For the fifth time in three seasons, Ohio State Club Football is set for a postseason rematch against a team it beat in the regular season.
The top-ranked Buckeyes are set to take on Michigan State on Sunday for the Great Lakes Conference title and a spot in the NCFA Playoffs. Ohio State defeated the Spartans 52-17 earlier this season, however MSU has rattled off five straight wins and will return to Columbus with an impressive 6-1 record.
Ohio State is no stranger to postseason rematches. The Buckeyes defeated Oakland twice in 2019 before facing both George Mason and Wright State twice in 2021, winning all four contests.
Since dropping the Week 2 contest to the Buckeyes, Michigan State has ripped off five straight wins, including an impressive 29-0 victory over Toledo on October 23. The Spartans boast both the leagues top passer in Jack Donovan and the NCFA’s leading receiver in Benjamin Ogunloye. Meanwhile, Michigan State’s defense has allowed just eight points in its last three contests, winning by a combined score of 100-8.
Meanwhile, Ohio State is coming off of an unexpected bye week after Miami (OH) forfeited what would have been the regular season finale. The Buckeyes last played on Oct. 30, a 40-21 victory over Denison University’s JV squad. Ohio State’s offense is playing at a historic pace, averaging an even 50 points per game, best in the NCFA. Leading the Buckeye offense once again is quarterback Kellyn Gerenstein, who has accounted for 22 total touchdowns this season while committed just one turnover. Gerenstein missed Ohio State’s first Michigan State game with a minor injury, and backup Spencer Moore filled in more than admirably, throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns in the Week 2 matchup.
The rematch against the Spartans will mark the fourth-straight season the Buckeyes have played for a conference championship. Ohio State dropped its first conference title game, 56-17, to The Apprentice School in 2018 before rebounding to beat Coppin State 35-0 in 2019 and Wright State 55-12 in 2021 (no games played in 2020).
On the other side, the Spartans find themselves in the NCFA postseason for the first time in program history. Michigan State’s 6-1 record is the best since its inaugural season in 2015, when the Spartans finished with a 4-1 record, losing only to national runner-up Miami (OH).
The winner of the Great Lakes Conference Championship Game will earn one of three automatic bids to the NCFA Playoffs, which will be held in Fairfax, VA on November 19. The losing team’s playoff hopes will then hinge on the NCFA Power Rankings, with the highest ranked non-conference champion earning the fourth and final spot. As it stands, the Buckeyes are ranked No. 1 in the NCFA, garnering 10 out of 12 first place votes, while the Spartans sit at No. 4 in the country.
Kickoff between the Buckeyes and Spartans is set for Noon EST on Sunday, Nov. 13 at Lincoln Tower Park in Columbus.
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