Once again, it’s Buckeyes vs. Spartans for the Great Lakes Conference Championship Game.
The matchup between the two schools will mark the third straight meeting in the conference title game and the fourth overall meeting in the last three seasons. The two teams met in the regular season in 2022 before meeting again in the championship game.
Ohio State has won three straight in the series after dropping the first meeting, 45-0, in 2015. The Buckeyes have outscored the Spartans 163-38 during their winning streak, including a 52-0 drubbing of MSU in last year’s conference title game.
The game also marks the third straight year that the matchup has featured the No. 1 team in the country. The Buckeyes entered the 2022 game ranked No. 1 and came away with a 59-21 victory. Last season, Michigan State entered as the league’s top-ranked opponent before losing to Ohio State.
The 2024 edition of the rivalry features a number of storylines. Ohio State enters as the No. 1 team in the country, but limps into the game after losing 18-10 to Wittenberg University’s JVs. The Buckeyes were the last remaining unbeaten team in the NCFA prior to the loss, while the Spartans come into the contest 4-2 after soundly defeating Oakland University, 35-6, to win the Great Lakes West Division.
Michigan State enters the game with one of the better backfields in the NCFA as veteran QB Jack Donovan and freshman running back Elijah Taylor have put the Spartans in a position to once again return to the NCFA postseason. Donovan was a second team All-American in 2022, and Taylor has exploded onto the scene in his first season with MSU. In a close loss to Toledo, he rushed 26 times for an NCFA single-game best 212 yards and two touchdowns. He has arguably been the most explosive running back in the league this season, despite Michigan State having only played three full games. The Spartans defeated Wright State 19-6 in the season opener, but then dropped back-to-back games to Toledo, 24-19 and then 14-10 to Coppin State. Forfeit wins over Loyola Chicago and Milwaukee put them over .500 entering their dominating win over Oakland.
The Spartan defense returns 2023 NCFA Defensive Player of the Year, Ahmad Kareem, one of the league’s top defensive ends. This season, Kareem’s stats have been limited due to the forfeits, but he has still established himself as the top defender for Michigan State. He leads the Spartans in sacks, solo and total tackles while also double-dipping on offense, playing right tackle.
On the other side of the field, the Buckeyes are led by a four-headed monster at running back and what has been a dominant offensive line. After struggling in the season opener, the Ohio State offense has consistently been able to move the ball, despite lacking in the explosive plays that had become the norm in previous years. Running backs Johnathan Thiele, Ethan Young, JR Burton and Lucas Fenstermaker have combined for 148 carries for 849 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging just less than six yards per carry. Despite playing without starting quarterback Niko Pappas for most of the 17-14 win over Ohio Wesleyan and the entirety of the Wittenberg loss, Ohio State’s offense has been steadied by freshman signal caller Chris Atkins. The Eaton, Ohio native has thrown for 253 yards and two touchdowns in limited time this season while neither Buckeye QB threw an interception in the regular season, a program record.
Meanwhile, Ohio State has remained balanced in the receiver room as 10 different Buckeyes have hauled in a pass this season, tied for the second most in a single season. Jalen Haley leads Ohio State with 21 receptions for 261 yards and three touchdowns while freshman wide receiver JP Naylor leads the Buckeyes in receiving touchdowns with four.
Defensively, Matt Humphreys is pushing for the Ohio State single-season sack record. He has posted 10 sacks through seven games, two shy of tying Mike Fenstermaker’s mark of 12 which was set in 2017. Freshman linebacker Ryan Keenan leads Ohio State in total tackles with 45 while seven different Buckeyes have recorded an INT this season, four of which have two picks.
Kickoff between the Buckeyes and Spartans is set for Noon on Sunday, Nov. 17 at Lincoln Tower Park in Columbus. The game will be live-streamed on Campus Nation.
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