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The marquee game of the Big Ten this week – and maybe all of college football – features two teams ranked top 10 nationally, both of whom could end up in the College Football Playoff.
No. 4 Ohio State hosts No. 8 Michigan State on Saturday, a game that has massive implications for the Big Ten Championship Game as well as the College Football Playoff. Former college football coach Lou Holtz, who coached at Notre Dame but also had stops at Minnesota, Arkansas and South Carolina among other college teams thinks that the Buckeyes will roll comfortably in this one.
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“Michigan State has been a very surprising football team, we give them a lot of credit. I think that quarterback [Payton] Thorne is vastly underrated…he has thrown for 21 touchdowns, only eight interceptions. When you partner him with Walker, who has rushed for almost 1,500 yards, 17 touchdowns – their offense is very, very good. Their offensive line is playing very well. The defense, not so much,” Holtz said on this week’s edition of ‘The Crowd’s Line.’
“They are very porous in the secondary, that’s why I don’t think they have a chance in this football. Yes, they beat Michigan, but Michigan didn’t throw the much except on play-action passes.”
Holtz also noted that Ohio State’s “defense is still very suspect.”
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“What really makes Ohio State exciting is the two receivers. When you look at [Garrett] Wilson and [Chris] Olave – you can’t cover both of them. But when you have a quarterback as accurate as Ohio State does, you have a good combination,” Holtz said.
“I think Ohio State wins this football game 41-27. I think Michigan State because Ohio State’s defense and their ability to move the ball on offense by Michigan State [covers].”
His co-host on the show is Mark May, who said “if this game was at Spartyville, I’d lean closer to Michigan State…but I don’t think so.” Like Holtz, May picked against Michigan State and for the current Big Ten champions.
“Kenneth Walker is the best player on the football field for Michigan State. But they’re one-dimensional. They don’t throw the ball vertically enough and their pass defense is suspect in this game,” May said.
“I like Sparty to run the ball like Oregon did against them to try and play keep-away from this prolific offense. C.J. Stroud has been terrific as a young player, 30 touchdowns on the season already. [TreVeyon] Henderson, the freshman running back, has been phenomenal. He’s going to be a freshman All-American. Ohio State has too much offense in this game.”
A former standout collegiate offensive lineman at Pitt who won two Super Bowls during his NFL career, May picked Ohio State to cover and beat Michigan State 51-30. He said that “style points” will be important for the Buckeyes.