After an improbable 9-1 start to the season, it’s come to this: a trip to Ohio Stadium with a chance to earn the inside track to the Big Ten title game and the College Football Playoff. To get there, though, the Spartans will have to slow down Ohio State, the most explosive offense in the country.
GAME INFORMATION
Who: No. 7 Michigan State (9-1) vs. No. 5 Ohio State (9-1)
When: 12:10 p.m.
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Twitter: Follow Matt Wenzel
Live updates: Join the MLive conversation at 11 a.m.
Latest line: Ohio State -19
HOW TO WATCH
TV Network: ABC (Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe)
Streaming-only options
Watch & DVR College Football Live | fuboTV: Stream live TV with ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN & top channels without cable. DVR included. Start watching free. No contract, cancel anytime.
WatchESPN | Hulu + Live TV | Sling | YouTube TV
Major Cable Providers
Comcast: Channel 3/231(HD) | Streaming
Spectrum: Channel 7/782(HD) | Streaming
Dish: Channel 53 | Streaming
DIRECTV: Channel 53 | Streaming
* Channel numbers listed are for Michigan subscribers and may change by geographic area. Check local listings.
HOW TO LISTEN
Radio Network: Spartan Media Network
Affiliates: WJR-AM 760 Detroit; WJIM-AM 1240/WMMQ-FM 94.9 Lansing; 22 other Michigan-based affiliates listed on MSUSpartans.com
Live streaming: MSUSpartans.com | iPhone app | Android app
Satellite: Sirius Ch. 83; XM Ch. 83; SiriusXM.com Ch. 83
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Five must-reads before kickoff:
* When Mel Tucker took over as Michigan State’s head coach, he promised his players that they would play for championships. He fulfilled that promise quicker than expected, as the Spartans are playing a critical late-November game in Tucker’s second season.
* Michigan State is reportedly in the process of giving Tucker a massive new contract that would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. Tucker said he always considered Michigan State “a destination job and not a stepping stone.”
* The Ohio State game is personal for many Spartans players, including those from the state of Ohio and for upperclassmen who have never beaten the Buckeyes. Offensive lineman Luke Campbell checks both those boxes and says that “this game means everything to me.”
* Saturday’s game could go a long way in not only determining who wins the Big Ten, but also who wins the Heisman Trophy. Spartans running back Kenneth Walker III and Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud are both among the top three candidates for the award and have an opportunity to make a statement on a big stage.
* How a Michigan State pass defense that’s had plenty of struggles can hold up against Stroud and the high-powered Buckeyes pass offense is among Matt Wenzel’s five things to watch this week.
STAT LEADERS
Michigan State
* Passing: Payton Thorne 173-273, 2,453 yards, 21 TD, 8 INT
* Rushing: Kenneth Walker III 227 carries, 1,473 yards, 17 TD
* Receiving: Jayden Reed 45 catches, 829 yards, 7 TD
* Tackles: Xavier Henderson 82
* Sacks: Jeff Pietrowski 5.5
* Interceptions: Henderson, Charles Brantley, Noah Harvey, Chester Kimbrough, Cal Haladay, Darius Snow, Angelo Grose, Xavier Henderson, Ronald Williams 1
Ohio State
* Passing: C.J. Stroud 214-311, 3,036 yards, 30 TD, 5 INT
* Rushing: TreVeyon Henderson 141 carries, 1,035 yards, 14 TD
* Receiving: Jaxon Smith-Njigba 59 catches, 1,027 yards, 5 TD
* Tackles: Ronnie Hickman 80
* Sacks: Haskell Garrett 4.5
* Interceptions: Hickman, Craig Young 2
BIG TEN SCHEDULE (with predictions)
Saturday, Nov. 20
Rutgers at Penn State, noon (BTN)
Michigan State at Ohio State, noon (ABC)
Purdue at Northwestern, noon ET (BTN)
Illinois at Iowa, 2 p.m. ET (FS1)
Michigan at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)
Minnesota at Indiana, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)
Nebraska at Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
