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Michigan State vs. Ohio State Instant Analysis
Michigan State pulled off the stunner with a 17-14 win over Ohio State to change up the college football playoff chase. Check out the Michigan State vs. Ohio State instant analysis
November 22, 2015
Michigan State pulled off the stunner with a 17-14 win over Ohio State to change up the college football playoff chase. Check out the Michigan State vs. Ohio State instant analysis
Michigan State vs. Ohio State Instant Analysis
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1. Mark Dantonio and his staff pitched an absolute gem.
And without starting quarterback Connor Cook.
The Michigan State coaching staff coached its tail off, coming up with a defensive performance of defensive performances, holding Ezekiel Elliott to 33 yards and a score on 12 carries and allowing just 132 yards of Ohio State offense. In Columbus.
Yes, Urban Meyer and his coaching staff played not to lose, banking on its defense and special teams to take care of things considering MSU was without its NFL quarterback, but this was an all-timer of a performance by the Spartan D under trying circumstances, and for this week, anyway, Dantonio was the best head coach in the Big Ten.
2. Michigan State has the College Football Playoff there for the taking
This was it. This was the moment Michigan State needed to not only get back into the College Football Playoff chase, but to control its own destiny. The Nebraska loss was just close enough – and controversial enough – to be swept aside compared to the win over a suddenly red-hot Oregon, at Michigan, and now at Ohio State. If the Spartans can pull off the victory over Penn State and get to Iowa, then it’s all right there. 12-1 with a Big Ten title will get them in, even if the road hasn’t been pretty, and even if this hasn’t quite looked like one of the four best teams in college football. This year, though, the Spartans just might get the job done after one of the grittiest, toughest performances in a massive game in a long, long time in the Big Ten.
3. If only Ohio State had a quarterback who could throw the ball down the field.
What was the one really big thing missing from the Ohio State offense – besides points? And semblance of a downfield passing game. It’s not that the Buckeye receivers weren’t open – Braxton Miller was streaking free on one key play – but J.T. Barrett kept it safe, didn’t take any chances, and the Buckeyes got burned. If only Ohio State had a quarterback on its roster with a decent arm, or maybe the best arm in all of football.
No, it’s not like Cardale Jones was going to come in and carve up the Michigan State defense, but in a year when Urban Meyer has been changing his quarterbacks with regularity, this was the time to at least give it a wee bit of a shot just to try stretching things out a bit to give Ezekiel Elliott a little room to move. Again, Ohio State played not to lose, and it lost.
