Know Your Opponent: Scouting the Ohio State Buckeyes
Most weeks for this article, I give brief analysis on the opposing team. I will still do that, but I am going to focus more on Michigan State in Week 6. The average fan doesn’t watch every Maryland or Akron game, but Ohio State is on national television almost every week, and are much more familiar to the average fan.
Spartan fans remember the 56-7 thrashing that MSU took in Columbus last season, and the players remember it too.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is one of the best young head coaches in the sport right now. Redshirt sophomore quarterback CJ Stroud and junior wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba are two of the most desired players by NFL teams in next year's draft. Smith-Njigba has been injured most of this season, but that hasn’t changed OSU’s results on the field.
So what’s changed for Ohio State since last year?
The Buckeyes have a better defense, for one. Day hired former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to bring his schemes to Columbus. The Cowboys had one of the best defenses in college football a year ago, and that has transitioned to Ohio State. The Buckeyes haven’t allowed more than 21 points in a game this season. Last season, OSU held Michigan State to just seven points.
Offensively, Ohio State had two wide receivers drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but that hasn’t hurt their WR room at all. The Buckeyes have reloaded with the sophomore duo of Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrsion Jr., who have already combined for over 900 yards receiving this season.
Ohio State doesn’t just sling the ball all over the field though. Their rushing attack has been sound, with two running backs that could have breakout games. Junior Miyan Williams and sophomore TreVeyon Henderson have combined for 11 touchdowns this season, and both are averaging over six yards per carry.
Any team can win on any given Saturday in college football, but most of us know that this game will be a steep uphill battle for Michigan State.
What fans should look for in this game is whether the players show improvement or not. Are the younger players getting playing time against some good competition? Do the Spartans play hard throughout the game, or has the scoreboard effected their effort-level?
Can Michigan State’s defense get a stop in this game? While the Buckeyes are a balanced offense, they know MSU’s weakness. They exposed it last year when Stroud threw for six touchdowns.
Last year, it was 49-0 at halftime of this matchup. Will this game get out of hand that fast again, or did the Spartans’ coaching staff come in with a better game plan? Michigan State didn’t allow a touchdown in the second half last week against Maryland, can they keep that momentum?
Are MSU cornerbacks Charles Brantley and Ameer Speed up to the task? Ohio State may not be stopped, but will they at least be slowed down? One thing MSU players have is confidence. Brantley and Speed play hard on the outside, and safety Kendall Brooks has been playing well recently.
On the other side, Michigan State’s offense has hit a wall. After scoring only 20 points in the last two games, who will step up? No team in the country can beat Ohio State with a mediocre offense, no matter how good your defense is. The Spartans’ offensive line will need to play their best game in years to have a chance, and one of the running backs will need to play much better than they have been.
The hope is Michigan State competes the whole game, and gets off to a good start in the first quarter. It’s important that the Spartan players show that they haven’t given up on the season, because there are still seven games to play and head coach Mel Tucker is trying to build a competitive culture in East Lansing.
