Ohio St. v. Michigan St.

Michigan State did not join the Big 10 until 1949, and didn't become a regular part of Ohio State's schedule until the mid-1960's.  The Buckeyes have generally been the better team, and lead the all-time series 32-15.  But the Spartans have had their moments -- perhaps most famously in 1974 when they upset an undefeated Ohio State team 16-13 in a wild game at Spartan Stadium.  OSU thought it had scored the game-winning touchdown on the last play of the game -- but the officials ruled that the play did not count because the game ended before the ball was snapped.  Madness in Spartyland.  Woody Hayes went berserk, pushing a Michigan State fan who tried to get onto the field, and keeping his players in readiness for a final down that he thought should have been played.  MSU's coach said that the officials had declared the game over, and his team was done playing.  The Big 10 Commissioner of the time was at the game, and spent 46 minutes trying to figure out what had happened, while the players and fans waited.  Finally, he told Hayes that the game was well and truly over, and the Bucks had lost.  For me, an eight-year-old watching on ABC who had never seen OSU lose -- or even be challenged -- by a Big 10 opponent, the whole thing was a great thrill.  And a few years later, when Hayes's career ended with an attack on a Clemson player who had intercepted an OSU pass, I remembered how he had acted in defeat at East Lansing.

I don't expect that type of drama today.  This game is in Columbus, Ohio, for one thing -- and for another thing, Woody Hayes isn't there.  Michigan State is a good team -- they are 4-1 on the year, with their only defeat coming at home against Arizona State.  They are well-coached, and they play hard.  But they are not Ohio State.  The oddsmakers say that OSU will win by 20, and that the total number of points scored will be 50.  That would work out to a 35-15 win for the Buckeyes, which would be the closest game they've played all year.