#17 Ohio State:

While Ohio State looked like it was just going to move on from the Jim Tressel era as if nothing happened in its season-opening win over Akron last week, it looked every bit as young and inexperienced this past Saturday against a talented Toledo team.

The Buckeyes held on to top the Rockets 27-22 to avoid a first loss in 92 years to an in-state team, however, OSU gave up the most points to a team from Ohio since allowing Oberlin College to score 26 back in 1909.

Even though Ohio State escaped with the win, it wasn’t as if it actually earned it. Toledo committed 14 penalties for 102 yards, missed a 45-yard field goal, and gave up a 69-yard punt return to end the first half.

OSU’s best possession of the day was its opening drive when it went 67 yards in seven plays and scored a touchdown on a 26-yard pass from Joe Bauserman to tight end Jake Stoneburner. It seemed as if OSU had picked up right where it left off last week.

But Toledo scored on two straight possessions and converted a two-point attempt (because they couldn’t go for three) to jump out to a 15-7 lead. OSU took the lead back before the half on a 36-yard run by Carlos Hyde and the 69-yard punt return.

Toledo wasn’t phased, however, taking the first drive of the second half 60 yards in five plays to re-take the lead. OSU took the lead back near the end of the third on another Hyde run and that’s where the score remained the rest of the game.

On the game’s final drive, Toledo strung together a 13-play, 55-yard drive down to the Ohio State 17-yard line before falling short on downs, allowing the Buckeyes to take a knee.

Bauserman completed just 16-of-30 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, while the Buckeyes averaged just 3.3 yards per rush on 34 carries, over a yard short of what New Hampshire recorded against the Rockets last week on the same amount of carries. Needless to say, the Bucks’ ground game did not impress.

It was the pass defense, however, that serves as the most cause for alarm. Two Rockets topped 100 yards receiving, with Eric Page catching 12 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns and Adonis Thomas catching six for 111. That has to make Michigan fans happy given what we witnessed in the comeback against Notre Dame.

Next: Saturday at Miami (0-1)  - 7:30pm on ESPN

Chris Fields' 69-yard punt return right before the half was the play of the game (photo by Kirk Irwin, Getty Images)

#15 Michigan State:

Running backs Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell each scored in the first and the Spartans stretched the lead to 27-0 by halftime on a pair of field goals and a 1-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Dion Sims.

Not much else needs to be said about this game since it was against Florida Atlantic and doesn’t really give anyone a realistic look at how good the Spartans are. If anything, they proved the can in fact dominate an inferior opponent. State held the Owls to just 48 total yards and one first down the entire game. The week prior, FAU lost to Florida 41-3.

Cousins turned in a workman-like performance, connecting on 16-of-21 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Bell led the way on the ground with 14 carries for 69 yards, but the Spartans used a bevy of backs.

This weekend, we will get a much better look at how good MSU actually is when it travels to South Bend to face a hungry Notre Dame team coming off a demoralizing loss to Michigan. If the Spartans haven’t completely shaken off the rust, they could be in for a battle with an Irish team looking to regain any semblance of credibility.

Next: Saturday at Notre Dame (0-2) – 3:30pm on NBC

Edwin Baker and the Spartans had an easy time with Florida Atlantic (photo by Al Goldis, AP)

Notre Dame: Lost to Michigan 35-31
Record: 0-2

What more really needs to be said about this one? Notre Dame came into the Big House hoping to end a two-game skid in the rivalry and sour Michigan’s first-ever home night game. It looked as if that would be the case when ND jumped out to a 24-7 lead and shut down Denard Robinson and Michigan’s offense.

However, the Wolverines got going at the end of the third quarter and stormed back, outscoring the Irish 28-7 in the fourth to win when Robinson found Roy Roundtree in the end zone with just two seconds remaining.

Aside from an ill-timed fumble, ND quarterback Tommy Rees played well, hitting 27-of-39 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns. He did throw two picks, but those were largely a result of good defensive schemes by Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who was feast or famine in this one. When it was famine, it was Rees who made the check downs to find wide open receivers or gaping holes into backpedaling nose tackles.

Notre Dame ran for six yards per carry, led by Cierre Wood who gained 134 yards on 25 carries. In addition, receiver Michael Floyd lit up the Wolverines secondary for 159 yards on 13 catches.

Next: Saturday v. #15 Michigan State (2-0) – 3:30pm on NBC

5'8" Jeremy Gallon hauls in a jump ball for a touchdown, a perfect microcosm of ND's night