REPORT: CFB Experts' Surprising Picks for MSU's Matchup Against OSU
After playing two of its last three games on the road, Michigan State will face Ohio State at home on Saturday. The Spartans are coming off a narrow loss to Boston College that saw them take the field without some of their best players. This week, they take on one of the best teams in the country.
Brad Crawford and Chris Hummer of 247Sports shared their opinions of Michigan State’s matchup against Ohio State. Neither are very optimistic of the Spartans’ chances against the Buckeyes. While Ohio State being favored makes sense, both believe Ohio State will more than cover the nearly 25-point spread by which they are favored to win. That is surprising.
“That [24.5-point spread] may seem like a big line, but it's worth noting that the Buckeyes have won this matchup by 24-plus points in each of their last five meetings,” Hummer said. “The Spartans are very thin in the secondary, which is an area Ohio State will aggressively oppose.
“It's also a bad matchup for Michigan State's offensive line. The Buckeyes have one of the best pass rushes in college football, while the Spartans have allowed pressure on 29% of their dropbacks. The Buckeyes roll. Ohio State 42, Michigan State 17.”
Crawford agreed with Hummer, noting that it will be difficult for Michigan State to slow down Ohio State if the Buckeyes’ offense plays its best. Crawford believes the Spartans will challenge Ohio State but ultimately lose their second game in a row, this time by a large margin.
“This game could get ugly quickly if the Buckeyes are clicking, but spotting the Spartans 24.5 points is too juicy for me to pass on,” Crawford said. “This is not one of my preferred plays this week in the least, but I do think Ohio State will be tested, at least for a half. The backdoor cover might be in play here if Ryan Day brings in the subs during the fourth quarter. Ohio State 45, Michigan State 17.”
Michigan State is undoubtedly an underdog heading into its game against Ohio State, and rightfully so. However, the game against Ohio State may not be as much about winning and losing for Michigan State as it is about seeing how far the program has come and still has to go.
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Ezekiel is a former Sports Editor from the Western Herald and former Atlanta Falcons beat writer.