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The Buckeyes will be away against the Spartans for the first time this season.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – After the first five games of the season at home, Ohio State Buckeyes will face Michigan State this Saturday.
Head coach Ryan Day, along with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and running backs coach Tony Alford, spoke to the media Tuesday afternoon ahead of this week’s game.
You can watch in the player below.
OHIO STATE VS MICHIGAN STATE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
*Information provided by Ohio State Athletics
- Since Ryan Day’s team scored 21 points in its first win against Notre Dame, Ohio State has averaged 55.7 points per game in its last four contests.
- After a pair of close games in 2015 and 2016 – Michigan State won 17-14 in 2015 and Ohio State 17-16 in 2016 – the Buckeyes have averaged 43.2 points per game in their last five meetings.
- Meanwhile, Ohio State’s defense limited MSU to just 7.6 points per game.
- However, eight of Michigan State’s 15 wins in that streak have come over nationally ranked Ohio State, including five of the Spartans’ wins over top-5 Ohio State teams.
- Ohio State’s team defense ranks in the top 25 in the nation in three major statistical categories: total defense, scoring defense and passing defense.
- Top 10 included – No. 10 ranked all-around defense.
- Through five games last season, Ohio State ranked 42nd in scoring defense, 77th in scoring, 84th in total defense and 98th in passing.
- Ohio State’s two starting linebackers continue to lead the way in tackles.
- Tommy Eichenberg has a team-high 42 tackles, including a team-best 5.5 TFL.
- Steele Chambers is next with 30 tackles and 4.0 TFL, which rank third on the team.
On the ground and in the air
- With All-American Jackson Smith Njigba slowed by an injury, Ohio State’s other WRs are off to great starts.
- Marvin Harrison (24-405) is 6th in the nation with six TD receptions. Emeka Egbuka (30-512) ranks 13th in the nation with five TD catches and is 10th with 102.4 receiving yards per game.
- Egbuka has at least one TD catch in four of five games this season.
- And rookie Julian Fleming has 11 catches, 141 yards and 4 TDs in the last three games. He ranks 31st in TD catches.
- Since we’re talking 100-yard games, Ohio State running backs have topped the century mark 523 times in school history.
- Ohio State’s RB can match its WR corps with three different players topping 100 this year: Dalan Haden (108 vs. Toledo), TreVayon Henderson (121 vs. Wisconsin) and Mian Williams (101 vs. Wisconsin and 189 vs. Rutgers).
- It’s a good situation long term, with Williams (64-497-7.8; 8 TD) and Henderson (50-318-6.4; 3 TD) combining for 815 yards rushing on 114 carries for a 7.1 average yards per carry.
- As a team, Ohio State’s 6.2 yards per carry average ranks fifth in the nation.
