Fresh off of a dominant 40-3 victory over then-ranked No. 2 George Mason last week, top-ranked Ohio State is set to return home for its season opener against fellow Great Lakes opponent, Michigan State.
The Spartans are playing in their first game of the season after their 2024 season was cut short due to injuries, forcing them to forfeit the conference championship game to the Buckeyes.
Michigan State is back in 2025 with a revamped roster of nearly 40 players, including the Spartans MVP from a season ago, running back Elijah Taylor. Taylor led the NCFA in rushing yards per game, racking up a whopping 131.75 rushing yards per contest in four games played. He was third in the NCFA in total rushing yards for the season, tallying 527 yards and five touchdowns as the Spartans captured the Great Lakes West title for the third straight season.
Gone is veteran quarterback Jack Donovan, who reset the Michigan State record books. The biggest question mark for the Spartans is who will start at quarterback. Sophomore Andres Kent is expected to at least see some time behind center for MSU, a former quarterback at Williams Field High School in Arizona. The Spartans also have to replace edge rusher Ahmad Kareem who won the 2023 NCFA Defensive MVP Award and posted five sacks and 35 total tackles in 2024.
On the home side, Ohio State is looking to build on an up-and-down win over George Mason in which the Buckeyes were held scoreless in the first and fourth quarters. Quarterback Niko Pappas was stellar, completing 14-of-22 passes for 163 yards, and rushing for another 102 on the ground and a program-record five touchdowns. The Buckeyes also received production from tight end Tommy Delaney who led the team in receptions (four) and receiving yards (61) in the win over George Mason. Ohio State is expected to get fellow tight end Aidan Donovan back this week after the 2024 NCFA National Championship Game MVP missed the trip to George Mason with an illness.
The Buckeyes will also look to develop more consistency on special teams. Ohio State created stellar plays on special teams week 1, but also allowed two long returns to the Patriots that allowed GMU to accumulate their only three points of the game.
Overall, Ohio State is 4-1 all-time against Michigan State, including a 2-0 record at home (3-0 if you include last year’s forfeit). The Spartans won the first matchup in 2015 while the Buckeyes have rattled off four straight.
Kickoff for the 2025 meeting between the two programs is set for Noon at Lincoln Tower Park in Columbus. Admission is free, however fans will have to pay to park for the event. For those unable to make the trip, the game is expected to be live-streamed on Campus Nation for free on YouTube.
Record Watch
- Defensive End Trey Jones is just 3.5 sacks away from breaking the program record for career sacks. Trey picked up 1.5 sacks in the season opening win over George Mason to put him second all-time.
- Ohio State owns the second longest active win streak in the NCFA at four games. Wright State, owning the longest active win streak at five games, kicks off against Oakland on Sunday.
- Ohio State has tallied at least one interception in eight of its last 10 games dating back to last season. The only two times the Buckeyes did not collect an INT in a game was during a 7-3 win over Ohio Northern JV that was cut short due to weather and in a 52-0 win over Coppin State in last season’s NCFA Semis.
- Ohio State has won 18 straight games at Lincoln Tower Park (forfeits included) dating back to 2018. The last home loss for Ohio State came in October 2017 against the now defunct Miami (OH) Club Football program.
Ohio State Club Football 