"Our guys executed the plan, we knew that their intermediate passing games and quick passing games were something that they were very effective at this year," Tressel said. "I think we did a pretty good job, they completed some slants that kept drives alive that we wish we could have back." 

Ohio State's quarterback Dwayne Haskins would go 24-39 against the Spartans with one touchdown pass. Junior defensive end Kenny Willekes would get the single sack on Haskins along with junior cornerback Justin Layne and sophomore defensive tackle Naquan Jones sharing the second sack.

Both teams struggled to do much offensively in the first half. MSU lead the game in rushing until the middle of the second quarter with a total of 8 yards. By halftime, the Buckeyes would take over the rushing advantage, with 14 yards on the ground to the Spartans' 10.

By the end of the game, Ohio State lead the rest of the way in the rush category with 120 yards and the Spartans falling behind with 54 yards. Lombardi would be the leader for the Spartans with 49 yards and Ohio State's Mike Weber with 104 yards. 

"I don't know if you point to one specific area, we have not been able to run the football, last week we obviously ran the football well," Warner said. "Other than that, we haven't had a great push out front." 

The Buckeyes would be the first on the board with 1:29 left in the second quarter with a 1-yard pass from Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins to wide receiver Parris Campbell to put the Buckeyes up 7-0.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Rocky Lombardi was subbed in for starter Brian Lewerke after the Buckeyes' touchdown. His first pass of the game was complete for 27 yards to sophomore wide receiver Cody White. 

After being stopped on third down, the Spartans would send out sophomore kicker Matt Coghlin instead of going for it on fourth-and-short. Coghlin, who went 1-of-2 on field goals in the first half, made a 44-yard field goal to decrease the Buckeyes’ lead to four points. 

In the third quarter, senior tight end Matt Sokol caught a long pass in the Buckeyes' end zone from White on a trick play, but the touchdown was called back due to an ineligible man downfield penalty called on sophomore offensive lineman Kevin Jarvis. For coach Mark Dantonio, he felt it the call stood, this would of changed the game. 

"It would have been a big momentum changer," Dantonio said. "I think it was the right time to call a trick play, they hadn't read it and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. We called two or three on the day and they didn't work, but with that being said I think the major turning point of the game was that after the fumble happened,..."

The Spartans would bring out Coghlin to kick a field goal once again after failing to convert on third down, to cut Ohio State’s lead down to one point and make the score 7-6 with a little over five minutes to go in the third quarter. 

Like they did throughout most of the game, the Buckeyes backed up the Spartans deep near their own end zone off a punt near the end of the third quarter, eventually leading to a quick MSU three-and-out. Instead of opting to punt deep in his team's end zone and risking a block and score by OSU, Dantonio chose to willingly snap the ball out the back of the end zone and take a safety, making the score 9-6 in favor of the Buckeyes. 

"The defense is what kept us in the game," Lewerke said. "Offense just looks not good at all. It couldn't get anything going. It's just really frustrating time and time again that we can't get it going. I feel very bad for them because they played their asses off. You couldn't ask for a much better performance than what they did." (2:29, audio 1)

Almost one minute into the fourth quarter, Lombardi, once again backed up on his own goal line, fumbled the snap and failed to recover the ball in the end zone, allowing the Buckeyes to recover for their second touchdown of the game and extend their lead to 16-6.

On the Spartans' very next drive, Lombardi turned the ball over again on a designed option toss meant for freshman running back Ladarius Jefferson. Lombardi finished 7-of-20 for 92 yards, and ran the ball three times for a 49 yards and 16.3 yards per carry. 

After the second turnover, Ohio State almost scored another touchdown but the pass was broken up by junior safety David Dowell, leading to a 35-yard field goal make for the Buckeyes, which put them up 19-6 with 12:22 left in the game.

MSU didn't get much going the rest of the quarter, as Lewerke would re-enter the game after Lombardi's second turnover. Lewerke  (11-of-28 for 128 yards) threw an interception after his arm was hit during a drive towards the end of the quarter, and Weber's 2-yard touchdown run sealed the victory for the Buckeyes.

The Spartans will travel to take on Nebraska next Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff time has not been announced yet.