The last time Ohio State ventured to East Lansing in 2006, the Buckeyes had tallied at least 30 points in all but two of their contests. The other two? 28 and 24. Ohio State's defense had allowed no more than 17 points to any opponent and had held four of its opponents to single digits.
So what happened in East Lansing on that October 14 day? The Buckeyes tallied 4 sacks, Troy Smith passed for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells each reached the end zone, and Anthony Gonzalez had 118 yards to go along with a score. The outcome? 38-7.
Now let's fast forward. Ohio State's offense is good enough for 10th place in the Big Ten. That puts them ahead of a Michigan team who only managed 10 points on Toledo. Chris Wells has blossomed into a dynamic running back who is always one play away from a 50 yarder, but the Ohio State passing attack has been nonexistent for nearly the entire season.
Last week we saw what could happen when Wells is held to a mediocre day. Freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor looked indecisive and sluggish against Purdue's defense, which is the worst in the Big Ten. It is evident how confident Pryor is in his abilities and he should be. It is not unreasonable to say that as more games are under his belt, he will improve the speed of his decision making dramatically. However, the Buckeyes are challenging for another Big Ten title. Can Ohio State afford another performance like that Saturday? Ohio State's first drive will be crucial. There is always the chance that Pryor comes out looking sharp, poised and ready to have his best game yet, and we will know for sure when he first takes the field amid the thousands of Michigan State fans whose expectations are much higher than last year.
The defense marches forward without its veteran defensive end Lawrence Wilson, who tore his ACL and is out for the remainder of the season. The motif this year has been the absence of a formidable pass rush. It shows promise at times, but more often than not the quarterback has an eternity to find the open man and carve up the Ohio State secondary; a unit which has often been left with little chance for success. However, Wilson's injury means an opportunity for another man on the roster to be impactful. Will Rob Rose step up? Will Curtis Terry be rushing off the end? Will we be seeing more of Etienne Sabino? All possibilities.
One thing is for sure. The defense had its best performance of the season last week against a solid Purdue offensive attack. It was a notable bright spot in a game that lacked them. Hopefully the defense will take that into East Lansing this weekend.
This is a gut check game for the Buckeyes. Michigan State is legitimately in the hunt for Big Ten glory this season and would love nothing more than to knock off one of two conference foes who are currently standing in their way. Ohio State has to show up and play a rugged brand of football if they plan on beating a determined team whose standards have risen significantly this season.
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