The state of Ohio was able to make its way this week.
After last week’s game against Illinois was canceled due to a COVID-19 case under the program, Ohio State will return to action this afternoon, while the bookies will face Michigan State in its final road game and in this most unusual fifth overall game.
While we still don’t know exactly who will be available to play for the bookies – we’ll learn that at 10am – and we’ll learn that today’s game has some different ideas, we’ll share some of our final ideas, questions and predictions will go into the game now .
Final thoughts
Don’t dwell on Michigan State’s ability to pass a big game
By many statistical measures, Michigan State’s offense has been the worst in the Big Ten this year, averaging just 18 points per game. And Rocky Lombardy is inconsistent, making it possible that he would make mistakes that would allow the Ohio State defense to make big plays, as he would make big plays himself.
But one state that shouldn’t be overlooked in this game is that Michigan State is currently ahead in the Big Ten with seven 40-plus yard pass plays and second in the conference with 30-plus yard 10 pass plays (behind Indiana only) this year. . Given how difficult it was for the bookies to allow big plays in the air against the Huskies, Michigan State has been able to correct the flaws in Ohio State pass defense, if the bookies haven’t tightened things up in the last two weeks, that would be the field of view in today’s game.
– Dan Hope
Ohio State must avoid turnover
Justin Fields threw three hurdles the last time he took to the field as a bookie. You may have heard of it. On Saturday, it will be important for him and his Ohio State teammates to reduce Michigan State’s chances of overcoming their own mistakes. As long as they control the ball, no one would imagine that they would control the game.
Note the statistics: Spartans are ranked 115th out of 127 teams in the 1.2 Ledge Football, with a turnover margin of minus-1.2 per game. They have recorded five interceptions and four fumble recoveries through five games. Hoosiers, for their price, rank second in the country with a plus-1.5 margin, and bookies rank 12th with a plus-1 margin. Even without the presence of Ryan Day – who, like his predecessor Urban Meyer, always preaches the importance of eliminating turnover – on the one hand, winning in this category will be the key to winning the game.
– Colin Hess-Hill
This sounds like a game like “Justin Fields, Go, King”
After the Fields made unbiased criticisms after their three-pick game against Indiana, this looks like a game where they will eliminate the Michigan state defense.
The game against the Hoosiers was the worst of Fields’ career, and he still scored four touchdowns over 300 yards.
Maybe Ryan Danny’s absence hurts here, but I think this could be the game where the fields say “Effe.” As I said in this week’s roundtable discussion, I think it has the potential to get five total touchdowns but maybe more.
– Czech carpenter
If * this * crime causes trouble to the state of Ohio, there are real problems
The Buccaneers now have two weeks to make adjustments after Indiana abused the defense in the second half, and now they meet an opponent who has the most offenses in the Big Ten.
I know Michigan State has shown great potential, but if this * offense comes out and continues to push the ball against Ohio State’s defense today, the bookies are in real trouble moving forward.
– Kevin Harrish
Questions
How significant would Ryan Day’s absence be?
As the day is still lonely after a positive test for Covid-19, Ohio State will be without its head coach and will lead the offensive play caller on Saturday. Will it have a negative impact on the bookies in Saturday’s game? Given that this is the first time since 2011 that Ohio State has had anyone other than Day or Urban Meyer called shots in the game, that’s a valid question.
That said, my guess is that Larry Johnson will work just as well as the working head coach, with many experienced coaches around him leaning on the need. Day has been involved in Ohio State’s sports planning this week, though he has been away from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, so I don’t think the bookies’ preparation for Saturday’s game should be harmed by his physical absence. I think he will be missed as an offensive play caller, as he is the architect of the offense and will not be able to communicate with the team during the game, but it certainly helps that the day calling gender was already a collaborative effort between day and night. Kevin Wilson, who has a lot of experience calling aggressive.
– Dan Hope
Will Ohio State look good enough to make it into the top four of the CFP?
Maybe that sounds like a ridiculous question to ask as the Buckeyes play a bad Michigan State team. But I think that’s fair. Even with what the program has had to deal with over the last two weeks, and if there are a significant number of players out there (aka, the players who are out are of significant size), 35-24 wins or 38-28 victories are still over the Spartans. Doesn’t look good.
I have a final score of 26-21, which alone will almost certainly be enough to keep them in the top four. But if the 2020 Second Half Ohio State emerges today, perhaps the committee will begin to reconsider its stance and move the crew of Jumbo Fisher or Dan Mullen to the site of the bookies.
– Czech carpenter
What does a defensive backfield look like?
There are a lot of questions, and one by one Ohio State will publish its status report on Saturday at 10 a.m. detailing who will and who won’t play. But to find out specifically, I’m particularly interested to see if this secondary looks different, and if so, how it has changed.
Before Ohio State suspended the program, Day said the bookies were looking at “other combinations” in the defensive backfield. Does that mean safety is more important in safety? Is the Marcus Hooker spell someone else? Additional opportunities for new cornbers? Adjustment in the plan? Carry combs can go many ways with this one.
– Colin Hess-Hill
Who is out, for how long, and how will it affect his team?
In all prejudice, we heard Ryan Day hurting how the team would need to dig deeper into every position this year, with some players set aside for a few weeks if a cove burst. Well, it’s happened now.
We will inform who the bookies will be when the status report is released before the game, but we will have to wait during the game to see how it affects the team. The state of Ohio would probably want to think that it has enough depth to face any absence, but we will definitely go see today.
– Kevin Harrish
Predictions
Garrett Wilson will set Chris Kutter’s record
Wilson tops Ohio State’s all-game 100 receiving yards this season, and if he does again against Michigan State on Saturday, he will set Chris Kutter’s school record and become the second player in school history with 100 acquired yards. Five straight games. As long as Wilson is healthy, because we know Justin Fields is healthy, I think he will.
No one has come close to slowing down Wilson this year, and in a game where the bookies could potentially be without some other offensive pieces, I think Wilson’s role as Fields’ target will only grow against the Spartans, setting him up. Hit three digits for the fifth game in a row.
– Dan Hope
Ohio State will not cover the spread
I’ve picked up bookies to cover the spread of all four of their games this season. It includes an embarrassing call layout that will “easily” cover the spread against Ohio State Indiana.
Thought it was looking pretty good in the third quarter. I’m not spreading 24-points at the moment with Ohio State shorthand and without its head coach and with Michigan State starting the best performance of the year.
So, the state of Ohio, winning your -0 63–0 today, I guess.
– Czech carpenter
The defensive line meets after that
Before any recent incident leading to the cancellation of the Illinois game, the defensive lineman was already on the lookout for more bags. It was a wish expressed by him.
With Larry Johnson as acting head coach, he won’t be able to get to work with him as often as usual on Saturday afternoons, but he will definitely want to show his position coach when he lands in a big role in the game. . I’m guessing that for Johnson the focus on more bags attached to his inevitable goal of playing well enough to pay most of his attention to the whole team rather than a single position would lead to a bigger game from the D-line.
– Colin Hess-Hill
Michigan State will not hit double digits
Ohio State Defense is looking for a bounce-back demonstration against the most outrageous Michigan state crime, and they are about to get it.
The Buckeyes had a few things to do defensively, but they’re not as bad as that side of the ball as they showed out last time out. On the flip side, the Spartan offense is as bad as it has shown in the last five games.
– Kevin Harrish
