MICHIGAN STATE AT OHIO STATE: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY’S GAME

■

State

■ Noon, today

■ Ohio Stadium, Columbus

■ ABC/1410

■ Ohio State leads 34-15, including a 16-9 record in Columbus. The Spartans won three of five from 2011-15, but Ohio State has won the last five.

■ Justin Fields threw for

199 yards and ran for 104 more as the Buckeyes beat the Spartans 52-12 last season despite being short-handed because of COVID-19 cases and contact

Who:

No. 7 Michigan State at No. 4 Ohio

When: Where: TV/Radio: Series history: Last game:

tracing. Trey Sermon ran for 112 yards, and C.J. Stroud had a 48-yard touchdown run. ■ Ohio State’s Ryan Day is 32-3 in three seasons, including 22–0 in the

Big Ten. Mel Tucker is 11-6 in two years at Michigan State and 16-13 overall as a head coach.

■ Ohio State leads the nation in scoring offense (46.3 points per game), total offense (550.4 yards), touchdowns (59) and yards per play (8.03). ... Stroud ranks in the top five nationally in quarterback efficiency (fifth, 179.4), touchdown passes (fifth, 30) and yards

Coaches: Ohio State notes:

per attempt (fifth, 9.8). ... Jaxon SmithNjigba, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave rank second, fourth and eighth in the Big Ten, respectively, in receiving yards per game.

■ Tucker is a Cleveland native and spent four seasons as an Ohio State assistant for Jim

Tressel. He coached defensive backs for the Buckeyes from 2001-03 and was co-defensive coordinator in ‘04. ... Michigan State has defeated a top five Ohio State team five times, including a No. 1-ranked Ohio State team three times: in 1974 (16-13), 1998 (28-24) and 2015

Michigan State notes:

(17-14). ... The Spartans stopped Ohio State’s record 30-game Big Ten winning streak in 2015. ... Their three wins over the Buckeyes since 2011 are the most of any team in the Big Ten. ... Kenneth Walker III has led the nation in rushing all but one week and is averaging 147.3 yards per game.

■ The Buckeyes play at Michigan at noon next Saturday. Michigan State returns home to play Penn State.

■ Ohio State 49, Michigan State 31

Next game: Prediction:

— Marcus Hartman, staff writer