It’s almost time for a primetime party in Ohio Stadium.
Michigan State
Spartans
Ohio State plays its only home night game of 2023 tonight when it hosts Michigan State at the Shoe in its 10th game of the season. The Buckeyes will be wearing brand-new gray jerseys as they look to make a statement in front of a raucous home crowd and improve to 10-0 on the year.
It’s not the most exciting matchup on paper, as the Spartans are just 3-6 this season. But the Buckeyes will look to provide plenty of fireworks in the form of an explosive offensive performance and continued defensive dominance.
What are the burning questions entering tonight’s primetime showdown, who are some players that could be in line for big nights and which props should you consider betting if you’re a gambler? We dive into all of that below.
Biggest Questions
How will Ohio State handle hurt and/or injured players?
Ohio State enters its matchup with Michigan State as a four-score favorite over the Spartans, and with several Buckeye starters dealing with injuries – Tommy Eichenberg, Denzel Burke and Cade Stover among them – I am curious how Ohio State’s coaching staff will use those players, given the ever-important game in Ann Arbor in two weeks. Will we see Ohio State continue to be cautious and hold players out, use players for a few series and pull them or use players until garbage time? That’s certainly something to watch for in an expected Ohio State blowout.
- Chase Brown
Can Ohio State pitch a shutout?
Ohio State’s defense has been dominant in nearly every statistical category this season. Yet, it has not been able to record a shutout, which would be a fitting performance for a defense of this caliber. Michigan State’s offense is near the bottom nationwide in nearly every statistical category. If there was ever a time to do it, Saturday is it.
– Garrick Hodge
How long do the starters stay in?
Ohio State’s had some games this year against weaker competition that didn't result in the type of easy blowouts fans might expect. Saturday’s matchup against Michigan State offers another chance for the Buckeyes to get some of their depth a look at the field if they play up to the advantage they have on paper.
– Andy Anders
Will Tristan Gebbia and/or Lincoln Kienholz play?
Ryan Day has said he wants to give Gebbia and Kienholz a chance to play this season, but time is running out for that to happen. It’s only likely to happen if the Buckeyes can get out to a big lead in one of their next two games, and tonight is a prime opportunity to do that.
There’s still no guarantee that Gebbia or Kienholz would play in that scenario, as it may be more important to give any backup quarterback reps to Devin Brown. But considering Day has praised Gebbia throughout the season for his selflessness after transferring in from Oregon State with no expectation of starting, I’d think Day would like to at least give Gebbia the opportunity to take a few snaps in what will be his only season as a Buckeye. There might not be as much urgency to play Kienholz this year, considering he’ll still have four years of eligibility after taking a redshirt, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to get him a few game reps before he competes to start climbing the depth chart next year.
– Dan Hope
Players to Watch
Emeka Egbuka
Nine games into the season, Egbuka still doesn’t have a 100-yard receiving game this year. Tonight could be a prime opportunity to change that, considering Egbuka had a career-high 143 yards against Michigan State last season. After a quiet return from his ankle injury last week against Rutgers in which he caught only four passes for 29 yards, the Buckeyes will want to get their No. 2 receiver going with a big game tonight, and he’s more than capable of delivering.
– Dan Hope
Kyle McCord
With McCord having some inconsistent performances this season, Saturday feels like a prime opportunity for the signal-caller to have one of his best days in a Buckeye uniform.
– Garrick Hodge
TreVeyon Henderson
In Ohio State’s wins over Wisconsin and Rutgers, TreVeyon Henderson combined for 46 carries, 290 yards and two touchdowns as a ballcarrier and nine receptions for 125 yards as a pass-catcher. Michigan State has the No. 42 rushing defense (128.6 YGP), No. 45 total defense (350.9 YPG) and No. 72 scoring defense (26.6 PPG) in the nation. It also doesn’t have the athletes to keep up with a back as explosive as Henderson, so I am looking for the Ohio State running back to put together another high-output performance on Saturday.
- Chase Brown
Tyleik Williams
Michigan State is likely to try and establish its running game on Saturday given the uncertainty and lack of production it's had at quarterback. Defensive tackles are always central to stopping a rushing attack, and Williams has been among the best defenders for Ohio State regardless of position. He leads all defensive linemen with 37 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups. The second of those numbers leads the Buckeyes as a whole.
Williams should be central to another strong Ohio State defensive showing against the Spartans.
– Andy Anders
Best Bets
Emeka Egbuka over 51.5 receiving yards (-115, DraftKings)
After predicting that Egbuka could break his drought of 100-yard games tonight, how could I not take this bet? Egbuka has averaged 55 receiving yards per game in the six games he has played this season, and he’s topped 50 receiving yards in 14 of his 19 career starts as a Buckeye.
– Dan Hope
TreVeyon Henderson over 28.5 receiving yards (-114, FanDuel)
As I mentioned above, TreVeyon Henderson has nine receptions for 125 yards in his last two appearances for Ohio State — four catches for 45 yards vs. Wisconsin and five catches for 80 yards vs. Rutgers. Given that, I love that FanDuel has Henderson’s over/under for receiving yards set at 28.5 vs. Michigan State. Based on his averages the past two weeks, that’ll only take him three catches to reach. Or, given his home-run hitting ability, it could all come at once.
– Chase Brown
Ohio State to lead by more than 18.5 at halftime (-108, DraftKings)
Expect Ohio State to start fast in this one and be up at least three touchdowns at halftime given Michigan State's anemic offense.
– Andy Anders
TreVeyon Henderson and Marvin Harrison Jr. to both score touchdowns (-205, DraftKings)
This one seems like a surefire bet, as Ohio State will likely score early and often and likely from the backs of its top playmakers.
– Garrick Hodge
