Ohio State has been written off all season long. Buckeyes obituaries were being written even in the offseason following Braxton Miller’s injury. But Urban Meyer’s crew has evolved into one of the best teams in the country. There’s a really good chance they upset Michigan State, a 3.5-point favorite, on Saturday. We’ve got the four reasons why that’s likely to happen.
1. The Growth And Evolution Of J.T. Barrett
In Ohio State’s one loss this season, quarterback J.T. Barrett completed just nine of his 29 passes and threw three interceptions. Barrett was thrust into the starting position when the expected starter Miller got injured just before the season began. Barrett’s season could have spiraled out of control, but instead, he regrouped and the Ohio State coaching staff was able to bring him along.
Barrett is a much more comfortable and confident quarterback right now and has gained full control of the offense. Need proof? After that bad game against Virginia Tech, Ohio State has scored at least 50 points in five of the next six games. The Buckeyes don’t have Miller, but they still do have someone they can trust.
2. Ohio State’s Defense Has Remained Solid Even While The Offense Has Exploded
When one side of the ball does extremely well, it is very easy for the other side of a football team to get very bored and disinterested, to lose focus on a consistent basis. This does not describe the Ohio State defense. While the offense has been scoring at least 50 points in five of its last six games, Ohio State’s defense has not allowed more than 28 points in any of those games.
The Buckeyes are putting teams away, and this is partly because the defense improves in the second half, making halftime adjustments and putting players in place to contain an opposing offense. Ohio State easily could have slipped into a pattern in which it gave up 38 or 40 or 45 points – maybe not enough to lose, but certainly a lot more than it actually has conceded over the past month. Joey Bosa leads the Big Ten with 10 sacks. He’s going to be very hard for Michigan State’s offensive line to neutralize in this game.
3. Michigan State’s Fourth-Quarter Problems
The Spartans are a really good team, but they can snooze at the wheel in the fourth quarter instead of putting teams away. Michigan State led Nebraska, 27-3, late in the third quarter of a game played earlier this season. The Spartans allowed Nebraska to rally in the fourth quarter and not only make the game close, but the Huskers had a chance to win and threw a pass into the end zone that their receiver got one hand on.
Michigan State also allowed Purdue to hang around early in the fourth quarter. This team is shaky in terms of playing defense, and it does not go in for the kill.
4. Urban Meyer Wants Revenge
The sight of Urban Meyer sitting in a cart and sadly munching on pizza following a loss is a sight that came from the 2013 Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis. Michigan State beat Meyer’s Ohio State team to knock the Buckeyes out of a shot at the national championship. You know Meyer wants revenge for this game, and he’s going to give it his best shot on Saturday. This is something Michigan State will have to deal with.
