EAST LANSING, Mich. – Ohio State knew what kind of game Saturday afternoon’s tilt against Michigan State could turn into.
Last year’s 48-3 blowout victory was an outlier. The prior six matchups between the two teams were decided by fewer than two touchdowns, and four games had a margin of victory of three or fewer points.
The 2015 game knocked the Buckeyes out of College Football Playoff contention. Ohio State beat the Spartans in 2014, then won the national championship. In 2013, Michigan State beat the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten championship. In Urban Meyer’s first game against the Spartans as Ohio State head coach, his team eked out a one-point win.