The Ohio State Buckeyes Take on the Spartans in the first road game and Big Ten opener under the lights in East Lansing, streaming on Peacock.

The 3-0 Ohio State Buckeyes look to remain undefeated as they travel to East Lansing, Michigan for a matchup with the Michigan State Spartans. The game kicks off at 7 pm EST and can be watched exclusively on Peacock.

The Buckeyes have had 49 or more points in each game thus far, and are coming off a 49-14 win over Marshall. The Spartans have been up and down to start the year and boast a 3-1 record after their first loss of the season last week at Boston College.

The outcome and margin of this game will be dependent on what version of the teams we get. If Michigan State plays a clean game and can sustain some drives, it will be closer than the large spread suggests. However, if they trail early, the Buckeyes may be able to run away with it as they like to do against the green and white.

Let’s take a look at both teams and what they will each need to do to have success in this primetime affair.

Ohio State Continues to Roll

The Buckeyes continued their electric offensive display in week four but had a few areas of concern on defense and special teams.

On offense, Will Howard threw his first interception in a jump-ball situation last week but played solidly overall. He is up to nearly 800 yards passing through three games, with six passing touchdowns, just one interception, and one sack.

On the ground, both running backs have continued to be great and provide chunk plays. Quinshon Judkins is now up to 336 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 9.3 yards per carry. TreVeyon Henderson has also been outstanding, with 207 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 8.6 yards per carry.

As I predicted, Emeka Egbuka had his best game of the season in week four and found the endzone for the first time this season. He is tied for the team lead with 14 receptions, and also has 266 receiving yards. Jeremiah Smith has been arguably the best freshman in the country, with 14 receptions, a team-high 281 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Carnell Tate has been solid as well, with 11 receptions, 167 receiving yards, and a score thus far.

You knew he was going to score at some point 🔥😏

Jeremiah Smith adds on another for @OhioStateFB 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JzL2YJOxk4

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 21, 2024

The defense had their worst performance of the season in their last outing. The Silver Bullets weren’t flying around as we expected and had trouble applying pressure on the quarterback. Latham Ransom and Sonny Styles have been solid though, and have 19 and 17 tackles respectively through three games.

The defensive line has nine sacks for 54 sack yards, but the defense still has just two interceptions and one fumble recovery after a somewhat underwhelming showing against Marshall.

The Michigan State Spartans’ Interesting Start to the Season

The Spartans have struggled at times to find success in the passing game. Quarterback Aidan Chiles has 891 passing yards through four games, but just four passing touchdowns with seven interceptions and five sacks.

The ground game has struggled to get going at times as well. They also have a tandem that gets similar touches in the backfield like Judkins and Henderson do. Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams has 271 rushing yards on 5.5 yards per carry, and Nate Carter has 207 rushing yards on 4.4 yards per carry. Both running backs have just one touchdown, with Chiles finding the endzone three times on the ground.

Aidan Chiles really needs to stop taking this whole duality of man concept to heart. pic.twitter.com/1nQK3TPq43

— Tailgates and Turnovers (@TnTCFBPod) September 22, 2024

Four guys have 131 or more receiving yards for the Spartans, led by Nick Marsh’s 232 receiving yards. Montorie Foster Jr. leads the team with 17 receptions, and four different players have caught Chiles’ four touchdown throws.

Linebackers Jordan Turner and Cal Halacha anchor the Spartan defense with 22 and 19 tackles respectively. The Spartan defense has gotten 15 sacks led by Turner and defensive lineman Khris Bogle with three apiece.

Defensive back Charles Brantley has two of the team’s four interceptions, and the Spartans have just one fumble recovery through four games.

Taking out their game against Prairie View A&M, they have scored just 16, 27, and 19 points in their games. They also have won their other two games by nine combined points and suffered a narrow defeat at Boston College last week.

What to Watch for

A hot start in this game is essential for the Ohio State Buckeyes for a variety of reasons. From an atmosphere aspect, the Spartan fans will be rowdy for the visiting Buckeyes, especially in a night game atmosphere.

Michigan State has also struggled to throw and has thrown seven interceptions, so playing from behind will only lead to more problems for the green and white.

I could see the Buckeye offensive relying on the run earlier in the game than they have so far. Getting both backs going and getting some first downs will open up the passing game for Howard and the elite wide receiver room. I think Egbuka has another big game as the veteran in the room in a tougher environment, with more big plays from the running backs who have been here before.

On defense, playing with a lead will only help them have more time to disrupt the Spartan offense in the backfield. The green and white have struggled at times to get yards and points, and this could be a big bounceback game for the defense with tougher offensive opponents looming in a few weeks.

I predict two interceptions from the defense and maybe a fumble recovery as well. The special teams unit could be interesting after three straight kickoffs out of bounds and the benching of Jayden Fielding in the last game.

Overall, Ohio State has a 21-6 record against a familiar opponent and is 9-1 in their last 10 clashes. The Buckeyes won 38-3 last season, and their previous road contest in East Lansing in 2022 was a 49-20 win. I see the margin of victory being similar, with the team from Columbus improving to 4-0 with their first conference win.

Prediction: Ohio State 38, Michigan State 13