Five home games in a row to begin the season later, the Buckeyes' first road trip of 2022 has finally arrived.
Ohio State heads to East Lansing this afternoon to take on the Michigan State Spartans at 4 p.m. ET on ABC.
Despite the team's first overnight stay at a hotel other than the Blackwell Inn this season, the Buckeyes certainly seem well-rested and excited to go after a seventh straight win over Sparty.
good morning pic.twitter.com/ceVUjIAiJX
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 8, 2022
Unfortunately, today OSU will be without last week's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week in Miyan Williams, but Chop sends his regards and anticipates his teammates will hold things down just fine in that state up north.
Ill be back buckeye nation my brothers got me
— Chop (@Miyannnn3) October 8, 2022
Below are an assortment of predictions for today's showdown with MSU, courtesy of the 11W staff's Buckeye football aficionados:
Eleven Warriors Staff Score Predictions
Dan Hope: Ohio State 41, Michigan State 17. "The score could be much more lopsided if Michigan State keeps playing as poorly as it has been, but I won’t be surprised if things look a bit clunky for the Buckeyes in their first road game of the season."
Chris Lauderback: Ohio State 45, Michigan State 17. "I'd forecast a bigger blowout but I figure Ohio State will probably get bored in the second half."
Ramzy Nasrallah: Ohio State 56, Michigan State 20. "I am excited to rubberneck at just how atrocious this Sparty defense is."
Johnny Ginter: Ohio State 54, Michigan State 17. "C.J. has had two kind of meh weeks in a row, so I expect Day to try and get him back in a rhythm."
Garrick Hodge: Ohio State 48, Michigan State 17. "Michigan State’s putrid secondary has zero chance of slowing down Ohio State’s offense, so the Buckeyes are going to have a field day offensively. It might look a little clunky at times considering OSU is playing its first road game of the year, but the Buckeyes should win very comfortably."
"I am excited to rubberneck at just how atrocious this Sparty defense is." – Ramzy Nasrallah
Chase Brown: Ohio State 56, Michigan State 13. "Michigan State has been a thorn in Ohio State's side for as long as I can remember. However, that thorn has lost some of its sharpness over the last few years, and I don't expect it to rear its ugly head again for the foreseeable future. Buckeyes win this one big."
Matt Gutridge: Ohio State 52, Michigan State 10. "Mel Tucker has played the Buckeyes twice and was outscored 108-19. That comes to $5.0 million per every point Tucker's team has scored against Ohio State. Another overpriced performance is on its way."
Josh Poloha: Ohio State 45, Michigan State 17. ”Ohio State’s dominance over Sparty continues with yet another blowout win.”
Kyle Jones: Ohio State 49, Michigan State 17.
Jason Priestas: Ohio State 38, Michigan State 10.
Check out this week's Eleven Warriors Roundtable for scoring predictions from Griffin Strom, Andy Vance, and George Eisner.
Will Ohio State Cover?
The bookies have this afternoon's spread currently slotted at 27 points, which is the first expected margin of victory Ohio State has had this season greater than 20 but less than 30. The Buckeyes are 2-2-1 ATS this season after a push versus Rutgers last week that saw OSU win by exactly 39 points.
All but two folks on staff for Eleven Warriors believe Ohio State will cover today. Dan Hope has the Buckeyes winning by 24, while Griffin Strom predicts the slimmest win for OSU by just three touchdowns. Conversely, Chase Brown expects the widest differential between the two teams at a whopping 43 points.
What About the Over?
The Buckeyes and Spartans have this afternoon's point total established at 65, the second largest over/under Ohio State has seen this season as well as the second largest projected total these teams have had over their last 10 meetings.
Today's point total predictions are a dead heat across the 11W staff, as six believe in the over while another six project the under and one anticipates a push. Ramzy Nasrallah has the loftiest expectations at 76 combined points, while Jason Priestas forecasts a shallow 48 between the two teams. Garrick Hodge's score prediction of 48-17 lines up directly with the oddsmakers' approximation of 65 points.
Eleven Warriors House Prop Bets
While fans seek out ways to kill time prior to kickoff, take a look at some Eleven Warriors in-house prop bets to consider before the Buckeyes take the field against Sparty. Comment your predictions below and compete for bragging rights.
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How many passing yards will C.J. Stroud finish with?
- 330 or more (-110)
- Less than 330 (-110)
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How many rushing yards will TreVeyon Henderson finish with?
- 110 or more (-105)
- Less than 110 (-120)
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How many receiving yards will Emeka Egbuka finish with?
- 90 or more (-125)
- Less than 90 (+100)
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Will Ohio State cover the halftime spread of 17 points?
- Yes (+100)
- No (-120)
While it may be hard to believe this is Ohio State's first road game of the season, the Buckeye fan base travels so well that it may not make a difference. Drive that point home for the rest of the Big Ten with an Every Game is a Home Game t-shirt from Eleven Warriors Dry Goods.
