Bottom line: How did Buckeyes grade out vs. Michigan State? How did OSU's offense grade?
The coaches on the sideline for the Ohio State-Michigan State game each make $9.5 million per year.
After the Buckeyes' 49-20 demolition of the Spartans Saturday, it's safe to say one side might have buyer's remorse. Ryan Day's team handed Mel Tucker's team its fourth straight loss. Except for an early pick-six by Sparty that gave early – and false – hope, this was all Buckeyes as C.J. Stroud lit up the Michigan State secondary for six touchdowns.
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Ohio State outgained Michigan State 614-202 and it was even more lopsided when the starters were in. Doubtful that Tucker will be smiling when he gets his paycheck this week.
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How did the Buckeyes grade in their win over Michigan State? Leaves are awarded on a zero-to-five basis.
Ohio State offense (5 leaves)
Hard to quibble with much here. The Buckeyes were again without Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and running back Miyan Williams, who scored five touchdowns last week, was a game-day scratch. They didn't miss them. As long as Stroud is on his game, the Buckeyes are hard to stop. When the offensive line protects and opens holes the way it did and the Ohio State receivers make spectacular plays – take a bow, Marvin Harrison Jr. – the Buckeyes are close to impossible to even contain.
Ohio State football:Here are 5 things we learned from the Ohio State Buckeyes' 49-20 win over Michigan State
Ohio State defense (4 leaves)
Michigan State had 7 yards rushing. Even excluding sack yardage, the Spartans had a mere 38 yards rushing. That forced Payton Thorne and the passing game to do almost everything, and he managed only 113 yards in the air. Michigan State's longest play went for only 25 yards. The defensive line dominated. Michael Hall had 2 1/2 sacks. OSU gets docked one star for its continuing struggles at cornerback. That has to get fixed.
Ohio State special teams (3 leaves)
The Buckeyes didn't do much of note here. Jayden Fielding kicked the ball out of bounds on the opening kickoff, the third time this year he's booted one out of play. Emeka Egbuka called for a fair catch at the OSU 10 when he had room to run. Kourt Williams had a block-in-the-back penalty to nullify a long kickoff return by Chip Trayanum to open the second half.
Coaching (5 leaves)
Ryan Day had his team ready for his team's first road game of the year. After Stroud threw the pick-six, he said Day's calm helped him. With Williams injured, the Buckeyes effectively used receiver Xavier Johnson as a runner on sweeps, a new wrinkle. Day also gets credit for going for it on fourth-and-1 from own 42 to start the second quarter with the Buckeyes' leading 14-7. TreVeyon Henderson ran for a first down, and Stroud hit Julian Fleming for a 51-yard touchdown on the next play.
Fun quotient (3 leaves)
If you're a Buckeye fan with a weak stomach and can't stand even the thought of a nail-biter, this was at least a four-star game. Stroud put on a show. Harrison had two spectacular catches, an over-the-shoulder grab for a first down and a Garrett Wilson-like acrobatic catch for a touchdown. But if you'd like a little drama and doubt, these blowouts can get monotonous.
Michigan State Spartans(2 leaves)
Remember when Sparty was ranked 11th after two games? That seems like a looong time ago. Michigan State used to be the Big Ten team that gave the Buckeyes the most fits. Now, OSU has beaten the Spartans 157-39 in their last three games. Tucker's contract is way too big for him to be on the hot seat anytime soon, but the program's trajectory is going the wrong way.
Officiating (4 leaves)
Big Ten officials have taken plenty of criticism this year, but the crew Saturday didn't make any head-scratchers. The officials did a nice job reversing a fumble call in the second quarter. Michigan State receiver Maliq Carr didn't retain possession when hit by Tommy Eichenberg. Originally ruled a fumble recovered by Ronnie Hickman, the officiating crew set a land speed record when it was quickly changed to an incompletion.
Ohio State Buckeyes football schedule
Week 1: Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 10
Week 2: Ohio State 45, Arkansas State 12
Week 3: Ohio State 77, Toledo 21
Week 4: Ohio State 52, Wisconsin 21
Week 5: Ohio State 49, Rutgers 10
Week 6: Ohio State 49, Michigan State 20
Week 8: Ohio State vs. Penn State, Oct. 29, State College, Pa.
Week 11: Ohio State vs. Maryland, Nov. 19, College Park, MD.
Week 12: Ohio State vs. Michigan, at noon Nov. 26, Columbus, Ohio
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football grades after OSU win over Michigan State
