The College Football Playoff aspirations for No. 4 Ohio State were essentially on the line in their home Big Ten clash against No. 7 Michigan State. A loss for the Buckeyes not only would have dropped them out of the top-four in this Tuesday's CFP rankings, but it would have also placed the Spartans in the driver’s seat to soon clinch the Big Ten East.
In one of the biggest statement wins of the season, quarterback C.J. Stroud and Ohio State orchestrated a convincing 55-7 win over Michigan State. Stroud tied a school record for passing touchdowns in a game with six, and he also recorded 432 passing yards, which is his second 400-plus passing yards game of the season.
More so, the Buckeyes defense contained running back Kenneth Walker III, as the Heisman contender combined for a mere 29 total yards on the day.
One could point out that there is not much that Ohio State can improve on over on the offensive side of the ball after such a commanding performance. But even after a Heisman-type showing by Stroud, he still is not fully satisfied with his team, which he touched on in his post-game press conference.
“You can always make things more crisp, make communication better,” Stroud said. “Not, everything is perfect, we did a decent job today. Definitely never satisfied.”
For Stroud to say that this performance from the Buckeyes today is “decent” should catch the attention of the other top national championship contenders this season. The Buckeyes had no trouble at all in moving the ball down the field against the Spartans, which included a pair of 40-plus yard touchdowns in the first quarter.
Next up for Stroud and Ohio State will be the much-anticipated rivalry showdown against Michigan. The Buckeyes have picked up eight straight wins over the Wolverines.
If Stroud can lead the Buckeyes to a “decent” performance against Michigan, then he should once again bolster his resume for the 2021 Heisman Trophy.
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