Ohio State Football: 3 takeaways from win over Michigan State

A breath of fresh air

Michigan State has struggled with the quarterback position since Connor Cook left East Lansing. This year has been no different, as Rocky Lombardi has struggled in his first year as starting quarterback.

Lombardi has eight touchdowns compared to nine interceptions, and is completing just 53 percent of his passes in the 2020 campaign.

When Lombardi came out with an injury at the end of the second quarter, this allowed Payton Thorne to get another opportunity in a big game. The redshirt freshman previously played in relief against Indiana and completed just 50 percent of his passes in a losing effort.

While the game was pretty much sealed even by the first half, Thorne did really well with the reps he was given. Thorne completed his first 11 passes and finished the game with 147 yards while leading the Spartans on their two touchdown drives.

Thorne was good on his feet, comfortable in the pocket, and accurate. He did turn the ball over twice with a fumble and an interception. But, at the very least Thorne brought some life into an offense that was lifeless for most of the afternoon.

With two games remaining, head coach Mel Tucker may want to consider giving Thorne a chance to lead the offense. While it did not lead to real offensive success, Michigan State did look much better with Thorne today.

Nobody expected Mel Tucker and company to compete with Ohio State, but the next two weeks will be important in building the foundation of this new regime.