Ohio State dominates Michigan State, 56-7, in top-10 matchup

TOUCHDOWN @keoncoleman6 😤

— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) November 20, 2021

It took longer than expected, but the Spartans are finally on the scoreboard. 

After his best drive of the game, Spartans QB Payton Thorne found receiver Keon Coleman for a 12-yard touchdown to cut the Ohio State lead to 49-7. 

There is still 14:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. 

We have scored a lot and they have not. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/hWtN2udBzM

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 20, 2021

Ohio State picked a great time for its best half of the season. 

The Buckeyes absolutely crushed the Spartans in the first half, outscoring them 49-0 over the first half. Three of those scores came in the first quarter, while four came in the second. 

Ohio State finishes with a staggering 500 yards of total offense. Michigan State struggled, only posting 116. 

Buckeyes QB C.J. Stroud went 29-for-31 with 393 yards passing and six touchdowns. That's absurd. Michigan State QB Payton Thorne finished the first half 8-for-26 with 77 yards through the air. 

When it comes to receiving for Ohio State, Chris Olave has seven receptions for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Olave also set the school-record for most TDs caught in a career with 35. Garrett Wilson posted seven receptions with 126 yards and two touchdowns. 

Here's how the full stats break down: 

Truly an absurd bit of ball tracking from Olave. Yeesh. pic.twitter.com/xseS0NDzhR

— Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) November 20, 2021

Ohio State continued its dominance in the first half when Miyan Williams ran in a one-yard score to make it 35-0 Buckeyes. 

The play of the drive came right before on an incredible 27-yard pass and catch from C.J. Stroud to Chris Olave to place the ball at the one-yard line. 

JOIN THE PARTY🥳@julian_040#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/16qvHyixnf

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 20, 2021

Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud found receiver Julian Fleming in the back of the end zone to make it 28-0. It was a four-yard TD pass. 

Hard to think of a better start for the Buckeyes, as there's still 14:05 to play in the first half and Ohio State leads 28-0. 

Hear that roar? @GarrettWilson_V #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/KXEXmhy8cr

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 20, 2021

Two possessions and two scores for Ohio State. 

QB C.J. Stroud tossed a 77-yard touchdown pass to receiver Garrett Wilson to make it 14-0 early in this one. Wilson eluded both defenders and took it to the house. 

Ohio State leads Michigan State, 14-0, with 7:57 to play in the first. 

Career receiving TD No. 3️⃣4️⃣ 🙌@chrisolave_ just tied David Boston's all-time @OhioStateFB record. pic.twitter.com/vqrxbUASCy

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 20, 2021

Ohio State got the start it was looking for. 

QB C.J. Stroud found trusty receiver Chris Olave over the middle for a terrific, 23-yard catch in the end zone to make it 7-0 Buckeyes. 

The touchdown ties Olave with David Boston for most career touchdowns at Ohio State with 34. 

Ohio State leads, 7-0, with 10:42 to play in the first quarter. 

Here's all you need to know when it comes to watching Saturday's Big Ten tilt between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 7 Michigan State. 

• Time: 12 p.m. ET 
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 20
• TV channel: ABC
• Streaming: Watch ESPN
• Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH

Click or tap here for a complete list of Week 12 TV info. 

Ohio State vs. Michigan State is always a terrific matchup. But now with the implications this will have on the Big Ten and the College Football Playoff ranking, this is going to be huge. 

Both squads enter at 9-1. Ohio State's lone loss came back on Sept. 11 against Oregon. Michigan State was upset by Purdue, 40-29, earlier this month on Nov. 6. 

The Buckeyes enter Saturday with an offense centered around redshirt-freshman QB C.J. Stroud. He comes into this game with the 11th most passing yards in the nation at 3,036, with 30 touchdowns and only five interceptions. His favorite target, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, enters play with 1,027 yards receiving on the season and five touchdowns. 

On the other sideline, Michigan State's offense centers around its run game, and rightfully so. Kenneth Walker III leads the nation in rushing yards with 1,473 and is tied for the league-lead in touchdowns with 17. 

Defensively, Ohio State beats Michigan State in average yards for per game and average yards against. But after seeing the way in which the Spartans held their own and beat Michigan on Oct. 30, anything is possible this Saturday when Ohio State and Michigan State renew their rivalry. 

In the latest College Football Playoff ranking, Ohio State ranked No. 4, while Michigan State grabbed the No. 7 spot. Here's the tale of the tape based off how both have played so far this season. 

Ohio State has certainly gotten the better of its matchups with Michigan State, going 32-13. 

These two storied franchises have clashed since 1912, although after that first meeting, the Spartans and Buckeyes didn't meet up again until 1951. 

Currently, Ohio State rides a five-game win streak against the Spartans heading into Saturday's matchup. Most recently, the Buckeyes took down the Spartans, 52-12, in December 2020. 

Here's the last 16 times these teams have played dating back to 1997.