Ohio State vs. Michigan State result, takeaways: Buckeyes destroy Spartans, gives strong playoffs

Well. 4 Ohio State left no doubt about its goals and what it will be able to achieve this season when it crushed No. 7 Michigan State in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday. The Buckeyes jumped into the lead early, scoring from the first seven possession of the day, leading 49-0 at halftime, and they cruised to a 56-7 victory after canceling the dogs and turning to their reserves in the second half.

That didn’t stop Ohio State stars from showing eye-catching numbers. Quarterback CJ Stroud played the best game of his young career when he scored 432 yards and six touchdowns from a 32/35 pass. Six results in the first half broke the program record … for the entire game. He was replaced in the third quarter by alternate Kyle McCord. Winger Chris Olave has scored 140 yards and two TDs, making a career goal record, while Garrett Wilson has 126 yards and two TDs with Jaxon Smith-Njigba at 105 yards and TD.

While the Buckeyes attack received a lot of attention, their defense also deserves love. Ohio had one of the most explosive crimes in the country, at just 224 yards and 3.8 yards per game. Spartans played in three episodes on five of their 12 moves with only two possessions that lasted longer than five games.

It was complete dominance from start to finish, and Ohio State is now one win away from the Big Ten Championship. As for Michigan State, its hopes for the Big Ten title and the playoffs in College Football are officially dead.

1. CJ Stroud is your new Heisman favorite

This was seen not just as a battle between the top 10 teams, but as a clash between two Heisman candidates in Ohio State Stroud and Michigan State Kenneth Walker. Walker’s candidacy became a fatal blow. Not only did Stroud destroy the state of Michigan’s defense by 432 yards and six touches, but the defense of the state of Ohio stifled Walker. He ended the day with just 25 yards rushing in six moves and grabbing one of the 4-yard passes.

Whether it’s fair or not, Heisman’s votes are often determined by how you play in your team’s biggest games. Although Walker has risen tremendously time and time again to Spartan this season, voters have a hard time looking past this game, especially unlike Stroud played.

In a way, the bigger obstacle on Stroud’s road on the field may not have been Walker, but his teammates. It is possible that Stroud will see his voice “split” with Olave, Wilson and Smith-Njigba. We saw a similar situation last year with Heisman winner DeVonta Smith and Mac Jones in Alabama. The good news for Stroud is that all of his best receivers have similar numbers, while Smith stood out significantly from Alabama last season.

2. The state of Ohio has turned the switch

The Buckeyes didn’t look like the Buckeyes we’re all used to waiting for at the start of the season, which is natural. They had to replace Justin Fields, and it took time for Stroud to take on the role. In defense, this team changed its defense after the defeat of Oregon, which meant it had to adapt to a new person who called for defense. It was only natural that there were speed disruptions.

However, when you combine the way the attack was played against Purdue last week with how well both sides of the ball went against the Spartans today, this Ohio state team seems to be at its peak at a great time. The Ohio State team we’ve seen in the last two weeks is an Ohio State team capable of winning a national championship, not just getting into the College Football playoffs.

3. Sparty may want to wait for that Tucker extension

I don’t mean they shouldn’t continue to coach Mel Tucker. If they believe he is the coach who will lead this program in the future, the school should sign him for as long as he wants. But announcing a new $ 95 million deal (reportedly) after losing 56-7 to your primary event at Big Ten is unlikely to be well received. I recommend waiting after next week’s Penn State match if it’s a win, or before a Michigan State bowl match if the Spartans lose to the Nittany Lions. Having said that, if I am Mel Tucker, I would sign it quickly – if he has not already done so.

4. I want to be pedantic for a moment

I had been hearing all week about the worst overtaking ability in the state of Michigan. It was a point that was hit home repeatedly during the broadcast by Stroudina, and the Buckeyes tore the Spartans apart. And it drove me crazy.

Yes, when it comes to per-game allowed yards, no country team has allowed more yards per game than Michigan State. That doesn’t make it worst bypasses defense on the ground, however. At the start of the day, Spartans ranked 56th in defensive passing efficiency and 35th in the company in the allowed yards. They only finish last in the yards allowed per game because they have consistently had big advantages late in the game and opponents are forced to continue throwing against them. When that happens, Michigan State plays a lot of soft zones, allowing opponents to collect yards.

So can we all agree that we will stop using yards as a yardstick for how good or bad an attack or defense is? It is the year 2021, good people, and we should all know better now.

5. The second highest profit margin against the top10 team

The biggest was a 59-point win over Nebraska in 2016. If you don’t believe me, take that into account with this graphic.