Michigan State vs. Ohio State football preview

20th-ranked Spartans host 12th-ranked Buckeyes

Well, this is the game.

In previous promised-filled seasons, the trend of Michigan State football is to get off to a promising start, lose an important game in heartbreaking fashion and watch its season crumble.

But second-year coach Mark Dantonio was brought to East Lansing to ward off any of these collapses. Dantonio has instilled a measure of toughness and a no-nonsense approach that appears to have been received well.

However, the 17 th-ranked Spartans recognize Saturday’s game against 11 th-ranked Ohio State is a statement game. The Spartans can at least maintain a share of first place in the Big Ten. Thoughts of the Rose Bowl or at least playing on a New Year’s Day Bowl Game are realistic. The Spartans are already bowl eligible.

“It’s up to us,’’ senior quarterback Brian Hoyer said. “This could be a program win. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be tough but you know what to expect when you play against Ohio State.’’

Dantonio, the former Ohio State defensive coordinator, understands the Buckeye program and how its long history of success can serve as an advantage. Beating the Buckeyes takes extraordinary effort. The Spartans haven’t won since Nov. 6, 1999 in East Lansing.

There are 24 Ohio players on the Spartan roster, but senior running back Javon Ringer will be the most important in this game.

You could argue that no single player means more to his team across the nation than Ringer. He is second in the nation with nearly 159 rushing yards per game. He went over the 1,000-yard mark in last week’s win at Northwestern. Michigan State must establish and allow Hoyer to feed off of that.

For Ohio State, while national championship hopes are unlikely, the idea this season is to continue to baptize freshman phenom quarterback Tarelle Pryor. Coach Jim Tressell has put him in very safe situations. Pryor has attempted only 79 passes in his first four starts and thrown only two interceptions. But Ohio State’s offense stalled last week against Purdue as it scored only nine of its 16 points. The other seven came on a blocked punt return. In fact, the Ohio State offense has looked pretty ordinary lately.

It could come down to the Michigan State linebackers to reduce Pryor’s run-pass ability. Between sophomores Eric Gordon and Greg Jones, the two have combined for eight tackles for loss. Jones leads the team with 52 tackles.

They need to get to Pryor and the resurging Chris Wells so safety Otis Wiley will have a major impact. Wiley has been active throughout the season.

This game is really going to come down to whoever has the greater will. Should it be tight going into the fourth quarter, the Spartans are going to have to prove they can compete for the conference championship by winning a game like this.

It doesn’t matter how. Maybe it’s a late score. Maybe it’s late defensive stand. Maybe it’s a punt that changes the field position.

Regardless, they just have to.

“This is the biggest game I think this senior class has played in,’’ senior defensive tackle Justin Kershaw said. “We’re going to have to really take advantage of this opportunity.’’

Prediction: Michigan State 17, Ohio State 16

Notable

• The Michigan State's 6-1 start represents only the 22nd time – and only the third time since 1967 – that the Spartans have won at least six of their first seven games.
• The Spartans are second in the Big Ten and sixth in the nation with a +10 turnover ratio.

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