Halftime Analysis: Ohio State Breaking Records, Pounding Michigan State

Here are some first half thoughts as the Buckeyes are destroying Michigan State at the break.

Author:
Brendan Gulick
Nov 20, 2021 1:50 PM EST

Halftime Score: Ohio State 49, Michigan State 0

Ohio State is pitching the equivalent of a perfect game ... and The 'Shoe is a GIANT party right now.

The Detroit Free Press wrote earlier this year that Michigan State had the best group of wide receivers in the Big Ten. I don't typically like to pile on somebody for having a bad take, but that one is going to go down in history as one of the worst in a very, very long time.

The reality is, Michigan State has had a pretty good season and I think they deserve to be a top-15 team. But they're not even close to being on the same level as Ohio State this year.

Ohio State didn't have a single negative play from scrimmage the entire first half until Stroud took a sack on his own accord with 3:49 left in the half.

The very next play, Miyan Williams ran for 19 yards on 2nd and 18.

The Buckeyes are closing in on becoming only the second team in the history of FBS football to have three 1,000 yard receivers AND a 1,000 yard rusher. TreVeyon Henderson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are already beyond the thresholds and Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave are awfully close behind.

LIVE UPDATES: No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 7 Michigan State Spartans

The first three drives of the game were pretty telling: Ohio State methodically marched down the field and scored on a 12-play drive during which they never had a negative play and featured a record-breaking touchdown catch from Olave; the Spartans had one nice completion but were quickly forced to punt, and the Buckeyes responded with a 77-yard touchdown pass a couple plays later to Wilson.

Payton Thorne and the Spartans spotted the Buckeyes 14 points before they got any sort of momentum going, but he made some strong throws.

C.J. Stroud eviscerated Michigan State through the air. Stroud finished THE FIRST QUARTER with a ridiculous stat line: 16-of-17, 241 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions. His first pass of the first half found Julian Fleming in the end zone, making it 28-0 Ohio State with 14:05 left in the second quarter.

He finished the half 29-of-31 for 393 yards and six touchdown passes.

Three consecutive completions later, Stroud broke the all-time school single-game record for completed passes in-a-row. Chris Olave also broke the all-time career receiving touchdowns record with a pair of first half scores.

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