Written by Jesse Lamovsky

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Ohio State didn’t play a particularly clean game up in East Lansing on Saturday afternoon. There were turnovers, blown opportunities and, on at least one occasion, a mass outbreak of the tackling woes that have plagued the team all season. But the Buckeyes won the game 17-16 over the Spartans, and in doing so showed plenty of toughness and fortitude in gutting out a road victory over a solid Big Ten opponent. In terms of execution they graded out at a C; in terms of effort they graded out at an A, and as a result they’re now 5-0.

Defensive Statement: Not that Michigan State is all that good offensively, but Ohio State’s defensive performance on Saturday is still laudable. The Buckeyes swarmed Le’Veon Bell, holding him to 45 yards on 17 carries while basically erasing the ground game from the Spartan playbook. The normally run-oriented MSU offense passed 42 times and ran 22 times, far from its usual ratio. For the day the Spartans finished with 303 total yards, went 4-of-15 on third down and reached the end zone only once. With Ohio State’s offense struggling to finish drives, it was up to the defense to hold the line-and it did just that.

Hit and Wrap, Damn It: Of course, it wouldn’t be Ohio State defense without a spasm of bad tackling, and Michigan State’s only touchdown was a glaring example of the Buckeye D’s trouble in bringing ball-carriers down on the first hit. Late in the third quarter, trailing 13-10 and with the ball at the Ohio State 29, Maxwell flipped a pass to receiver Keith Mumphery in the left flat. Mumphery then broke at least six tackles on his way to the end zone, with scores of Buckeye defenders trying- and failing- to rip the ball free and none simply wrapping up and getting the man to the ground.

With Some Help From Their Foes: Some of Michigan State’s offensive woes were self-imposed. Struggling quarterback Andrew Maxwell actually played pretty well on Saturday, completing 22-of-42 for 269 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. But he was continually let-down by a butter-fingered corps of receivers, who let a bunch of critical catches bounce off their hands. I’m not sure how many balls the Spartan receivers dropped, but it was surely enough to help decide the outcome of a one-point game.

Banged-Up Braxton: When you run with the ball as much as Braxton Miller does you’re going to get hit, and when you get hit there’s a chance you’re going to get hurt. Miller didn’t get hurt on Saturday but he did stay down twice and briefly left the game after being hit out of bounds on Ohio State’s first possession. Backup Kenny Guiton took over and finished the drive, which ended in Jordan Hall’s one-yard touchdown plunge and a 7-0 Buckeye lead.

Bumbling Braxton: Aside from getting beat up by the rugged Michigan State defense, Miller was also personally responsible for Ohio State’s three turnovers, all of which were committed in Spartan territory. Early in the second period, with the Buckeyes up 7-3 and at the MSU 25, Miller threw into double-coverage and was intercepted by Kurtis Drummond. Late in the half, with the score still 7-3 Miller lost a fumble at the MSU 38.

Michigan State was unable to turn either first-half turnover into points, but the biggest blunder was still to come. Early in the fourth period, with the score 17-13 and Ohio State driving, Miller fumbled at the Spartan 32. It was a good thing the officials initially ruled Miller down and whistled the play dead because Drummond, who had scooped up the ball, had an open highway to the end zone. The Spartans parlayed the fumble into a 48-yard Dan Conroy field goal and a 17-16 deficit, but the result could have been far worse.

Big-Time Braxton: It wasn’t as if Braxton didn’t make plays, though. He and his favorite target Devin Smith made the biggest play late in the third quarter. Four plays after Michigan State had taken a 13-10 lead on the Maxwell-to-Mumphrey connection, Miller found Smith isolated in man-to-man coverage and fired a laser down the far sideline. Smith made the catch, broke a tackle and was gone for the 63-yard score that gave the Buckeyes the lead for good.

Braxton’s Line: 16-of-23 for 179 yards, one touchdown and one interception; 23 carries for 136 yards. Miller at times seemed confused by Michigan State’s defense, missing some reads and pulling the ball down in situations where he didn’t have to. He also committed those three turnovers, but along the way still compiled 315 yards passing and running and threw the winning touchdown pass. For a true sophomore playing on the road against a very good defensive team, it wasn’t a bad performance at all. But the young man has got to find a way to stop taking so many big hits.

Mr. Hyde’s Wild Ride: A knee injury forced Jordan Hall to the sidelines fairly early, leaving tailback duties to a man fresh off his own injury- Carlos Hyde. The junior from Florida did an admirable job in relief, picking up 49 yards on 11 carries and running for two critical first downs on Ohio State’s final possession which melted away the last 4:10.

No Love Lost: Urban Meyer and Mark Dantonio both have a long association with Ohio State, but that’s pretty much the only common ground which the two coaches share. The feud started last winter with Dantonio referring to Meyer’s aggressive recruiting practices as “unethical.” It continued prior to Saturday’s game when the Spartans reportedly complained to the Big Ten office that Ohio State had doctored the film it exchanged with MSU, editing out pre-snap movement. The dust-up got even uglier after the game when Ohio State sent a tape to the league office showing a Michigan State player gouging the eyes of Buckeye defensive lineman Jonathan Hankins. Amid the accusations and allegations one thing is for sure: the bonhomie that existed between Dantonio and the former Ohio State staff has been tossed into the dustbin of history.

Then again, Urban Meyer’s job isn’t to make nice with other Big Ten coaches. His job is to win football games and so far, he’s won them all.

Around the Nation

Game of the Week- Nebraska/Wisconsin: Almost exactly a year ago, Ohio State made its first trip to Lincoln and spent much of the night beating up on the hometown Nebraska Cornhuskers, building up a 27-6 third-quarter lead. But a fumble by Braxton Miller- and an injury to Miller on the same play- triggered a Buckeye meltdown and a Husker comeback. When the smoke cleared that night, Nebraska had scored the final 28 points to register a 34-27 victory.

The same scenario played out last Saturday night in Lincoln. Dominating the early stages, Wisconsin built up a 27-10 third-quarter lead over the Cornhuskers. It looked like a replay of the last year’s meeting between the teams in Madison, when the Badgers destroyed Bo Pelini’s team, 48-17. As it turned out it was a replay of a Nebraska game from last season- the game against Ohio State.

That’s because the Huskers roared back to take over the game, just as they had against the Buckeyes. In the final 25 minutes and change Nebraska outgained Wisconsin 289-84 and reeled off 20 unanswered points to stun the Badgers, 30-27. Brett Maher kicked the Cornhuskers into the lead with 9:41 left and the Nebraska defense made it stand up, stoning Montee Ball on fourth-and-short at midfield to preserve the victory.

The collapse was a serious blow to the Badgers, who have struggled with wholesale changes on the coaching staff, offensive line problems, Ball’s inconsistency and a musical-chairs situation at quarterback. It’s also a huge uplift for Nebraska, which will head to Columbus next Saturday night on an emotional high. Still, there’s a very good chance that the Huskers and Badgers will play it again in Indianapolis the first week of December.  

Mr. Smith Goes to the Air: The 2012 college football season is still only a month old, but we’ve already seen a year’s worth of record-shattering passing performances. On the opening Saturday Sam Durley of Division III Eureka College threw for an NCAA-record 736 yards. Two weeks ago Old Dominion sophomore Taylor Heinicke threw for a Division I-record 730 yards in a 64-61 victory over New Hampshire. But, though spectacular, neither of those performances had anything on the show West Virginia’s Geno Smith put on last Saturday against Baylor.

Playing their first game as a member of the Big 12, Smith and the Mountaineers introduced themselves to the pass-happy Big 12 in the most appropriate way possible. The senior from the Miami area went 45-of-51 for 656 yards and eight touchdowns in West Virginia’s 70-63 victory over Baylor. Yes, that’s more touchdowns (eight) than incompletions (six) for Smith, who still hasn’t thrown an interception and must be considered the clear Heisman frontrunner after a month of play.

Smith didn’t exactly spread the ball around during his spectacular performance. He threw to only six different receivers, three of whom- Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin and J.D. Woods- combined for 40 catches for 632 yards and all eight touchdowns (Bailey himself had 13 grabs for 303 yards and five scores.) West V needed every bit of it too, as Baylor’s Nick Florence threw for 581 yards and five touchdowns with receiver Terrance Williams logging 17 catches for 314 yards and two scores. All in all, the game gave notice that, regardless of geographical incongruity, the Mountaineers are a perfect fit for the Big 12.  

Could Kent State Actually Be Good at Football? It’s still early- maybe too early to indulge in such speculation- but the woebegone hometown program may have finally turned a corner. Saturday’s thrilling 45-43 victory over Ball State at Dix Stadium lifted Darrell Hazell’s team to 3-1- 2-0 in the MAC- and went against every tendency that has made the Flashes a loser for the better part of four decades. I’ve been tough on my alma mater in the past and with good reason. Historically, Kent has always been a team that finds ways to lose. Saturday, they found ways to win.

It isn’t as if Ball State didn’t play well. Their quarterback Keith Wenning was sensational, throwing for 445 yards and five touchdowns with his favorite target Willie Snead racking up 14 receptions for 216 yards. The Cardinals rolled up 557 yards and came from behind all day, finally taking their first lead at 43-42 with 5:38 to play. Ball State came in fresh off back-to-back wins over Indiana and South Florida- and they played well enough to win this game, too.

Only they didn’t, because Kent State did what Kent State usually doesn’t do: make the plays that win games. The speedy Dri Archer caught two touchdown passes, ran a kickoff 99 yards to the house and rolled up a Wilkersonian 350 all-purpose yards. Bruising back Trayion Durham pounded for 91 yards and two scores while senior quarterback Spencer Keith fired three touchdown passes. Kent’s defense forced a huge turnover after the Cardinals had driven to a first-and-goal at the two on their first possession. Finally, the Flashes drove 86 yards to the game-winning field goal- converting a fourth-and-ten along the way- after Ball State had taken that late one-point lead.

Kent State finished fast in 2011, winning four of its last five, and head coach Darrell Hazell has found a way to keep that momentum going into 2012. It’s a different team than we’ve seen from Flashes past, and it could very well be on the way to a different result- the program’s first winning season since 2001 and first bowl appearance in four decades. It’s still early, but wins like Saturday’s are the type that can create a new culture for an old loser.

John L. & Idaho: No coach in the nation has had a worse year than John L. Smith, and perhaps no FBS program has had a worse year, at least on the field, than Idaho. Smith’s Arkansas Razorbacks continued to circle the drain Saturday with a 58-10 rout at the hands of Texas A&M, while the Vandals fell to 0-5 with a 66-0 shellacking at North Carolina.

The image of John L. as an eccentric loser has become so entrenched that it’s easy to forget he was once a winner. He went 41-21 at Louisville and took Utah State to its last bowl game prior to the Famous Idaho Potato trip last season. And he’s also the most successful head coach in the history of the Idaho program. Smith went 53-20 with the Vandals in the early ‘90s, winning two Big Sky titles and making five trips to the Division I-AA playoffs including a semifinal appearance in 1993 (where he lost to Jim Tressel and YSU.)    

John L. obviously isn’t going to survive at Arkansas. And it seems doubtful that Robb Akey can withstand a 1-11 or 0-12 season at Idaho. So it makes sense for the Vandals to bring back their old coach for the 2013 season. Smith is a native of the state of Idaho, played and coached in the Northwest and still has more wins than any other coach in the history of the Idaho program. In this case, coming home might be the best possible solution for the woes of both John L. Smith and his old team.      

Winners of the Week

Washington: One year after surrendering 446 rushing yards and 65 points on the Farm, the Huskies got sweet revenge on Stanford, which managed a meager 65 yards on the ground and watched a ten-point third-quarter lead slip away thanks to a pair of big plays from Washington’s offense. Bishop Sankey’s 61-yard fourth-down burst and Kasen Williams’s 35-yard catch and run with a screen pass brought U-Dub back for a 17-13 victory Thursday night at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

Texas: The Longhorns stayed perfect with a wild 41-36 victory over Oklahoma State in Stillwater. The lead changed hands four times in the final ten minutes, with Texas finally nailing down the triumph on Joe Bergeron’s one-yard plunge with 29 seconds left. Replays showed that Bergeron fumbled on the play; after a review it was ruled that he indeed had broken the plane of the end zone, and the touchdown stood. David Ash was outstanding in the win, completing 30-of-37 for 304 yards and three scores. 

Cincinnati: Damon Julian’s sliding 39-yard touchdown catch with 13 seconds left gave the Bearcats a 27-24 upset of Virginia Tech at Nippert Stadium Saturday evening. The lead changed hands seven times in the game, which ended with Cincinnati still undefeated and looking every bit the contender for the Big East title they’re expected to be.

Miami: TNT knows drama… and so does Miami. With Stephen Morris throwing for an ACC-record 566 yards and five touchdowns- including the game-winning 62-yard bomb to Phillip Dorsett with 19 seconds left- the Hurricanes moved to a surprising 4-1 with a 44-37 victory over N.C. State. It’s the second straight week Miami has won a shootout in either overtime or the last seconds of regulation.

Duke: The Blue Devils moved to 4-1- their best start since 1994, when they had their last winning season and bowl appearance- with a 34-27 victory over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. The win snapped a twelve-game losing streak against the Demon Deacons, who hadn’t lost to Duke since 1999. Two wins from bowl eligibility, the Blue Devils will have a solid opportunity to grab one of those next Saturday when Virginia comes to Durham.

Losers of the Week

Georgia Tech: Perhaps still dazed from blowing a 17-point lead against Miami a week before, the Yellowjackets were easy pickings for Middle Tennessee State, which walked out of Atlanta with a stunning 49-28 rout. Georgia Tech gave up 510 total yards- including 217 on the ground with five touchdowns by Raider tailback Benny Cunningham- and folded in the second half, getting outscored 28-7.

Kentucky: The beleaguered Wildcats played inspired ball in the first half against South Carolina but watched it all fall apart in the second. Trailing 17-7 at intermission the ‘Cocks scored 31 unanswered points in the second half, outgaining Kentucky 240-51 and capitalizing on two Wildcat turnovers. The demoralizing loss drops the Wildcats to 1-4 on the season.

Army: Rich Ellerson guided the Black Knights to their first bowl victory in a quarter-century two years ago, but it’s been all downhill since. Army went 3-9 last year and is 0-4 in 2012 after a 23-3 loss to FBS member Stony Brook on Saturday.  

Navy: The other famed old service academy isn’t exactly setting the football world on fire, either. Navy fell to 1-3, its worst start in a decade with a 12-0 loss to San Jose State. In suffering their first shutout since 2006 the Midshipmen compiled just 144 total yards, including a puny 70 from their famed ground game.  

Massachusetts: It’s been a tough first season of FBS football for the winless Minutemen, who could do no more than scare Ohio in a 37-34 loss. UMass led by a touchdown going into the fourth quarter but gave up 17 unanswered points to turn a potential upset into its fifth consecutive loss. Ohio, meanwhile, remains the only undefeated team in the MAC.

Next: Saturday night at 8:00 when Nebraska comes into the Horseshoe for a showdown under the lights. It should be a wild night in Columbus.