EAST LANSING, Mich. — The message, Tyquan Lewis insisted, was rather simple.
“End the game,” Ohio State’s redshirt junior defensive end said. “The plan was to get off the field, get the ball back to the offense, take a knee and get out.”
That’s all the Buckeyes had to do because if they didn’t, their season was essentially over. A Big Ten championship game appearance would be all but dead. The College Football Playoff? Kiss that goodbye.
If Ohio State’s defense didn’t figure out a way to stop Michigan State with 2 minutes, 4 seconds remaining on the clock Saturday, all would, essentially, be lost.
The Buckeyes were clinging to a one-point lead, ahead 17-16 after Spartans coach Mark Dantonio opted to go for a two-point conversion after his team scored with 4:53 to play in the game. Ohio State intercepted Tyler O’Connor’s pass to preserve that one-point lead.
After the Buckeyes found some success and picked up a first down, however, a couple of holding penalties caused their drive to stall and Ohio State was forced to punt.
O’Connor and the Spartans took over at their own 20-yard line, down by one, with just over two minutes to play. All Michigan State needed was a field goal — the same way the Spartans stunned the Buckeyes one year ago at Ohio Stadium.
But on the first play of this crucial drive, Lewis got around the edge and blasted O’Connor. The ball came free, but Michigan State recovered. Still, it was a loss of eight yards and the clock continued to tick. Time was running out on the Spartans.
O’Connor quickly took the next snap, looked right and sent a pass in the direction of wide receiver Monty Madaris. The Buckeyes had two defenders standing in the area, and it was junior cornerback Gareon Conley who came away with the interception.
Ohio State’s season was saved and it was the defense that did it.
“Tough day at the office right there,” Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer said afterward. “But we’ll take the win against a team that we know very well on the road in November and get ready for our rivalry week.”
Yes, that rivalry week. It’s finally here now, Ohio State vs. Michigan.
An end-of-the-year showdown with massive implications. If the Buckeyes win, they’re in solid position to make the College Football Playoff even if they don’t get a chance to play for the Big Ten title. Ohio State also needs Penn State to lose a game to get to Indianapolis. Entering Saturday, Michigan needed a pair of victories against Indiana and Ohio State to play for the conference crown.
The Buckeyes wouldn’t be in this position, though, if not for their defensive stand against Michigan State.
It was far from a perfect day against the Spartans. Ohio State allowed Michigan State to rack up 334 yards of total offense and the Buckeyes simply couldn’t contain Spartans running back L.J. Scott, who accounted for 236 of offense by himself. Scott had 160 rushing yards on 19 carries and also had a pair of catches for 76 yards. The sophomore running back and Ohio native scored on the second play from scrimmage, a 64-yard reception on a screen pass, and again in the fourth quarter to bring Michigan State within 17-16 before the failed two-point conversion try.
Ohio State’s defense was on its heels on that entire drive that resulted in Scott’s 1-yard touchdown run. The Spartans took over at their own 44-yard line following a punt by the Buckeyes, then proceeded to run Scott eight-straight times before he found the end zone.
But this is where Ohio State’s defense saved the season. The Buckeyes’ final three defensive plays of the game were the interception on the ensuing two-point conversion try, Lewis’ sack on first down on the next series and then Conley’s game-clinching interception.
Disaster averted.
“We knew it was going to be a dogfight,” Buckeyes linebacker Chris Worley said. “Coming around this time of the year, November, wins are hard to come by. We’ll take any win, any way we can.”
And so, Ohio State survived another battle with Michigan State. The Buckeyes’ defense, which was far from perfect, came up clutch to essentially save the season.
Ohio State can finally focus on Michigan.
“We were focused on this game because we knew how it was going to be, physical, and obviously good thing we didn’t overlook it,” Buckeyes defensive end Sam Hubbard said. “Now, it’s the big week that we look forward to all year.”
