EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) Mark Dantonio responded with a quip and a smile when asked if Michigan State’s matchup against Ohio State feels similar to last season’s game. ”Well, I hope not,” the Michigan State coach said. The second-ranked Buckeyes are favored by about two touchdowns in Saturday’s showdown with ninth-ranked Michigan State, and part of the reason the Spartans are such big underdogs on the road is because of what happened the last time the teams met. Ohio State went to East Lansing in 2014 and beat Michigan State 49-37, humbling the Spartans’ fine defense in a victory that was the first real sign that Ohio State might be a national title contender. It was a startling performance by the Buckeyes, who ran for 268 yards and threw for 300 against the talented Spartans. Now Michigan State – which looks far more vulnerable now than it did then – will try again to slow down J.T. Barrett and Ohio State. ”We’ve got some different personnel in there, they’ve had some injuries that have created some different things that they have had to go through. We have had some injuries that we have had to deal with as well,” Dantonio said. ”As far as who they are, in terms of what concepts they use, they do a great job in terms of keeping it fresh.” Two seasons ago in the Big Ten championship game, Michigan State held Ohio State’s Braxton Miller to eight completions, but with Barrett at quarterback last season, the Buckeyes unleashed all of their speed and power…
Continue Reading: Spartans to be challenged again by Ohio State’s speed, power (Nov 19, 2015)
