The Spartans can derail the Buckeyes’ title hopes with a big win at home.

Ohio State survived a brief scare against Nebraska to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. The Buckeyes face a tougher task Saturday against a Michigan State team that already cost Penn State its title hopes.

The Spartans have fluctuated through an up-and-down 2018. MSU’s season started with a near loss against Utah State, then a real one against Arizona State. Since then, they’ve swapped some decent defeats (Northwestern, Michigan) with some quality wins (Purdue, Penn State) en route to a 6-3 record and the No. 18 spot in the CFP Rankings.

Ohio State’s season has had less drama, though the Buckeyes only have a single win over a team with a winning record. They also toppled Penn State in an early Big Ten eliminator, but victories over TCU, Minnesota, Oregon State, and Indiana haven’t exactly beefed up OSU’s resume. Beating the Spartans would — but it’ll be a tough task in the hostile climate of East Lansing.

Michigan State vs. Ohio State prediction:

The S&P+ ratings rank the Buckeyes as the nation’s No. 9 team, while the mercurial Spartans clock in at No. 30. But Michigan State is one for two when it comes to derailing top 10 teams this fall, and Ohio State’s lax defense makes the home team a live dog. Even so, the Buckeyes have too much at stake to get tripped up by an uneven Spartan team this close to their date with the other _ichigan. Ohio State in a squeaker — the numbers peg it as a five-point win for the visitors.

Time, TV channel, and streaming info

• Time: Noon ET
• Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
• TV: FOX
• Streaming: FoxSportsGO, fuboTV
• Odds: Ohio State is favored by 3.5 points.

Michigan State vs. Ohio Sate news:

• Yeah, the Buckeyes have their work cut out for them when it comes to figuring out the Spartan defense:

What went wrong

Nothing. Absolutely nothing

Michigan State’s defense has been great all season, but this was by far the units most complete effort of the year. They held Maryland to 26 yards on the ground and 74 through the air. Josiah Scott made his return and played well, the defensive line was disruptive, and they forced two more turnovers. The Spartans have a tough test on Saturday as Ohio State comes to town.

• The Ohio State defense, on the other hand, will be focusing on MSU back Connor Heyward.
• Freshman All-American Josiah Scott is back in the lineup for MSU, and his teammates know that’s a big deal.
• Urban Meyer knows teams are going to load the box against his running attack. That doesn’t mean it’s going to stop him.

Can Ohio State’s offense lift the Buckeyes against a stout MSU defense?

The Spartans have been stingy against a brutal schedule this fall, limiting powerful Big Ten offenses like Michigan, Penn State, and Purdue to 21 points or fewer. Their biggest test may come Saturday against an Ohio State team that moves the ball effectively in both phases of the offense.

The Buckeye rushing attack is led by JK Dobbins, the All-Big Ten tailback who set the OSU record for rushing yards by a freshman last fall. But Dobbins hasn’t been as effective in year two. His yards per carry have fallen from 7.2 to 4.8, but veteran Mike Weber has proven more than capable of picking up the slack. That duo clears room for quarterback Dwayne Hoskins, who has thrown for at least two touchdowns in each game this fall.

That’s a lot for the Spartans to handle, but MSU has proven itself against the best the conference has to offer throughout 2018. The question now is whether breakout pass rusher Kenny Willekes can punch through the OSU offensive line and ground the Buckeyes before they can build any momentum in East Lansing.