By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
Paul Bunyan’s First Trip to East Lancing
The Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Trophy took place this week and for the first time, Michigan State came out the victor. However, it didn’t start the way they wanted it to. Michigan scored 21 unanswered points in the first quarter. It felt as if this game might be over quickly. That didn’t worry the Spartans though. They began chipping at the lead in the second quarter. At halftime, the Wolverines held a 28-14 lead.
The second half was all Michigan State. The Spartans outscored Michigan 38-6 in the second half to win the game. The final score was 52-34.
This comeback was fueled by a balanced offensive attack. QB Cole Mantell threw for 472 passing yards and five touchdowns. The five TDs tied his career high. HB Jett Sims had 166 total yards and three total touchdowns. That is the second most total touchdowns Sims has ever had in a single game. These outstanding performances helped push the Spartans back in the second half.
On defense, MLB Timmy Britt and Matthew Tyler both had three TFLs in this game, as they held the Michigan running game in check.
Right now, Paul Bunyan’s Trophy is in East Lancing, where it will stay until next season. This win not only got them the trophy but also kept them alive in the conference championship hunt. For Michigan, this loss hurt their playoff odds significantly, but there is still hope. Only time will tell where the two Michigan schools end up.
Bounce Back
USC suffered their first loss in 11 games in Week 5 at the hands of Michigan State. This week they bounced back in a big way with a win over Penn State.
The game started slow for both teams, as the defenses reigned supreme. No one scored a first-half touchdown. The score at the halfway point was 6 to 3 with USC out in front. However, things opened up in the second half for the Trojans. WRs Ty Wolfe and Alexander Tolbert found the endzone in the passing game. HB Skye Mills pounded in a rushing score as well.
The USC defense held firm all game long. They did allow a Chase Dougal rushing touchdown, but that was the only point Penn State scored in the second half. The entire defense played great, but Derrick Davis stood out. The do-it-all linebacker had eight tackles, 4 TFLs, a sack, and an interception.
This was a big bounce back to the Trojans. They notched a key conference win, kept themselves alive in the conference title hunt, and cached some momentum for a huge matchup they have coming this week. This was exactly what the Trojans needed.
The Buckeye Express
Ohio State won two games last season. They finished dead last in the Big10. They came from nowhere to dominate this season. They are 1 of 2 unbeaten teams left in the CFSL (Auburn being the other). They have a top 3 offense and a top 3 defense right now. There doesn’t seem to be a weakness in their game.
This past week Oregon ran into the OSU buzzsaw. Ohio State won 55 to 16, in a game in which they had 10 team sacks. The pass rush was led by DE Mike Diamond and DT Evan McDuffy. Diamond had four sacks and Duffy had three. It wasn’t just the defensive front that was on fire. FS Kane Hargrave had a 93-yard pick-six that deflated the Oregon offense.
The Buckeye offense was great as always. QB Jaylen Tyree threw for 502 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, 87 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. Three different Buckeyes went for over 100 receiving yards. They were WR Lincoln Martin (165 yards), WR Ethan Flowers (117 yards), and TE John Don (112 yards). Those three players accounted for all four receiving TDs.
The Buckeyes are closing in on a perfect regular season, which is something they have only done once before, in Season 5. However, they have two tough games left on the schedule. Can the Ohio State Express be stopped?
Big10 Week 6 Results
USC 33, Penn State 10
Michigan State 52, Michigan 34
Ohio State 55, Oregon 16
Week 7 Big10 Schedule
Monday
Ohio State at USC 8:30 PM on Twitch
Wednesday
Penn State at Michigan 8:30 PM on YouTube
Thursday
Oregon at Michigan State 6:30 PM on Twitch
Potential Big10 Game of the Week for Week 7
There is no question that Ohio State vs USC is the Big10 Game of the Week. Hell, this might be the game of the season. The reigning champion takes on the undefeated surprising team. If Ohio State wins this game, they will be the Big10 Conference Champions. USC needs a win to keep their conference title hopes alive. This game is an absolute must-watch game.
