Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler recap No. 14 Ohio State's 49-37 win over No. 8 Michigan State.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- This isn't your father's Big Ten anymore. Ohio State is officially the top dog in America's blue-collar conference, and it got there by lighting up the Spartan Stadium scoreboard on Saturday night.
The Buckeyes, behind a huge night from redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett, beat No. 8 Michigan State 49-37 in East Lansing while establishing itself as the Big Ten's best chance to reach the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes rolled up 568 yards of total offense against the typically stingy Spartan defense. The 49 points Michigan State surrendered tied the most a Mark Dantonio team has allowed at Michigan State.
Ezekiel Elliott ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns for the Buckeyes, and Barrett provided his team's other five scores. Michigan State senior Jeremy Langford ran for 137 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort. A holding penalty negated a fourth score, which would have given the Spartans a 14-point lead late in the second quarter.
How the game was won: Ohio State scored twice on its final six plays of the first half, both courtesy of long touchdown receptions, to take its first lead of the game. The Spartans were unable to recover in the second half and sputtered on offense until the Buckeyes had built a comfortable fourth-quarter lead.
Game ball goes to: Barrett, who took a significant step forward Saturday night by showing he could handle a big moment. The rookie threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more during a mistake-free night against the Spartans defense. He finished with 386 total yards of offense.
What it means: The Buckeyes should be heavy favorites in their three remaining games, which gives them a clear path to the Big Ten title game. And after that, who knows? Michigan State will need Ohio State to stumble to get back into contention for a Big Ten championship, which makes a repeat trip to Indianapolis unlikely.
Playoff implication: The Spartans had the Big Ten’s best shot, but at least four teams -- and as many as six -- ranked ahead of No. 14 Ohio State lost this weekend. The Buckeyes pass the eye test, but the conference will probably need help from elsewhere in the country to land a team in the first final four.
Best play: Barrett's best throw of the night came with just under a minute remaining in the first half. A play-action fake gave Devin Smith just enough space behind the Spartans' secondary, and Barrett dropped a ball into his arms six yards deep in the end zone. The score gave Ohio State a 28-21 lead, and it never looked back.
What's next: Michigan State gets the two Big Ten newcomers in back-to-back weeks before finishing the season in Happy Valley. Ohio State has to travel to Minnesota for its toughest remaining test before a possible Big Ten championship game appearance. The Golden Gophers are coming off an impressive win over Iowa.