to get that ironed out. But the defensive kids played hard.?
After getting beat up in consecutive games by two of the nation's best teams, including a 31-13 loss at Michigan, the Spartans' schedule now eases up.
The question is whether they are too mentally and physically beat up at this point to even beat teams such as Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota.
?We're strong guys,? cornerback Demond Williams added. ?We just bounce back. It's all in football. You get banged up, but I don't think it's wearing us down.?
The Indiana game certainly looks a lot more difficult following the Hoosiers' victory Saturday over No. 15 Iowa.
First up, though, comes Northwestern on the road, where MSU will try to snap a four-game losing streak.
?No matter what happens,? Stanton said, ?we have to find a way to win next week.?
 
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Notebook: Several Spartans banged up in rout
Dave Dye / The Detroit News
EAST LANSING ? Michigan State cornerback Greg Cooper sustained a mild head injury during Saturday's 38-7 loss to No. 1 Ohio State.
Cooper was injured late in the third quarter while tackling running back Antonio Pittman. Cooper lost consciousness briefly and was placed on a backboard before being removed from the field.
John Lewandowski, an associate athletics director for media relations, said Cooper was undergoing tests at a hospital.
?Coop should be fine,? coach John L. Smith said. ?He's moving and talking.?
More injuries
Quarterback Drew Stanton left in the third quarter after hitting his neck on a cooler on Ohio State's sideline.
In the first half, Stanton took a shot in his side from defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock.
?I just got whiplash,? Stanton said of the strained neck.
As for Pitcock?s hit, Stanton said, ?It was just a hip-pointer. It wasn't too bad. He just got his helmet in my right hip. My back tightened up a little bit, but it loosened up.?
Defensive end Clifton Ryan (right calf) and linebacker David Herron Jr. (shoulder/neck stinger) also didn't finish the game.
Left tackle Mike Gyetvai didn't play because of a shoulder injury. That moved Pete Clifford from guard to left, with Kenny Shane taking over full-time at guard.
Receiver Matt Trannon also missed the game because of a sprained ankle.
Briefly
The Spartans have five players who are suspended, including reserve defensive back Mike Bell, who has been charged with assault and battery against a female student.
Michigan State had more yards in penalties in the first quarter (30) than rushing (seven) or passing (29).
Ted Ginn Jr.'s 60-yard punt return was his fifth touchdown against MSU in three seasons.
With two of the team's top three tight ends suspended, Brendon Moss, a 6-foot-6, 289-pound redshirt freshman, moved from tackle to tight end.
SirDarean Adams moved from bandit to strong safety while Nehemiah Warrick and Rob Tabatchnick shared the duties at bandit.
Michigan State avoided getting shut out for the first time since 2000 when A.J. Jimmerson scored on a 6-yard run with 1:07 remaining.
Quotable
Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith on receiver Anthony Gonzalez, who caught seven passes for 118 yards and one touchdown: ?That's why we call him ?The Wizard.? If you give him a chance, he is going to do things and see things that will just mesmerize you. He's a great player.?
 
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Report card: Ohio State at Michigan State

What marks did the Buckeyes earn in Saturday's 38-7 win at Michigan State? Gannett News Service beat writer Jon Spencer applies the grades:
OFFENSIVE LINE
With Kirk Barton?s foot problems behind him, the Spartans were no match for a front line at full strength. MSU came in with the Big Ten?s fewest sacks and, true to form, didn?t do anything to throw Troy Smith off his game. The Buckeyes had touchdown drives of 80 and 88 yards, so good work all around.
GRADE: A.
RUNNING GAME
Chris Wells fumbled for the second time this season in a short yardage situation. This time it was deep in his own territory on the opening series, but mistake-prone MSU and the OSU defense bailed him out. Wells and Antonio Pittman had TDs, but the running game total (182 yards) was bolstered by back-to-back reverses by Anthony Gonzalez (29) and Ted Ginn Jr. (16).
GRADE: B-plus.
PASSING GAME
Mark it down as another typical game by Mr. Efficiency. Troy Smith was 15-of-22 for 234 yards and two touchdowns. His best throw with a 7-yard TD strike to Brian Robiskie while shaking off a sack. Anthony Gonzalez had a big day (7 catches, 118 yards) and called the play on his own 12-yard score.
GRADE: A.

DEFENSIVE LINE
It would have been hard to match last year?s effort against the Spartans (12 sacks), but the Buckeyes did get to Drew Stanton four times. Quinn Pitcock had two of the sacks, giving him seven on the season. Jay Richardson had two tackles for loss as MSU was limited to 198 total yards.
GRADE: A.

LINEBACKERS
James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman made quite a tag-team. Laurinaitis? sack on MSU?s first series took the Spartans out of field goal range after an OSU turnover. Freeman had an interception that led to a TD, pushing OSU?s lead to 24-0 at halftime. Two eye-openers were Laurinaitis and Curtis Terry stopping 260-pound tailback Jehuu Caulcrick on solo tackles.
GRADE: A.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
We keep waiting for the sky to fall on a young and revamped secondary and each week the DBs quiet the skeptics. Who would have thought Drew Stanton would be held to 54 yards passing before getting knocked out of the game in the third quarter? Granted, the Spartans were without 6-6 Matt Trannon, but Jerramy Scott was quieted after a big day against OSU last year.
GRADE: A.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Normally, Ted Ginn Jr.?s 60-yard punt return for a TD would have been the big story, but the marquee was crowded on a day the Buckeyes dominated on both sides of the ball. It was Ginn?s sixth punt return TD, giving him the Big Ten career mark. Less appetizing was Demond Williams? 39-yard kickoff return for MSU, but it didn?t result in any points.
GRADE: A-minus.

COACHING
All those history lessons about 1998 and 1974 obviously sunk in. The Buckeyes threw in a couple of reverses and an option pass by Ted Ginn Jr., but why not save them for when they?re really needed? And why was Troy Smith still in there in the fourth quarter of a blowout?
GRADE: B.
 
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osugrad21;633911; said:
COACHING
All those history lessons about 1998 and 1974 obviously sunk in. The Buckeyes threw in a couple of reverses and an option pass by Ted Ginn Jr., but why not save them for when they?re really needed? And why was Troy Smith still in there in the fourth quarter of a blowout?
GRADE: B.
Click to expand...

I wonder if Troy and Co. talked the coaches into letting them do it.
 
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jwinslow;633875; said:
Did Teddy really change anything about his return game today? Or did he just FINALLY get someone to punt deep to him, and get some blocking? I seem to remember him having a nice return a few games ago when someone punted deep.


Gotta say, I'm a bit sad we broke out the Ginn reverse pass play... I was hoping we'd save that for UM.
Click to expand...

Ginn hit that hole FAST... there was an MSU player that could have slowed him down but Teddy blew by him.
 
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jwinslow;633875; said:
Did Teddy really change anything about his return game today? Or did he just FINALLY get someone to punt deep to him, and get some blocking? I seem to remember him having a nice return a few games ago when someone punted deep.


Gotta say, I'm a bit sad we broke out the Ginn reverse pass play... I was hoping we'd save that for UM.
Click to expand...

I thought the same however it give tsun one more thing to prepare for...especially that he may pass
 
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osugrad21;633810; said:
...after the holding call following the initial fumble by tOSU.


JLS just seemed to accept his fate after that one...
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At first I was going to mention that, but looking back even if MSU scored a TD there the eventual outcome would still be the same, just delayed. MSU looked totally uninspired...
 
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