Rival Rewind: OSU, MSU, ND Get Back in Win Column
When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan. For a full rundown of our rivals’ games, see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3.
In Week 3, we saw Ohio State literally give up to Miami when head coach Luke Fickell decided to eat all three timeouts when trailing in the final minutes. We also saw Notre Dame salvage a horrific start to its season by dominating our third rival, Michigan State. All three were back in action this past weekend trying to get back in the win column. Did they succeed? Let’s see.
 Ohio State: Beat Colorado 37-17Record: 3-1 Many around the nation, and especially in the Big Ten were wondering how Ohio State would respond to its first loss of the season when it returned home to take on the Colorado Buffaloes. With true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller getting the first start of his career, the Buckeyes passed the test, winning 37-17. Just like his embattled predecessor, Terrelle Pryor, Miller took the reigns of the Buckeye offense in just the fourth game of his career, and it appears he’s not going to relinquish it back to Joe Bauserman. Miller didn’t have an outstanding passing game – it was rather Denard-ish – he tossed two touchdown passes, ran for 83 yards, and most importantly, didn’t make mistakes. Miller connected with Devin Smith twice for touchdowns of 32 yards and 17 yards. Ohio State also got rushing touchdowns out of Jordan Hall and Carlos Hyde. Kicker Drew Basil connected on field goals of 28, 18, and 47 yards. While it was good for Ohio State to get back in the win column, it wasn’t entirely surprising considering Colorado hasn’t won a road game since beating Texas Tech on Oct. 27, 2007. This week, Ohio State gets another test when it hosts Michigan State. Just like last week’s Notre Dame-Michigan State game, this one is sure to make Michigan fans happy as one rival is bound to lose. Both teams rank in the top 20 nationally in points against, so look for a low-scoring ball game in Columbus. Next: Saturday v. Michigan State (3-1) – 3:30pm on ABC
 Braxton Miller got his first start but wasn't able to do a very good Denard impression (but who can?)
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 Michigan State: Beat Central Michigan 45-7Record: 3-1 Sandwiched between two big games, Michigan State had to turn its attention to a Mid-American Conference pushover this past weekend. Unlike the previous week against Notre Dame, Michigan State put this one out of the way early. It was the Le’Veon Bell show as he ran for 81 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half. Bell averaged 10.1 yards per carry; granted, the Chippewas boast the nation’s 7th-worse defense. The Spartans jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead, scoring 24 in the second quarter alone, and never looked back. Quarterback Kirk Cousins had a so-so day, completing 13-of-22 passes for 213 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Sophomore safety Isaiah Lewis returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown. It was his second interception of the season. Michigan State outgained Central 418 to 112. This week, Michigan State travels to Ohio State to begin a brutal four-game stretch that also includes matchups with Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. As mentioned above, both teams rank in the nation’s top 20 defenses this season, so a low-scoring game is in order. It will come down to whether MSU’s defense can cause OSU freshman quarterback Braxton Miller to make mistakes. Next: Saturday at Ohio State (3-1) – 3:30pm on ABC
 Isaiah Lewis had a pick-six last week and will now face true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller
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Notre Dame: Beat Pittsburgh 15-12 After taking down Michigan State a week ago, Notre Dame traveled to Pittsburgh to try to break even. It wasn’t pretty, but the Irish came away with a 15-12 win. It took a fourth quarter touchdown drive to top the Panthers. Trailing 12-7 in the fourth, ND took over on its own 15-yard line with 11:28 to play. Quarterback Tommy Rees led the Irish on an 11-play, 85-yard touchdown drive, capped off with a 6-yard pass to tight end Tyler Eifert. The Irish succeeded with the two-point conversion to take a three-point lead. On the game-winning drive, Rees completed all eight of his passes for 74 yards. Prior to that drive, however, Rees and the Irish struggled against a mediocre Pitt defense. Rees was just 16-of-33 for 142 yards and an interception in the first three quarters. Cierre Wood was the workhorse on the day, carrying the ball 23 times for 94 yards, but it was Jonas Grey who made the big splash. In the second quarter, he busted loose for a 79-yard touchdown run, the only score of the day for the Irish aside from the game-winning drive. Eifert was the go-to guy, catching eight passes for 75 yards and a touchdown, most of that on the final drive. He also caught the two-point conversion. This week, Notre Dame visits Purdue, which is 2-1 with wins over Middle Tennessee and Southeast Missouri State, and a 24-22 loss to Rice. It should be a the easiest game of the year for Notre Dame, although the Boilers tent to play the Irish tough regardless of the records. Next: Saturday at Purdue (2-1) – 8pm on ESPN  Tyler Eifert caught the winning touchdown and two-point conversion for the Irish (photo by Keith Srakocic, AP)
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