Gene Ross
Guest
Ohio State opens as 29.5-point favorites over 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
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
The Buckeyes return home to face the Spartans on Saturday.
After a two-game road trip that saw Ohio State earn wins over Wisconsin and Rutgers, the Buckeyes now return home to take on Michigan State. The Spartans finally stopped the bleeding of a six-game losing streak with a win over Nebraska on Saturday, but things won’t get any easier when they head to Columbus. Ohio State will look to move to 10-0 on the year, donning its alternate gray jerseys for the game, while 3-6 Michigan State will be looking to pull off one of two huge upsets it would need to reach bowl eligibility.
All lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Now nine games into the season, I think it's safe to say the 2023 Ohio State offense isn’t going to just magically turn it on. It isn’t a bad unit, but it’s certain not up to the lofty standards set by Ryan Day over his first few years at the helm. The Buckeyes rank No. 33 in scoring offense, No. 25 in passing, No. 46 in total offense and No. 90 (!!) in rushing. The rushing numbers will only continue to get better the longer TreVeyon Henderson stays healthy, as the star back turned in another 200-total-yard performance against Rutgers. Still, while Marvin Harrison Jr. remains the best player in the country, this Ohio State offense will only go as far as the quarterback play will allow it.
The defense, on the other hand, remains one of the best units in all of college football. Having held every opponent to 17 points or less this season, the Buckeyes rank second in scoring defense and fifth in total defense nationally. They have been better against the pass than they have against the run, and it was not a particularly stout rushing defense against the Scarlet Knights with Kyle Monangai going off for 159 yards. Still, they were able to keep Rutgers out of the end zone for the majority of the contest even despite missing both starting safeties and their top cornerback. Hopefully they can get everyone back before the team heads to Ann Arbor at season’s end.
Michigan State broke a six-game losing streak this weekend with a 20-17 win over Nebraska. It has not been smooth sledding on either side of the ball for the Spartans, but the offense has been particularly rough. MSU has averaged just 18.2 points per game, good for 123rd of 133 FBS teams. Mel Tucker switched quarterbacks a few games ago, but both Noah Kim and Katin Houser have struggled, combining for nine touchdown passes and eight interceptions. The lone bright spot of the Spartans offense has been running back Nate Carter, who has rushed for 659 yards and four TDs on the year. Montorie Foster has led the way through the air as the only receiver on the team with more than 300 yards.
Michigan State’s defense isn’t completely hopeless as it was last season, but the numbers are still not great. The Spartans rank 74th in scoring defense, allowing 26.6 points per game, while ranking 56th in defending the pass. They did a good job against Nebraska, picking off Heinrich Haarberg twice and also forcing a fumble, but they have really struggled against the good teams on the schedule, allowing 41 points and 49 points to Washington and Michigan, respectively. Still, they have a strong linebacker trio in Cal Haladay, Aaron Brule and Jordan Hall, and DB Jaden Mangham ranks second in the Big Ten with four interceptions. The group as a whole has not performed well, but there are still some playmakers on that side of the ball.
Ohio State has dominated this matchup as of late, winning the last seven meetings between the two teams. The Buckeyes have really had the Spartans number recently, winning the last three meetings by an average of 39.3 points. This Ohio State offense is not nearly as dynamic as it was the last few years, but the defense is much better. Ryan Day’s group probably won’t drop 50 points like they have in two of the last three matchups against Michigan State, but the Spartans will have a tough time putting points on the board, even if the Silver Bullets are playing without a few starters.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
The Buckeyes return home to face the Spartans on Saturday.
After a two-game road trip that saw Ohio State earn wins over Wisconsin and Rutgers, the Buckeyes now return home to take on Michigan State. The Spartans finally stopped the bleeding of a six-game losing streak with a win over Nebraska on Saturday, but things won’t get any easier when they head to Columbus. Ohio State will look to move to 10-0 on the year, donning its alternate gray jerseys for the game, while 3-6 Michigan State will be looking to pull off one of two huge upsets it would need to reach bowl eligibility.
All lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread: Ohio State -29.5
Now nine games into the season, I think it's safe to say the 2023 Ohio State offense isn’t going to just magically turn it on. It isn’t a bad unit, but it’s certain not up to the lofty standards set by Ryan Day over his first few years at the helm. The Buckeyes rank No. 33 in scoring offense, No. 25 in passing, No. 46 in total offense and No. 90 (!!) in rushing. The rushing numbers will only continue to get better the longer TreVeyon Henderson stays healthy, as the star back turned in another 200-total-yard performance against Rutgers. Still, while Marvin Harrison Jr. remains the best player in the country, this Ohio State offense will only go as far as the quarterback play will allow it.
The defense, on the other hand, remains one of the best units in all of college football. Having held every opponent to 17 points or less this season, the Buckeyes rank second in scoring defense and fifth in total defense nationally. They have been better against the pass than they have against the run, and it was not a particularly stout rushing defense against the Scarlet Knights with Kyle Monangai going off for 159 yards. Still, they were able to keep Rutgers out of the end zone for the majority of the contest even despite missing both starting safeties and their top cornerback. Hopefully they can get everyone back before the team heads to Ann Arbor at season’s end.
Michigan State broke a six-game losing streak this weekend with a 20-17 win over Nebraska. It has not been smooth sledding on either side of the ball for the Spartans, but the offense has been particularly rough. MSU has averaged just 18.2 points per game, good for 123rd of 133 FBS teams. Mel Tucker switched quarterbacks a few games ago, but both Noah Kim and Katin Houser have struggled, combining for nine touchdown passes and eight interceptions. The lone bright spot of the Spartans offense has been running back Nate Carter, who has rushed for 659 yards and four TDs on the year. Montorie Foster has led the way through the air as the only receiver on the team with more than 300 yards.
Michigan State’s defense isn’t completely hopeless as it was last season, but the numbers are still not great. The Spartans rank 74th in scoring defense, allowing 26.6 points per game, while ranking 56th in defending the pass. They did a good job against Nebraska, picking off Heinrich Haarberg twice and also forcing a fumble, but they have really struggled against the good teams on the schedule, allowing 41 points and 49 points to Washington and Michigan, respectively. Still, they have a strong linebacker trio in Cal Haladay, Aaron Brule and Jordan Hall, and DB Jaden Mangham ranks second in the Big Ten with four interceptions. The group as a whole has not performed well, but there are still some playmakers on that side of the ball.
Ohio State has dominated this matchup as of late, winning the last seven meetings between the two teams. The Buckeyes have really had the Spartans number recently, winning the last three meetings by an average of 39.3 points. This Ohio State offense is not nearly as dynamic as it was the last few years, but the defense is much better. Ryan Day’s group probably won’t drop 50 points like they have in two of the last three matchups against Michigan State, but the Spartans will have a tough time putting points on the board, even if the Silver Bullets are playing without a few starters.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
Continue reading...