Buckeyes Now

Michigan State To Wear 1998 Throwback Helmets Against Ohio State

The Spartans upset the top-ranked Buckeyes in Columbus that season as 27.5-point underdogs.

Andrew Lind

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Looking to pull an upset of similar proportions this weekend in East Lansing, the Michigan State football program announced it will wear 1998 throwback helmets during Saturday’s game against No. 3 Ohio State (4 p.m. on ABC).

The unranked Spartans entered the 1998 matchup in Columbus as 27.5-point underdogs, but shocked the top-ranked Buckeyes, 28-24. Aided by five turnovers, Michigan State scored 19 unanswered points in the second half to hand Ohio State its only loss of the season.

Spartans head coach Mel Tucker was in his second season as a graduate assistant at Michigan State under then-head coach Nick Saban that fall. He would later become the Buckeyes’ defensive backs coach (2001-03) and co-defensive coordinator (2004), helping the program to the 2002 national title.

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As for the green throwback helmet, it features the Spartans’ primary logo on both sides, as well as white Northwestern stripes down the center and a white facemask.

There are only minor differences between the current and original design, including the finish of the helmets (anodized satin vs flat), the spacing of the stripes and the front bumper, which now displays a “State” wordmark instead of the old Big Ten logo.

The Spartans also have a logo on the back of this year’s helmet that celebrates the 50 years of Title IX, while the back bumper – which was originally blank – now features a “Spartans” wordmark. They’ll pair the throwback helmets with their standard green home jerseys and white pants.

Ohio State is 5-0 on the season and currently a 27-point favorite over 2-3 Michigan State. The Buckeyes have not lost in East Lansing since 1999, which marked the last time the Spartans had a two-game winning streak in the series.

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Andrew Lind
ANDREW LIND

Andrew Lind is an Ohio State beat writer and photographer at BuckeyesNow, founder of The Ohio State Uniform Database and the NCAA and NFL writer at SportsLogos.net.

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