Ohio State's known all along it would come to this. Frankly, the Big Ten and college football world knew it would come to this.
Michigan State and Ohio State. Urban Meyer and Mark Dantonio. The defending national champions of the sport battling the last — and only — team to beat them in conference play in Meyer's tenure.
"To win the next week, we’re going to have to be nine strong," Meyer said Saturday after leading the Buckeyes a 28-3 victory at Illinois. "That’s something we’re going to continue to hammer."
"Nine Units Strong." It's the credo Meyer instilled after Dantonio and the Spartans ripped away his chances at capturing the Big Ten Championship in 2013.