Where: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Mich.
TV/Radio: Peacock (streaming only)/1410
Series history: Ohio State leads 37-15 with eight consecutive wins. The Buckeyes are 19-5 in East Lansing, where they last lost in 1999.
Last meeting: Marvin Harrison Jr. caught two touchdown passes and ran for another as Ohio State built a 35-3 halftime led then cruised to a 38-3 win last November. Kyle McCord threw for 335 yards, and TreVeyon Henderson ran for 63 yards and a touchdown as the Buckeyes improved to 10-0.
Coaches: Ohio State’s Ryan Day is 59-8 in six seasons, all at Ohio State. He has a 39-3 mark in Big Ten play. Jonathan Smith is 3-1 in his first season at Michigan State and 37-36 in his seven seasons as a head coach.
Ohio State notes: The Buckeyes began Big Ten play in 1913, and their 550 conference wins are the most of any school… Ohio State also has the top winning percentage in league games (.749)… The Buckeyes are averaging 7.0 yards per rush, second in the nation… The Buckeyes have outscored MSU 229-52 under Day… Ohio State allowed no points and just 160 yards in the second halves of its three nonconference games… Ohio State leads the Big Ten in scoring offense (52.3 points per game) and scoring defense (6.7), total offense (552 yards per game) and total defense (180)… Freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith has caught a touchdown pass in all three of his career games… Ohio State has one player on the roster from Michigan: punter Hadi Jawad (Dearborn).
Michigan State notes: The Spartans rank among the FBS leaders in sacks (tied for second/3.75 per game), red zone defense (tied for fifth/.556), team tackles for loss (tied for eighth/ 8.0 per game), total defense (14th/254.8 yards per game), scoring defense (25th/14.3 points per game) and rushing defense (29th/96.8 ypg)… MSU leads the Big Ten in both sacks (15) and tackles for loss (32)… The Spartans have 10 victories over ranked Ohio State teams, including five when the Buckeyes were in the top five (1972. ‘74, ‘98, 2013 and ‘15)… MSU is 93rd in the nation in scoring (25.5 ppg.)… Mark Danotonio, MSU’s winningest coach and a former Ohio State assistant, will be recognized during Saturday’s game for his upcoming inducting into the College Football Hall of Fame… Dantonio was very successful recruiting Ohio, and the Spartans have nine players from the Buckeye State on their roster: Fr. WR Austin Clay (Cleveland), Sr. DL Avery Dunn (Shaker Heights), Sr. WR Montorie Foster Jr. (Cleveland); Soph. DL Tyler Gillison (Pickerington), 5th-year senior DB Angelo Grose (Mansfield); Soph. DB Aveon Grose (Mansfield), Fr. OL Charlton Luniewski (Cincinnati); Fr. OL Mercer Luniewski (Cincinnati) and 6th-year senior RB Kay’ron Lynch-Adams (Warren).
Quoted: Smith on the significance of the game for his program: “I know it means a ton. We want to be in that state recruiting so playing the flagship program of the state means something. I haven’t been in the league, but you know this logo, this brand of football. It’s a big-time opponent.”
Prediction: Ohio State 31, Michigan State 10
Next week: Ohio State will return home to play host to Iowa at 3:30 p.m. next Saturday. Michigan State will go on the road to face Oregon on Friday night.
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