Ohio State handling its business in the non-conference, improving to 3-0 after defeating Marshall, and will travel for the first time this season to face off against Michigan State for a prime time game on Peacock. The offense looked solid and was able to have 4 explosive plays of 40 yards or more, while the defense and special teams needed a half to look like the unit we expected from this team. As we enter conference play, here are our top 5 questions leading up to the showdown against Sparty.
1. How will this team respond to being on the road?
With the first game on the road, and at night in East Lansing, the Spartan faithful will likely be in full force ready to cheer loud as they can, and I am sure we will see pockets of red intermingled in the stands. Being on the road for the first time, this will be a test for the Buckeyes as they will not control the crowd or environment, but can they stick with their gameplan and fundamentals to get out of East Lansing with a win.
2. Will we see more rotation at defensive line?
Tyleik Williams was out against Marshall last week, which meant Hero Kanu had his first start, and it took a few drives for the Silver Bullets to gel and slow down the rushing attack. We saw Ryan Day get more involved with Larry Johnson in getting the personnel he wanted in at different times in the game, but if the injury is still persistent, can the Buckeyes rotate healthy bodies in and still be effective? Do we see CJ Hicks fill in for defensive end during a rush-man package to put pressure on the quarterback.
3. What is the next level for this offense?
Through three games, the Ohio State offense has already looked to be in mid-season form and showcased its athletes with explosive plays against Marshall. This team has been very vanilla too with its play calling, so do we see more wrinkles to help this offense continue to improve and elevate to a championship level unit.
4. Do we see Julian Sayin take over as second-string QB?
This is a repeat from last week, but we saw Devin Brown come into the game, and the coaches let him pass in the fourth quarter, but he did not look sharp. Is it time to start letting the freshman get live reps and prepare him for next season or take over in something happens to Howards?
5. Can we get more sacks?
The Buckeyes struggled to sack and create turnovers against Marshall, and the Michigan State quarterback does get involved in the run game. Can this defense assert dominance and limit possessions.
What are your top questions entering the game?
Photo Credit – Nick Wass-AP