A common thread running through some pregame narratives for Ohio State’s showdown on Saturday with Michigan State is that the Spartans — ninth in the College Football Playoff rankings — have more to play for, and more to prove, than the No.3 Buckeyes.
But Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott knows that the Buckeyes, despite their nation’s-best 23-game winning streak, still have doubters, much as there were this time a year ago before they defeated the Spartans 49-37 in East Lansing, the game that set in motion the run to the national championship.
“I think people are still uncertain of what we’ve got,” Elliott said after practice on Wednesday.