COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Never count out the underdog when Michigan State and Ohio State meet and the stakes are high.
In a series becoming known for its major surprises in big-time matchups, the Spartans continued the recent trend of upsets when the Big Ten powers hook up -- this time stunning the reigning national champions at The Horseshoe without their starting quarterback.
With Connor Cook sidelined by a shoulder injury, No. 9 Michigan State bottled up No. 3 Ohio State’s high-powered offense, weathered some brutal conditions and pulled out a hard-fought thriller on Saturday to claim a 17-14 victory that will have major implications in both the conference and national races.
Michael Geiger knocked in a 41-yard field goal as time expired to hand Urban Meyer the first regular-season Big Ten loss of his career with Ohio State -- and his second significant defeat at the hands of the Spartans.
What the win means for Michigan State: The Spartans might still look back and wonder what could have been without the late-game debacle against Nebraska, but it might not make any difference now. Michigan State controls its destiny in the Big Ten race and is back in reach of a berth in the College Football Playoff.
What the loss means for Ohio State: A bunch of streaks came to an end at once, and though the Big Ten race remains technically open and the chance of sneaking back into the College Football Playoff exists, the home defeat will sting for a while. The Buckeyes looked completely lost on offense, which hasn’t been an uncommon sight at times this season, but it still qualifies as a surprising way for an Urban Meyer-led team to drop a critical game.
Player of the game: The offense certainly didn’t look nearly as explosive with Tyler O’Connor and Damion Terry splitting snaps at quarterback in place of Cook, but those reserves provided just enough offense to pull off the upset. O’Connor delivered a couple nice throws on a first-half scoring drive, Terry provided a rushing threat, and the Spartans survived without Cook -- who has a 32-4 career mark -- due to a shoulder injury.
How the game was won: The wind and rain might have been an extra defender, but Michigan State’s game plan was always going to be designed to shut down the run first and dare Ohio State to beat it through the air. J.T. Barrett was never able to generate much of a passing threat for Ohio State, and the Spartans consistently rallied to shut down star tailback Ezekiel Elliott in a gritty defensive effort that was a vintage performance for Mark Dantonio’s program.