Alot of people were wary going into the Iowa game.
This is the game that has me worrying somewhat.
Which MSU team will show up?
3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
East Lansing, Mich. - Spartan Stadium
Series: OSU leads 24-12; Last Meeting: 2005 OSU 35 - MSU 24
Buckeyes Tackle the Spartans in East Lansing
http://www.wbns10tv.com/?sec=home&st...201482392.html
Ohio State is taking on Michigan State Saturday, and OSU has every reason to stay on its toes; MSU has defeated the number one team in the country three times in school history, and twice, it has been Ohio State.
Adding to the upset alert, since November of 1997, the Spartans own a 9-3 mark against teams in the AP top ten.
The Buckeyes arrived in East Lansing Friday afternoon and took a tour of Spartan stadium.
While OSU is listed as a two-touchdown favorite, they are quite aware of this Michigan state team trying to salvage its season.
Looking at these two teams head-to-head, you can see that offensively they are putting up similar numbers. The defenses are allowing about the same yardage too, but there's a big difference in points allowed; the Buckeyes expect a team much better than its 3-3 record.
Rewind the Spartans season three weeks ago. Michigan State was 3-0 and had a comfortable 4th quarter lead at home against Notre Dame, but the Spartans went on to lose that game and then they lost the next two.
Playing at home with essentially its season on the line, Michigan State looks to be a very dangerous team.
Ohio State has some understanding to what Michigan State is going through right now. Two years ago, the Buckeyes were 3 and 3 before winning five of their last six games. They remember how desperate they were to try and reverse some bad fortune.
The facts are not kind to Michigan State. The Spartans are 3-3, and 0-2 in the Big Ten. On top of that, MSU has several injuries, keeping guys like Jevon Ringer and Matt Trannon out of Saturday's game.
It's been quite an emotional ride for the Spartans lately. Following the loss to Notre Dame, they were upset by Illinois, which then tried to plant the Illini flag at midfield. Then, in-state rival Michigan was next on the schedule. This team would love to have a high after those lows.
Adding fuel to the Spartans' fire was the feeling that maybe they should have beaten Ohio State last year. Michigan State racked up 456 yards of total offense, and scored 24 points. Despite that success, Sparty was very impressed with the 2005 OSU defense.
There are some pretty impressive numbers for this defense, which is first in the country in Division I scoring, allowing less than 10 points a game.
The Bucks are also tops in interceptions, third in turnover margin, at nearly plus two a game, and the 20 sacks are ninth-best.
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Originally Posted by max venable
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