What was left of the Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to East Lansing for a Saturday date against an up-and-down Michigan State squad coming off a big upset win over the Northwestern Wildcats. The Spartans had to be licking their chops at an opportunity to play an Ohio State team with several key absences. They left the game licking their wounds instead, after the Buckeyes crushed them, 52-12. Let’s take a look at the things that made me squeeze my remote into plastic shards.
More Like Unvailability Report
Everything on Saturday pretty much flowed through the lens of the first thing that got my blood hot, which was the release of the OSU availability report Saturday morning. When I saw Ohio State would be missing both starting offensive tackles and its starting center, the game became more about survival than anything else — the survival of quarterback Justin Fields, primarily. Even the least reasonable person who watched the Spartans’ win over Northwestern last week had to be a bit concerned about Ohio State’s ability to block anyone normally, let along read blitz or stunt keys. I figured it would be a long day once the names Munford, Myers, and Petit-Frere showed up in my news feed.
When you add in the losses of Tuf Borland and Josh Proctor on defense, along with an insane amount of wisdom on the sideline and in the press box — in the form of defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis, safeties/special teams coach Matt Barnes, and, of course, head coach Ryan Day, the challenge seemed insurmountable. Let’s all be honest. This game would not have happened without the Big Ten’s minimum games rule and it probably wouldn’t have happened if the Buckeyes had played Maryland a couple weeks ago or at Illinois last weekend.
Adventures in Snapping
Harry Miller’s shotgun snaps were an adventure from the start of the game. Fields had to play both shortstop and quarterback to begin nearly every play and needing extra time to field the snap wrecked the timing of several plays. It’s a testament to Fields, who made several plays with his feet, that the Buckeyes were able to score on their opening drive, because Miller’s inaccuracy was making life more difficult than it should have been and Kevin Wilson showed a complete disdain for putting Fields under center, even on second-and-inches at the goal line, which…don’t even get me started on that. Another bad snap late in the second quarter disrupted a 3rd-and-long play.
Biting on the Fake
After Garrett Wilson’s touchdown made it 14-0, the Buckeyes kicked off and had a chance to stop the Spartans from reaching the 25, despite the kickoff being short. But Marcus Williamson bought the head fake on the return and Michigan State found itself in good field position as a result, starting the drive from its 36-yard line.
Williamson later bit on a double move, allowing a big pass play by Michigan State’s Jayden Reed that set up the Spartans’ only touchdown. Perhaps he was a dog in a previous life, who never learned that his owner did not throw the tennis ball. The ball is still in his hand! He’s hiding it behind his back!
Not Master-ful
Wilson had a second touchdown reception called back due to a hold on Master Teague. It wasn’t much of a hold, but I don’t disagree with the call. The problem is that it wasn’t even necessary. Teague made the initial block and then just grabbed his man briefly at the end. Wilson was already in the process of blowing past that man a few yards away, near the sideline. That defender wasn’t going to stop the inevitable. But the foul took points off the board and forced the drive to continue. Ohio State ended up cashing in at the end of the drive anyway, but against a better team, that could have been costly.
Olave’s Issues
A third-and-3 became a third-and-5 — and nearly became a turnover — on the same drive, shortly after Teague’s hold. Olave coughed up the football, which skipped backwards two yards. The Buckeyes recovered, and Fields picked up the first down on a tough run one play later, with a defensive holding penalty adding 10 more yards to the end of the run.
Olave wasn’t done, though. He fumbled trying to pick up a first down in the third quarter and this time the Spartans recovered. Shaun Wade bailed him out with a spectacular interception on the ensuing play, and Olave had a big day overall, but that was a troubling trend to see from a guy who is likely headed to the NFL after the season.
Aw, Man, I Missed It!
ABC’s camera work left a lot to be desired in this game. The camera operator was faked out on the second play of the game and viewers missed the Spartans’ most successful play — about eight yards — from Rocky Lombardi’s time on the field. But Buckeye fans missed an incredible play live when Haskell Garrett tipped and then intercepted a Lombardi pass in the end zone for a defensive touchdown. Fans are supposed to tailgate before the game, not camera operators for one of the big three networks.
Broken Browning
I think we saw Baron Browning’s worst drive as a college linebacker in this game. It started with a missed opportunity to sack backup MSU quarterback Peyton Thorne, who picked up good yardage on the play. Browning was like the broken guy from your electric football game who runs down to the corner of the end zone and then spins around in place.
Later in the drive, Browning decided to hit in the open field, rather than wrap, and Thorne bounced off and ran for 31 yards to the OSU 15-yard line.
Injury Bug Bites Wrong Man
With a host of options from which to choose, why did the injury bug have to bite Wyatt Davis? He was the only offensive line starter playing his original position on Saturday and yet twice he needed to be attended to by the trainers, getting helped to the sideline the second time. Hopefully Davis will turn out to be OK, find that injury bug, and then stomp it into paste.
The Safety Dance
The bad snaps after the first drive were a bit more sporadic but they finally cost Ohio State points late in the fourth quarter. A snap over Jack Miller’s head forced the freshman to make a sliding recovery in his own end zone, giving Michigan State two more late points.
*****
Those are the things that curdled my milk on Saturday. Obviously there were plenty of positives, from Drue Chrisman’s wizardry in the kicking game, to Fields’ big day both throwing and running, to an improved performance from the defense, to flashes of excellence from Miyan Williams and C.J. Stroud.
Ohio State now moves on to The Game (if it ends up being played). It’s Hate Week. Post your memes and jokes, accordingly.
