No. 4 Ohio State and No. 7 Michigan State entered Ohio Stadium at the center of the college football world Saturday, but that didn’t last long.
The Buckeyes (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) used a 49-point halftime lead to blow by the Spartans (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) 56-7. Ohio State staked out a 500-116 advantage in total yards in the opening 30 minutes, while shutting down Michigan State’s offensive attack.
Ohio State’s offense was dynamite through the contest, amassing a staggering 655 yards of total offense behind 7.6 yards per play.
Redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud boosted his Heisman Trophy odds behind a stellar performance. The Empire, California, native exploded in the game’s opening half, tossing six touchdowns to just two incompletions while picking up 393 yards through the air.
During the first half, there was a stretch where Stroud broke an Ohio State record with 17-straight completions.
Stroud’s six first-half touchdowns tied the Ohio State single-game record. The six-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week finished the game 32-for-35 for 432 yards and six touchdowns.
The three-headed monster of senior Chris Olave, junior Garrett Wilson and sophomore Jaxon Smith-Njigba helped Stroud with a trio of dominating receiving performances.
Olave, in particular, had a record-setting day behind two touchdowns — the second of which was the 35th of his career and pushed him past David Boston’s Ohio State record of 34. Playing in his final game at the Shoe, Olave finished the game with seven receptions for 140 yards alongside his two scores.
Smith-Njigba hauled in a team-high 10 receptions, while churning out 105 yards and a second-quarter score. Wilson added 126 yards on seven catches and two touchdowns.
While the Buckeyes’ passing attack feasted on Michigan State’s secondary — which entered the game ranked dead-last in the country in passing yards allowed — Ohio State’s defense didn’t allow an inch throughout Saturday’s contest.
The Spartans were held off of the scoreboard until 14:55 remained in the fourth quarter while the Buckeyes held them to just 224 total yards behind 3.8 yards-per-play.
Michigan State junior running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Kenneth Walker III was not overly involved in the Spartans’ game plan from the jump — only gathering six carries while picking up 25 yards.
Spartans second-year head coach Mel Tucker turned to the services of redshirt sophomore quarterback Payton Thorne, who struggled to deal with immense pressure set on him by Ohio State’s pass rush and suffocating pass defense.
The Naperville, Illinois, native completed just 14-of-46 passes while throwing for 158 yards and a touchdown.
The Buckeyes totaled 11 pass breakups and were led by junior defensive end Zach Harrison and freshman cornerback Denzel Burke, who each tallied two.
Sophomore linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and sophomore safety Kourt Williams led the way for the Buckeyes in terms of tackles, tallying seven.
The Game returns after last season’s cancellation, as the No. 4 Buckeyes and the No. 6 Wolverines will battle for the Big Ten East crown in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Nov. 27. The matchup will be broadcasted on FOX at 12 p.m..
