COLUMBUS – Michael Geiger’s 41-yard field goal as time expired gave Michigan State a 17-14 win over Ohio State, all but scuttling the Buckeyes’ chances of defending their Big Ten and national championships.
“I think this was the first game this season we could take on the role of underdo,” Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said. “We came in with something to prove. Usually when you have that, you have a chip on your shoulder and play better,”
Third-ranked Ohio State (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) heads into its regular season finale against arch-rival Michigan needing some help if they are to return to the conference title game against Iowa Dec. 5 on Indianapolis.
The Wolverines (9-2, 6-1) kept their title hopes in the Big Ten East Division alive by beating Penn State (7-4, 4-3), 28-16, earlier in the day while Iowa (11-0, 5-0) clinched the West with a 40-20 win over Purdue (2-9, 1-6).
The Buckeyes need the Nittany Lions to defeat the 9th-ranked Spartans (10-1, 6-1) next Saturday in order to claim the division crown.
“I think we maybe had a couple of opportunities, but it just was obviously tough conditions to throw the ball. But we tried inside, outside and they beat us at the line of scrimmage and we were unable to execute in the throw game. That was a very poor performance,” Buckeye head coach Urban Meyer said.
“We didn’t execute tonight,” said OSU quarterback J.T Barrett. “That was the main thing. I don’t think it was anything crazy. They did what they’ve shown on film. They kept things in between the defensive end. I don’t think it was the weather so much as they just beat us.”
A tight, defensive contest played in a wind-driven mix of sleet and rain in front of a record Ohio Stadium crowd of 108,975 appeared to swing the Buckeyes’ way suddenly late in the third quarter with the score tied at 7 when a Cameron Johnston punt went through the hands of Mcgarrett Kings on the Spartans’ 27-yard-line and was recovered by Ohio State’s Terry McLaurin on the 6.
J.T. Barrett hit Jalin Marshall on a quick crossing route on the next play to put the Buckeyes up by a touchdown, 14-7.
But, quarterbacks Tyler O’Connor and Damion Terry, playing in place of the injured Connor Cook, took the Spartans down the field on a 13-play, 75-yard clock-devouring drive that ended in a 2-yard touchdown by Gerald Holmes.
When Ohio State’s second drive of the fourth quarter stalled and Malik McDowell got a piece of Johnston’s punt, giving the Spartans the ball on OSU’S 48, O’Connor got them into position for Geiger’s game-winning kick.
Ohio State’s offense could only manage 132 yards and five first downs.
Barrett completed 9 of 16 pass attempts for 46 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 53.
Ezekiel Elliott, probably playing in his last game at Ohio Stadium, gained only 33 yards and scored the game’s first touchdown.
Ohio State had the nation’s longest win-streak snapped at 23 games, one shy of tying the school record of 24 set by the Ohio State teams from 2012-13.
The loss also ended a 30-game winning-streak in conference games, an FBS record.
Elliott had his FBS-leading streak of 15 consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing ended.