After suffering its first loss of the2024 season at Boston College last weekend, Michigan State returns home looking to bounce back against No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The game will stream exclusively on Peacock.

Of note, former Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio will be honored at Saturday's game as well, as his name will go in the Ring of Honor at Spartan Stadium.

That won't be easy, however, as the Spartans enter the game as double-digit underdogs and haven't beaten Ohio State since 2015.

The Spartans Illustrated team breaks down the matchup and makes picks for the game.

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The Spartans are able to hang with the Buckeyes for most of the first half, but then the depth of talent on Ohio State's roster starts to show. Behind a loud and raucous Spartan Stadium crowd, Michigan State's defense keeps the Spartans in it through three quarters. OSU outscores MSU in the fourth quarter, 14-3, though, to make the final margin a little misleading.

I think we see a much more competitive game between Michigan State and Ohio State this time around — so long as MSU limit the turnovers this week — but ultimately the Buckeyes have too much firepower for the Spartans to keep up with. OSU has a big-time talent advantage, Michigan State has been decimated by injuries (although, it sounds like more wide receivers may be available this week) and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has only lost three Big Ten games in his tenure (all to Michigan). None of that bodes well for the Spartans.

In the last four meetings under Michigan State's previous coaching staff, MSU has been outscored by Ohio State 195-42. On a points per game average in that span, that equates to Ohio State 48.75, Michigan State 10.5. I don't think this year's game will resemble that. I do believe current Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith and staff will have the Spartans prepared and confident and will have a strong game plan. However, it won't be enough quit yet.

The Spartans have a long way to go before they are competitive again against the Buckeyes. Scoring more than 20 would be a nice change as MSU hasn’t managed that since 2014.

When I saw that the spread for this game was 24 points, I was honestly very surprised. I get that Michigan State has been absolutely terrible against the Buckeyes over the past several seasons, but it is truly a new era for Spartan football. Furthermore, Michigan State has already been tested on the road against a pair of Power Five opponents. Meanwhile, Ohio State has been feasting on non-conference cupcakes.

While I am not brave enough to pick MSU to win straight up, I do expect this game to be much more competitive than we have seen recently in this series. The Spartan defense is good enough to keep MSU in the game, and if quarterback Aidan Chiles can play a relatively clean game, the Spartans will absolutely have a shot. I see it being a one-possession game into the fourth quarter with the Buckeyes pushing the lead just over double-digits late.

Michigan State needs a lot of things to go right to have a chance in this game. It all starts with limiting turnovers. Michigan State won’t be able to run the ball with consistent success. That means that the Spartan offense will need to rely on explosive plays. Quarterback Aidan Chiles needs to be accurate downfield, and it wouldn’t hurt if wide receivers Nick Marsh and/or Jaron Glover are back for this game.

As for what will happen, Ohio State will get off to a slow-ish start because it is its first road game and first game against a power conference opponent this season. The Buckeyes will eventually pull away and outclass the Spartans.

Ohio State just has too much firepower for Michigan State, and the Buckeyes will flex their muscles in this one. I think Chiles will have a strong game, but he will still throw a couple of interceptions to keep MSU from really being in the game.

Tp be honest, I have not seen OSU play at all this season, but I did spend a number of hours hoisting beers with Buckeye-jerseyed devotees at the Roundhouse Bar in Put-In-Bay on Lake Erie this summer. From what I have gathered (between O-H...I-O chants), this year's OSU team is a cross between the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 1999 St. Louis Rams.

Having said that, I have seen every down of this year's Spartan team. I see a tough team that plays every down — for each other, their coach and their school. I don't see a 24-point blowout, as is the current line. I predict OSU leaves East Lansing with aches, bruises and a 35-21 victory.

This result would not be an insult to how Jonathan Smith has done things. The Buckeyes are just that good. If Aidan Chiles had turnover issues before, it will probably pop up when facing the best defense in the conference. I'd like to say MSU's run defense could hold up, but there is Quinshon Judkins and Treveyon Henderson in OSU's backfield.

Even if that happens, there's Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate in the wide receivers room. It's simply going to be the case of OSU being a national title contender and Michigan State still being a massive work in progress.

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