Seems like Michigan State has been taking hits for most of the season. They've got a head coach who needs electro-shock therapy who will no doubt will soon be looking for a job. This Saturday, tOSU should win this game against Sparty.
Troy Smith has been effective this year. He's 101 of 148 in passing with 1261 yards and 15 TDs w/ 2 INTs. Pittman has nearly 6 yards per carry for 628 yards and 7 TDs. TGjr and Gonzo have a combined 863 yards with 10 TDs. The Buckeye D has given up yardage, but has come up with big plays when needed.
MSU is 0-2 in conference play. 3-3 overall. Drew Stanton is 101 of 161 in passing with 1187 yards and 8 TDs w/ 6 INTs. He has also put in 302 yards rushing and 4 TDs. Javon Ringer, their starting running back, has 438 yards with 7.2 yards per carry. MSU's receivers have over 600 yards and 6 TDs.
MSU lost to scUM yesterday 31-13. Stanton threw for 252 yards with no TDs but had 2 INTs. The previous week they lost unexpectedly to Illinois (23-20) maybe because they were still shell-shocked by the narrow defeat by Notre Dame (40-37).
No one seems to have noticed the importance of this game. Last year, tOSU righted their season during the 3rd qtr. against MSU. This year the Buckeyes invade their den. But, we are #1 and everyone's anticipating the big showdown in November against the yellow and blue. Right?
Why am I so worried...
There's something about a wounded, cornered animal being most dangerous. The coaches and teams were different back in the 1998, but some things remain constant. Hope history doesn't repeat itself.Ohio State loses No. 1 ranking after falling to Michigan State
RECAP: Unranked Spartans dash national championship dreams of Buckeyes, 28-21
By Dave Denicke
Daily Bruin Contributor
Monday, November 9, 1998
And then there were three.
Well before the Bruins shut the door on Oregon State, another OSU was fighting for its survival.
The Ohio State Buckeyes, ranked No. 1 in virtually every poll known to man, watched a 24-9 lead slip further and further away.
By the time the clouds lifted over Columbus, the Michigan State Spartans proved to be the better team, using an interception by cornerback Renaldo Hill on the goal line to stop the Buckeyes 28-24.
"I had to throw earlier than I wanted to, so I put some air under it, just to try to let him run under it,"Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine said. "I guess their feet got tangled up just a little bit and he made the play on it. That's how the game goes."
Along with that interception, the Buckeyes lost four fumbles, including two by Germaine. The Michigan State defense tenaciously blitzed the top team in the nation, and held an offense that was averaging over 500 yards a game to only 353.
After yielding 17 points in the first quarter, the only scoring OSU could muster on the Spartans was a defensive touchdown, as Damon Moore sprinted 73 yards on an interception return, which gave Ohio State a 24-9 lead with 9:51 to play in the third quarter.
"We came in here with the attitude that we were the squirts in the neighborhood who had to pick a fight with the bully," Michigan State coach Nick Saban said.
Julian Peterson sparked the Spartan defense when he replaced injured defensive star Robaire Smith in the first quarter. Peterson caused two fumbles, both of which resulted in Michigan State scores.
The defense came up big again with 3:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. T.J. Turner, Sorie Kanu and Josh Thornhill stopped Ohio State's Joe Montgomery for no gain on a crucial fourth-and-one at the Spartans' 26, forcing a turnover on downs.
Offensively, quarterback Bill Burke paced MSU, throwing 46 times for 326 yards. Unable to run the ball effectively, the four-touchdown underdogs went to the air, especially to wideout Plaxico Burress, who traveled 125 yards on just four receptions.
Kicker Paul Edinger added five field goals for the Spartans, a Michigan State record.
"It's the kind of thing you'll never forget," said Burke. "It's a game you like to play in, that you dream about as a kid."
With the win, Michigan State became only the second unranked team this decade to defeat a No. 1. The last time came in 1990, when the Spartans defeated Michigan 28-27.
As a result, Ohio State has fallen out of the top spot in the polls. Both the AP and the ESPN coaches poll plummeted the Buckeyes down to number 7.
"This hurts a lot," receiver Dee Miller said. "Every time we'd break (a huddle) we did it by saying, 'national champs.' Today, after the game we just said, 'hard work.' It hurts."
