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Game Thread Ohio State at Michigan State, 11/19/16, 12p ET ESPN/WatchESPN

MICHIGAN STATE QUOTEBOOK: GAREON CONLEY WON'T LET THE GAME BALL OUT OF HIS SIGHT, WHY SPARTY WENT FOR TWO AND WEATHER WREAKS HAVOC ON PASSING GAME

Dantonio elected to go for 2 and the lead, sensing the need to force Ohio State's offense to become an aggressor once again even though it reverted back to the opposite after taking the lead. Mired in a 3-win season, he kept his foot on the pedal—a move that surprised Meyer.

“I was somewhat surprised but I've been in that situation before where you have all kinds of momentum and swing and try to have a knockout punch,” Meyer said.

“All week long I had said that if we get close at the end of the game, we're going for two,” Dantonio said. “We're going to take an aggressive approach and play to win the football game, rather than tie the football game. So, that felt like what we wanted to do.”

More quotes: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...his-sight-why-sparty-went-for-two-and-weather

Hey, at least he didn't say: "because you can't go for three"....:lol:
 
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THREE KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYS PRESERVED OHIO STATE'S 17-16 WIN OVER MICHIGAN STATE AND SAVED THE BUCKEYES' SEASON

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The message, Tyquan Lewis insisted, was rather simple.

“End the game,” Ohio State’s redshirt junior defensive end said. “The plan was to get off the field, get the ball back to the offense, take a knee and get out.”

That’s all the Buckeyes had to do because if they didn’t, their season was essentially over. A Big Ten championship game appearance would be all but dead. The College Football Playoff? Kiss that goodbye.

If Ohio State’s defense didn’t figure out a way to stop Michigan State with 2 minutes, 4 seconds remaining on the clock Saturday, all would, essentially, be lost.

The Buckeyes were clinging to a one-point lead, ahead 17-16 after Spartans coach Mark Dantonio opted to go for a two-point conversion after his team scored with 4:53 to play in the game. Ohio State intercepted Tyler O’Connor’s pass to preserve that one-point lead.

After the Buckeyes found some success and picked up a first down, however, a couple of holding penalties caused their drive to stall and Ohio State was forced to punt.

O’Connor and the Spartans took over at their own 20-yard line, down by one, with just over two minutes to play. All Michigan State needed was a field goal — the same way the Spartans stunned the Buckeyes one year ago at Ohio Stadium.

But on the first play of this crucial drive, Lewis got around the edge and blasted O’Connor. The ball came free, but Michigan State recovered. Still, it was a loss of eight yards and the clock continued to tick. Time was running out on the Spartans.

O’Connor quickly took the next snap, looked right and sent a pass in the direction of wide receiver Monty Madaris. The Buckeyes had two defenders standing in the area, and it was junior cornerback Gareon Conley who came away with the interception.

Ohio State’s season was saved and it was the defense that did it.

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...-michigan-state-and-saved-the-buckeyes-season
 
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THREE KEY STATS: THE URBAN MEYER-MARK DANTONIO DOGFIGHTS, TURNOVERS AND FIELD POSITION HELP OHIO STATE TOP MICHIGAN STATE

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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Ohio State's players said all week records didn't matter when the Buckeyes locked horns with Michigan State. The Spartans had nothing to lose on their Senior Day. Urban Meyer and his coaching staff went conservative in frigid temperatures and impossible throwing conditions.

Complaints from the outside world will be there this week as the Buckeyes turn their attention to archrival Michigan. But above all, the scoreboard read 17-16 in favor of Ohio State when it struck zero on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing.

Here are three key stats to Ohio State's 10th win of the 2016 season, one that keeps its slim chances at playing for a Big Ten Championship and making the College Football Playoff alive.

COMBINED SCORE BETWEEN MICHIGAN STATE AND OHIO STATE THE LAST FIVE SEASONS: 121-120

In an effort to illustrate just how close games between Mark Dantonio's and Meyer's teams are, this tidbit gets first attention. Before Saturday, the Buckeyes and Spartans were an even 106-106 through their last four contests, or since Meyer arrived in Columbus ahead of the 2012 season.

Another close affair ensued even with Michigan State's 2016 ugly record, which now sits at 3-8. Dantonio pulled out all the stops—a fake punt in the fourth quarter in an effort to even the score, excellent use of misdirection to spring L.J. Scott on the first drive of the game and given his team an early lead and a quarterback rotation just to give the Buckeyes something different to think about defensively.

It almost resulted in an upset that would have made Michigan State's season and dashed Ohio State's. But Gareon Conley's interception of Tyler O'Connor with 1:30 left on the clock sealed the deal in an otherwise evenly played game, at least from a statistic standpoint.

Meyer is now 3-2 against Dantonio lifetime. The third victory came by the skin of his teeth on a blustery and stark day at Spartan Stadium.

OHIO STATE WINS TURNOVER BATTLE
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continued

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...d-field-position-help-ohio-state-top-michigan
 
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FWIW, (for you out of towners) here are a few articles in the local paper.....

Ohio State vs. Michigan State | Rob Oller: Narrow win won't help, but OSU still has playoff case

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/con...wont-help-but-osu-still-has-playoff-case.html

No. 2 Ohio State 17, Michigan State 16 | A win to be thankful for

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2016/11/20/osu-michigan-state/osu-msu-gamer.html

Ohio State vs. Michigan State | Opposite sideline: Pass on two-point conversion try backfires

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/con...ate/osu-michigan-state-opposite-sideline.html
 
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You could just as easily infer that we have done these things to ourselves. When we see a good team, on the road, with weather conditions we allow ourselves to become mentally ill prepared for it. We allow ourselves to play to their advantages.

certainly possible. but before i consider this likely i would need to see any indication of this occurring in any other situation what so ever. thus far i have not. other than not being able to throw in insanely poor weather conditions (seems like a no brainer), i personally have seen no indication that the team has been mentally unprepared for any game. not saying it hasn't happened... have you seen this? if so, what game(s) and or situations?
 
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