Ohio State @ Michigan State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 21, 2015 ) Michigan State 17, Ohio State 14

No. 2 Ohio State has one more hurdle before getting to its much-anticipated showdown with Michigan next weekend. First up, however, is a road contest against Michigan State, which likely will have its hands full against the second-ranked team in the College Football Playoff rankings.

The Buckeyes are coming off identical 62-3 wins against Nebraska and Maryland and cannot afford any slip-ups with their home date against the Wolverines - currently No. 3 in the CFP rankings - just one week away. "All focus and laser lights are on a team that we know very well, a lot of respect for, excellent players, great coaches," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said of Michigan State this week. "We're going to do our very best to perform well on the road." Ohio State actually would lose a tiebreaker to Penn State in the Big Ten East, but Meyer's team still could reach the College Football Playoff even without winning its own division. It might even be an easier path for the Buckeyes, although first they must contend with a Spartans' squad that snapped a seven-game skid their last time out.

TV: Noon ET, ESPN. LINE: Ohio State -21.5

ABOUT OHIO STATE (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten): The Buckeyes are second in the nation in scoring (46.5) and third in scoring defense (12.7) and their whole arsenal was on display against Maryland. J.T. Barrett accounted for four touchdowns, Curtis Samuel found the end zone three times and Mike Weber was merely an afterthought with 93 yards on 12 carries. Defensively, the Buckeyes allowed just 43 yards on 40 rushing attempts and gave up only 4.9 yards per pass attempt as they won by at least 21 points for the seventh time this season.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (3-7, 1-6): The Spartans have split their last six meetings with the Buckeyes, but this is not a typical season for Michigan State. The Spartans won for the first time since Week 2 when they rolled past Rutgers 49-0 last weekend, a victory fueled by three first-half touchdown passes by Tyler O'Connor and a combined 174 rushing yards and three rushing TDs by LJ Scott and Madre London. Scott likely will be the focus of the Buckeyes' defensive scheme as he has run for 120-plus yards in three of the last four games and also is averaging nearly 5.8 yards per carry over that stretch.

EXTRA POINTS

1. After posting 11 touchdown passes and four interceptions last season, Barrett has 23 touchdown passes and four interceptions this season.

2. Samuel, a running back, has 34 catches for 405 yards and three TDs in the last five games.

3. Prior to their shutout against Rutgers, the Spartans had yielded at least 24 points in eight straight games.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 44, Michigan State 16