On The Mark 11.22.15: #Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Recap

Ugly day leads to ugly loss for the Buckeyes 17-14 to Michigan State
By @MarkW2112

It was Senior Day in Columbus but there was also a feeling that this would be the last game for such talent as juniors Ezekiel Elliot and Joey Bosa. The way the Buckeyes played, it was a very disappointing day for all involved as a stagnant offense couldn't really do much against the stout Michigan State defense.  In the end, the Spartans won 17-14 due to bad offensive play calls and mistakes on defense.

J.T. Barrett may have had one of his worse performances since last years Virginia Tech game.  He passed for only 46 yards and ran 15 times for 44 more.  It was definitely a day he would like to forget.  What was worse was that Ezekiel Elliot only ran 12 times for 33 yards, ending his 15 game streak of rushing for 100 yards or more.  It seemed that the offensive coaches were mostly concentrating on having Barrett run the option out of the backfield instead of trying to get it Elliot.  Elliot was able to get a touchdown after a fumble recovery by the defense while Barrett threw a touchdown to Jalin Marshall after a fumbled punt set them up within the 5 yard line.  But for most of the day, it was 3 and out as they could not establish any kind of pattern.

The defense played as well as they could.  Connor Cook did not start to Michigan State went with a 2 quarterback system of Tyler O'Connell and Damion Terry.  They combined to move the ball for 90 yards passing and 50 yards rushing.  It was workhorse running back Gerald Holmes who led with 65 yards and a touchdown and help set them up for the final field goal to win the game.  Joey Bosa, playing his last game in Columbus, also jumped off sides 4 times during the game but was disruptive most of the game.  But, when it counted, Michigan State was able to make just enough plays to set themselves up for the win.

My take:  The Buckeyes offense was obviously affected by the wet weather.  But it was still no excuse for them to run basic plays over and over again as it seemed they forgot they had a stout running back in Ezekiel Elliot and, instead, put the game in to J.T. Barrett's hands.  It was a disaster.  The defense was good but not good enough to stop Michigan State from going on long touchdown drives after they were given leads.  It was a heartbreaking way for the seniors and juniors that are leaving early to go in the NFL to end their time at the Horseshoe.  But this team has been off all year, especially on offense, since Tom Herman left to become the head coach of Houston.  It was a fun year but, sadly, the Buckeyes failed to win which pretty much puts them out of a playoff spot this year. 

Player(s) of the game:  Michigan State.  They did just enough to beat the Buckeyes on a cold and rainy day.  It was a full team effort.

Next for the Buckeyes:  The Game against That Team Up North in Ann Arbor, next Saturday at Noon.

#Buckeyes Preview 11.20.15: Michigan State #Spartans @ Ohio State

By @jddisantis

This Saturday the number 3 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will face their toughest task and first real challenge of the year, as the number 9 ranked Michigan State Spartans come to Columbus.  

This game means a lot to both teams as the Buckeyes want to continue their undefeated season into Michigan next week and book their spot in the Big Ten championship game, while Michigan State needs a win for an outside shot at the Big Ten championship themselves.

The Buckeyes (10-0, 6-0 Big Ten) are coming off of a 28-3 road victory against Illinois.  While not looking all that impressive, a 25 point in-conference road victory is nothing to ignore.  The Buckeyes got starting quarterback J.T. Barrett back after a one game suspension in hopes of returning some chemistry to their offense, but did little to put Buckeye faithful at ease.  Barrett threw for 150 yards while adding another 74 on the ground.  Although the offense as a whole wasn't in sync, Ezekiel Elliott continued to improve his Heisman resume by racking up 181 yards and two touchdowns.

Michigan State had National Championship hopes at the beginning of this year, but after being victim of bad officiating at Nebraska, the Spartans are looking to salvage their season with a victory against the Buckeyes.  Sparty comes to Columbus with one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, Conner Cook under center.  Cook has 21 touchdowns on the year to just four interceptions, but injured his shoulder last week against Maryland.  "My shoulder is good," Cook said earlier this week.  "I'm going to be ready to go so there's no issue with that."

With the last two games of this season proving to be the Buckeyes biggest challenges, and rivals, Ohio State must stay focused on the task at hand and not get caught looking ahead to Michigan or a possible Big Ten championship.  The Buckeyes have yet to play their best this season but can't afford to start slow against Sparty. J.T. will have to keep the offense up tempo and in rhythm to get the Ohio State out in front and keep them there.  The defense will have their stiffest test in facing off against Conner Cook.  The Buckeyes will have the opportunity to silence some critics and gain some momentum heading into Ann Arbor next weekend with a win against the Spartans.

What:  Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans
When:  Saturday November 21 at 3:30 PM ET
Where:  Ohio Stadium, Columbus Ohio
Watch:  ABC

On The Mark 11.9.14: #Buckeyes Recap

Big Statement: Ohio State Defeats Michigan State 49-37 As J.T. Barrett Shines Even Brighter
By @MarkW2112

I am gladly eating my words.  I felt the Ohio State Buckeyes, going in to Spartan Stadium to face the Michigan State Spartans, might be a slight underdog to beat them at home.  I was wrong.  Behind a phenomenal statement game by J.T. Barrett, the Buckeyes win 49-37 in convincing fashion.  The young offensive line came together for Barrett, who was able to have time to throw at will.  He went 16-of-25 for 300 yards and 5 total touchdowns, including 1 to Devon Smith, who had a monster night with 6 receptions and 129 yards.  Smith's touchdown right before halftime made it 28-21.  Before that, Barrett a threw a 79 yard TD to Michael Thomas to tie the game at 21.  This was significant because before that, Dontre Wilson fumbled a kick off return yet somehow the Spartans weren't able to capitalize with any points.  So the Thomas touchdown was a huge momentum shift in the Buckeyes favor.  From there, they were able to score at will, including 2 rushing touchdowns by Ezekiel Elliot, who also had a fantastic night with 150 yards rushing.

Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook did a great job, going 25-of-45 for 358 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Jeremy Langford was able to run at will, with 137 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns.  However, the defense was able to make just enough stops to allow the Buckeyes offense to take the lead.  There were a few times where the Buckeyes forgot how to tackle but it worked out in the end.

My take: the Buckeyes came in to East Lansing and faced an extremely confident Spartans team who knew they had the Bucks number last year during the Big 10 Championship.  But this year, with J.T. Barrett in tow, the Buckeyes were able to do whatever they wanted on offense.  While perhaps not as dynamic as Braxton Miller, Barrett may be a better overall quarterback, showing great touch and accuracy as well as toughness running the ball, getting first downs when needed and pushing it in to the end zone twice.  Connor Cook and Jeremy Langford had great games for Sparty but the defense did just enough to allow the offense to come back on the field and score at will.  It was one of the best Big 10 games I've seen in quite a long time.  It was also the first real signature win for Urban Meyer.

Next up: facing the surprising Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis.

On The Mark 11.8.14: #Buckeyes v. #MichiganState Preview

By @MarkW2112

This is it.  The biggest game the Ohio State Buckeyes will play this year.  And while it is against a Michigan team, this time it's the Michigan State Spartans that will stand in their way to make a trip to the Big 10 Championship this year.  As we all know, the Sparty's won the championship against the Bucks last year.  This year the Bucks and Spartans are both in the Big 10 East division so which ever team wins will write their ticket to Indianapolis.

Once again, it's the big prime time stage for the Buckeyes away from the friendly confines of Columbus, this time the setting will be East Lansing.  The only hope for the Bucks is that playing in front of the hostile crowd in Happy Valley 2 weeks ago give J.T. Barrett and the offense a slight edge over a much smaller crowd.  He faces an excellent defense who dominated the Bucks last year.  The Spartans offense, led by quarterback Connor Cook, look to pick apart the young defensive backfield while trying to contain Joey Bosa on the defensive front.

My take:  this is going to be the hardest game of the season for the Buckeyes.  Michigan State is tough on both sides of the ball and may have gotten better from their match up against the Bucks last year.  J.T. Barrett, Ezekiel Elliot and the offense have their work cut out for them while the defense needs to try and clamp down on the Spartan's offense.  It's a tall task for a young team.

Prediction: for the first time this year, I'm predicting a Buckeyes loss.  At this point, the Spartans are just slightly better than the Bucks.  That said, I hope I eat my words.

What: Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan State Spartans
Where: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
Time: 8 PM EST
TV: ABC, ESPN3