It was a defensive struggle for much of the afternoon, but the Buckeyes survived a 17-16 nailbiter, which ended with an exciting fourth quarter.
Michigan State got out to a solid start, as junior running back L.J. Scott scored a 64-yard touchdown on the Spartans’ first drive, catching a screen pass from quarterback Tyler O’Connor and doing the rest of the work himself.
The Buckeyes responded quickly and J.T. Barrett led the offense down the field, capping the drive off with a 24-yard pass to Curtis Samuel.
It was Samuel’s seventh receiving touchdown of the season and he now has 14 total td’s.
Both defenses stood their ground for most of the second quarter, but each side was able to add a field goal before the half.
The Buckeyes’ running game picked up after halftime and freshman tailback Mike Weber broke through for a 52-yard run and capped off the drive with a 4-yard rushing touchdown with 5:33 left in the third quarter.
Weber eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards on that drive, becoming the third freshman in school history to reach that mark.
The Spartans answered back in the fourth quarter, as Scott continued his great day, busting loose for a 61-yard gain and finishing off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 17-16.
Rather than tie the game with 4:41 to play, Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio gambled and went for two, but O’Connor’s pass was intercepted by Malik Hooker.
The Spartan defense held its ground and gave the offense a chance to drive down the field, but Gareon Conley intercepted O’Connor to seal the victory.
The defense may have bailed the Buckeyes out at key times in the game, including timely interceptions from Conley, Hooker, and Chris Worley, but Weber (111 yards) and Barrett (105 yards) were effective on the ground, despite a lack-luster passing game.
In Barrett’s defense, the weather was far from ideal for passing and the combination of wind, sleet, and snow made life difficult for quarterbacks on both sides.
Meanwhile, Scott ran for 160 yards in the loss, amassing 263 total yards on the day.
He is only the second running back to rush for over 100 yards against Ohio State this season.
The Buckeyes improve to 10-1 and will take on Michigan next Saturday in what figures to be a do-or-die game in the College Football Playoff picture.
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