The #9 Michigan State Spartans are right back in the national title hunt after a thrilling 17-14 road win over the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes. The Spartans did it without QB Connor Cook who was ruled out right before the game due to injury. Here are some notes, quotes and observations from a tense affair in Columbus.
Notes:
Ohio State's 23-game winning streak is no more. Michael Geiger's 41-yard field goal with time expiring broke a 14-all tie, shocking the crowd in Columbus while potentially ruining the Buckeyes' chances of a national title repeat.
Michigan State ran a total of 67 offensive plays to Ohio State's 45. 51 of those plays were runs for a total of 203 yards. The Spartans were patient, splitting 16 runs between QBs Tyler O'Connor and Damion Terry (50 yards combined) and 27 between RBs Gerald Holmes and LJ Scott (123 combined yards, 1 touchdown).
Ohio State managed just 132 yards of total offense, handing the ball to RB Ezekiel Elliott just 12 times for 33 yards and a touchdown. Those 33 yards accounted for 25% of OSU's total offense. Elliott's 15-game streak of 100-yard rushing games is snapped.
The Spartans did not throw a pass in the third quarter. In fact, they morphed into an option/quarterback run team for the majority of the second half.
Quotes:
"Last time walking down them steps and into The Shoe, wish the results were different." -- OSU QB Cardale Jones
"We just keep reaching higher. We just keep talking about it. We said before the season that this is the year we have to reach higher and this was the game to do that." MSU HC Mark Dantonio on today's upset
The "coaching staff didn't put us in position to win. That's a team (Michigan State) we should beat." -- OSU RB Ezekiel Elliott
"The one thing that made a difference (is we've) been chased all year long so far in 10 games and this game we got to be the chaser. So we could chase this game. We could play on emotion." -- Mark Dantonio
"Honestly, that was my last game at the Shoe. There's no chance I'm coming back next year." -- Ezekiel Elliott
Observations:
This was the coaching job of Mark Dantonio's life. Michigan State fell to the role of heavy underdog with starting QB and Heisman candidate Connor Cook sidelined by injury. Dantonio put QBs Tyler O'Connor and Damion Terry in a position to succeed, limiting their passing plays while focusing on a host of creative running looks for both the QBs and the halfbacks. MSU's offense wasn't exactly on fire, but they gained over 200 yards on the ground and kept the ball away from OSU down the stretch on their way to a game-winning field goal. Dantonio coached masterfully, and MSU is now back in the College Football Playoff hunt.
The Ohio State Buckeyes' undefeated season went up in a poof of conservatism and controversy. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer coached this game not to lose it, dialing up run after run in an attempt to play for field position against a vulnerable MSU offense. It didn't work, and it led to a major venting session by RB Ezekiel Elliott and QB Cardale Jones as they claimed today was their last game at Ohio Stadium. Elliott even went so far as to blast the "playcaller" for not giving him enough carries. It was an ugly way for the team's 23-game winning streak to end, both on and off the field.
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