Expert Ohio State football predictions for Michigan State game
The Ohio State football team travels to East Lansing on Saturday for a showdown with Michigan State in what is the Buckeyes' first road game of the season.
In August, this appeared to be one of the Buckeyes' biggest tests of the season as Michigan State was expected to contend for a Big Ten East championship. But the Spartans have struggled and are 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play, including a 34-7 loss to Minnesota.
The Buckeyes, though, have not faltered. At 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play, Ohio State has been ranked No. 3 in the AP poll since Week 2.
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Ohio State is a 25-point favorite in East Lansing. But what do our experts think will happen in the game?
Here's how The Columbus Dispatch Ohio State reporters and columnists as well as Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press picked the game:
Bill Rabinowitz
Ohio State beat writer
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 56, Michigan State 10
This is not a good matchup for Michigan State. The Spartans' pass defense has been a weakness, and the Buckeyes will be eager to get their passing game back on track after a so-so game last week. Michigan State's offensive line has been a sieve, and the Buckeyes' deep and talented front four, plus linebackers Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers, should exploit that. Yes, it's OSU's first road game, but this isn't the test we thought it would be before the season.
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Joey Kaufman
Ohio State beat writer
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 45, Michigan State 17
Michigan State was a thorn in Ohio State’s side when Mark Dantonio roamed the sideline in East Lansing, but those days are long gone. The Spartans, who brought the nation’s worst pass defense to Columbus last November, remain porous in their secondary, creating an especially favorable matchup for Ohio State’s passing game. The conditions set up a situation for C.J. Stroud to bounce back in a big way after throwing for the fewest yards in his career against Rutgers last week.
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Rob Oller
Sports columnist
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 49, Michigan State 14
Let's see, the Buckeyes "struggle" offensively against Rutgers and still put up 49 points. This time they look better, at least in the passing game, and still "only" score 49. How to figure? Maybe stop looking so much what OSU can or cannot do and instead focus on what the opponent can, or in most cases can't do. Sparty can't do much, as proved by three consecutive losses, to Washington, Minnesota and Maryland. No matter what MSU tries, the Buckeyes will have an answer. And a pretty easy answer at that.
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Colin Gay
Real-time reporter
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 42, Michigan State 17
Michigan State is in a downward spiral, struggling to score in each of its first two Big Ten matchups, while also struggling to stop Minnesota's and Maryland's offenses. With what Ohio State has done through the first five weeks of the season, finding itself dominating opponents even without some of its main weapons on offense and with a new defensive scheme, the Spartans may hit rock bottom at home Saturday.
Chris Solari
Michigan State beat writer
Detroit Free Press
Ohio State 51, Michigan State 14
The Spartans' pass defense, while showing signs of improvement in the second half at Maryland, remains its biggest weakness. Not far behind are a struggling run game and leaky offensive line. All things the Buckeyes should be able to exploit early and often for a similar blowout to the past two meetings between these programs that, not that long ago, battled each other for Big Ten supremacy.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football predictions vs. Michigan State
