3 Underrated Games in College Football Week 6

3. #2 Ohio State at Michigan State

4 pm on ABC

Admittedly, there’s a chance this one is a bit ugly. Last year’s game was.

In a game that pitted the best passing offense in the country against the worst passing defense in the country, we saw a 56-7 blowout in Columbus. And while Ohio State lost two top-15 picks at wide receiver in Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, they have replaced them with emerging stars in Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. (yes, the son of THAT Marvin Harrison).

Oh, and don’t forget the best receiver of last year’s bunch, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Heisman frontrunner CJ Stroud returning to the Buckeyes. Meanwhile, Michigan State lost Doak Walker award winner Kenneth Walker, and has struggled to replace him. The Spartans haven’t made any meaningful changes to their secondary, either, and find themselves as one of the worst passing defenses in the country once again.

But there’s hope for the Spartans. If they can get pressure on Stroud, it would go a long way in disrupting the Ohio State passing game. Jacoby Windmon, who is fourth in the nation with 5.5 sacks, could be a game-changing force, and wreak enough havoc for Michigan State to have a chance.

The Buckeye rush defense has been a bit pedestrian on the year as well, ranking at a meager 8th in the Big 10 in terms of yards per game. The Spartans’ top running back, Wisconsin transfer Jalen Berger, has struggled lately, but showed promise in their first two games and could be poised for a breakout on Saturday.

I’m not guaranteeing a Michigan State upset. I would, however, be shocked if Mel Tucker does not have his Spartans ready to go to war, and this could be a very competitive game.