Keys for a Michigan State Upset vs. Ohio State
Michigan State Spartan fans are sick of hearing it: The Spartans haven’t beaten the Ohio State Buckeyes since 2015.
Many Spartan fans want to update that number. Could it change to 2024 after Saturday night?
It’s not likely, but stranger things have happened.
Coming off their first loss of the season, Jonathan Smith and his Spartans squad are looking to pull off the biggest upset the program has seen in a decade. It will be an uphill battle, but Smith is preparing his players to the best of their abilities.
Ohio State is a juggernaut. There’s no doubt about that. And the talent gap is significant.
But, if the Spartans are, in fact, going to pull off the upset, what do they have to do?
These three things:
Establish the run - Michigan State has struggled to run the ball this season.
If, by some miracle, they can fix their run game woes against one of the top defensive lines in college football, they will put themselves in an excellent position to pull off the shocker.
To do this, Michigan State must ride the hot hand in the backfield: Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams. Nate Carter has had a productive career with the Spartans, but Lynch-Adams is currently the better back.
For Michigan State to establish the run, the offensive line must play its best game collectively, and Lynch-Adams must channel his inner Kenneth Walker III.
Mistake-free football - Michigan State lost last week against Boston College because of several turnovers. That cannot happen if they want to defeat the Buckeyes.
Quarterback Aidan Chiles has seven interceptions through four games this season, three coming against the Eagles in bad spots in the game. While he is just 19 years old and has an incredibly high ceiling, the turnovers have been head-scratching and frustrating.
Ohio State’s defense will take advantage of turnovers much more often than any other defense Michigan State has faced this season. Chiles cannot put the ball in harm’s way as much as he has if the Spartans want to earn a signature victory.
Cutting down on penalties - Michigan State has been one of the most penalized teams in college football this season.
It has not cost them significantly thus far, but the Buckeyes will absolutely take advantage if Michigan State’s defense cannot get off the field when it is committing back-breaking penalties.
Smith must work this week to help the Spartans improve their technique so that fewer penalties are called against them in this game and for the rest of the season.
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