It's the Friday before Ohio State takes on Michigan State Saturday afternoon.
Here's a look at three games, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and the rest of the coaching staff will have their eyes on as the Buckeyes take on the Spartans.
No. 7 Michigan at Maryland: 3:30 p.m., BTN
Michigan has a huge matchup advantage in his final tune up ahead of The Game.
The Wolverines have the second-best run game in the Big Ten, averaging 225.1 yards per game and 5,1 yards per rush, scoring a conference-high 26 touchdowns in the ground game. The Wolverines will face a rush defense that's the second-worst in the conference: allowing 157.5 yards per game and 18 touchdowns — tied for second-most in the conference with Indiana. Taulia Tagovailoa and the Maryland pass offense will be the best unit Michigan's No. 2 pass defense in the Big Ten has seen, but it's a unit that shut down Penn State — No. 4 in the conference — getting to Sean Clifford for seven sacks. Facing an offensive line that allows 2.2 sacks per game, the Wolverines should be able to put some pressure on the Terrapins' backfield.
What will Day be looking for during this game? Two things.
First, I think the Ohio State head coach will continue to look at how Maryland's offensive line tries to contain defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who recorded three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against the Nittany Lions. It will be interesting to see how much Tagovailoa is disrupted in the passing game and if he feels rushed because of Hutchinson and the Wolverines front, something that Ohio State can plan for.
Second, Ohio State will be looking at Michigan's run game, game planning for running back Hassan Haskins, who has averaged more than five yards per carry in two games without running-game counterpart Blake Corum.
My pick: Michigan -15.5
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 21 Arkansas: 3:30 p.m., CBS
Facing ranked opponents this season, Alabama is 3-0, winning by an average of 18 points, including a two-point win against Florida.
Really what Day and the Ohio State coaching staff is looking to see is if Alabama can still pass the eye test for the College Football Playoff, especially with a likely matchup with Georgia in the SEC Championship looming at the end of the season. Can Bryce Young, who ended his streak of five-straight 300-yard games, continue to dominate offensively? Can the Crimson Tide defense hold off Arkansas' offense, led by quarterback K.J. Jefferson, like it did against Tennessee, limiting the Volunteers to 346 yards and 24 points.
My pick: Alabama -20.5
No. 3 Oregon at No. 23 Utah: 7:30 p.m., ABC
Oregon seems to be in the same spot Ohio State was in Week 2.
The Ducks will travel to Salt Lake City to take on No. 23 Utah in their first ranked matchup since their seven-point win against Ohio State. Since then, quarterback Anthony Brown has struggled in true road settings, throwing only one touchdown compared to four interceptions against Stanford, UCLA and Washington.
Losing on the road to Stanford, both of Oregon's other road games this season have been decided by 13 combined points, beating both the Huskies and the Bruins.
So what will Day be looking for in this game? Ohio State will be eager to see if Oregon can step up on the road as a ranked underdog, facing the best offense its seen since the Buckeyes — averaging 438 yards per game — and the best defense it has faced since the Buckeyes: an Utah team that leads the Pac-12 with 30 sacks.
With Oregon leading the head-to-head matchup against Ohio State solely because of its road win in Columbus Week 2, the Ducks will have to find that same magic again Saturday night against the Utes.
My pick: Utah -3
Other games to watch
Last week against the spread: 3-5; Overall: 21-27
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Michigan State: 12 p.m., ABC — Michigan State +19.5
No. 10 Wake Forest at Clemson: 12 p.m., ESPN — Wake Forest +4.5
No. 5 Cincinnati vs. SMU: 3:30 p.m., ESPN — Cincinnati -10.5
No. 18 Pittsburgh vs. Virginia: 3:30 p.m., ESPN2 — Pittsburgh -14.5
No. 9 Oklahoma State at Texas Tech: 8 p.m., FOX — Texas Tech +10.5
Here's a look at three games, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and the rest of the coaching staff will have their eyes on as the Buckeyes take on the Spartans.
No. 7 Michigan at Maryland: 3:30 p.m., BTN
Michigan has a huge matchup advantage in his final tune up ahead of The Game.
The Wolverines have the second-best run game in the Big Ten, averaging 225.1 yards per game and 5,1 yards per rush, scoring a conference-high 26 touchdowns in the ground game. The Wolverines will face a rush defense that's the second-worst in the conference: allowing 157.5 yards per game and 18 touchdowns — tied for second-most in the conference with Indiana. Taulia Tagovailoa and the Maryland pass offense will be the best unit Michigan's No. 2 pass defense in the Big Ten has seen, but it's a unit that shut down Penn State — No. 4 in the conference — getting to Sean Clifford for seven sacks. Facing an offensive line that allows 2.2 sacks per game, the Wolverines should be able to put some pressure on the Terrapins' backfield.
What will Day be looking for during this game? Two things.
First, I think the Ohio State head coach will continue to look at how Maryland's offensive line tries to contain defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who recorded three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against the Nittany Lions. It will be interesting to see how much Tagovailoa is disrupted in the passing game and if he feels rushed because of Hutchinson and the Wolverines front, something that Ohio State can plan for.
Second, Ohio State will be looking at Michigan's run game, game planning for running back Hassan Haskins, who has averaged more than five yards per carry in two games without running-game counterpart Blake Corum.
My pick: Michigan -15.5
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 21 Arkansas: 3:30 p.m., CBS
Facing ranked opponents this season, Alabama is 3-0, winning by an average of 18 points, including a two-point win against Florida.
Really what Day and the Ohio State coaching staff is looking to see is if Alabama can still pass the eye test for the College Football Playoff, especially with a likely matchup with Georgia in the SEC Championship looming at the end of the season. Can Bryce Young, who ended his streak of five-straight 300-yard games, continue to dominate offensively? Can the Crimson Tide defense hold off Arkansas' offense, led by quarterback K.J. Jefferson, like it did against Tennessee, limiting the Volunteers to 346 yards and 24 points.
My pick: Alabama -20.5
No. 3 Oregon at No. 23 Utah: 7:30 p.m., ABC
Oregon seems to be in the same spot Ohio State was in Week 2.
The Ducks will travel to Salt Lake City to take on No. 23 Utah in their first ranked matchup since their seven-point win against Ohio State. Since then, quarterback Anthony Brown has struggled in true road settings, throwing only one touchdown compared to four interceptions against Stanford, UCLA and Washington.
Losing on the road to Stanford, both of Oregon's other road games this season have been decided by 13 combined points, beating both the Huskies and the Bruins.
So what will Day be looking for in this game? Ohio State will be eager to see if Oregon can step up on the road as a ranked underdog, facing the best offense its seen since the Buckeyes — averaging 438 yards per game — and the best defense it has faced since the Buckeyes: an Utah team that leads the Pac-12 with 30 sacks.
With Oregon leading the head-to-head matchup against Ohio State solely because of its road win in Columbus Week 2, the Ducks will have to find that same magic again Saturday night against the Utes.
My pick: Utah -3
Other games to watch
Last week against the spread: 3-5; Overall: 21-27
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Michigan State: 12 p.m., ABC — Michigan State +19.5
No. 10 Wake Forest at Clemson: 12 p.m., ESPN — Wake Forest +4.5
No. 5 Cincinnati vs. SMU: 3:30 p.m., ESPN — Cincinnati -10.5
No. 18 Pittsburgh vs. Virginia: 3:30 p.m., ESPN2 — Pittsburgh -14.5
No. 9 Oklahoma State at Texas Tech: 8 p.m., FOX — Texas Tech +10.5
