Whenever Michigan State and Ohio State get together there are always NFL caliber players littered all over the field. Here are a few guys to watch Saturday who will have a large impact on deciding who will be crowned the Big Ten Champions.

Michigan State

Connor Cook, Quarterback #18- Cook is a quality game manager for Sparty. He runs their system at a high level of efficiency. Cook is asked to throw short to intermediate underneath routes and let his receivers gain yards after the catch. Cook only averages 6.97 yards per attempt on the season which further enforces what he is asked to do for the offense, however he can push the ball down field off of play action as he possesses an above average arm. While Cook looks like a statue when he first steps on the field, he does a good job of navigating the pocket and escaping pressure to gain a few yards and prevent negative plays. There will not be many opportunities to pressure Cook on Saturday, as they like to get the ball out of his hands quickly, however with the Buckeyes recent struggles in the secondary, expect Cook to take a few more shots down field and possibly find his big play target.

Bennie Fowler, Wide Receiver #13- Fowler is Cook’s favorite down the field target. He’s averaging 16 yards a catch, for 6 touchdowns on the season, and his long was a ridiculous 87 yard catch that can be seen below. Fowler is an average size receiver, at 6’1 212 pounds, who possesses adequate speed, but generally his separation comes from corners biting on play action. Roby will most likely be matched up on Fowler in man situations. It will be important for Roby to keep Fowler in check on Saturday, or the secondary could be in for another poor statistical outing in the biggest game to date this season.

Max Bullough, Middle Linebacker #40- Bullough isn’t going to flash to you on Saturday. He may have a double digit tackle day, but his impact comes in his leadership and knowledge. Bullough is a senior middle linebacker who is familiar with this Buckeye offense and will have his defense well prepared on Saturday. He is defensive coordinator, Pat Narduzzi, on the field coach. He will be called upon to blitz on occasion, and is very capable of making plays in the box or in space, but Bullough’s impact is as much intangible as anything he puts on the stat sheet.

Shilique Calhoun, Defensive End #89- While Bullough is the brain and leader of the Spartan D, Calhoun does the heavy lifting on the line. Calhoun has registered 7 sacks and 16 tackles for loss on the season. He is an absolute monster of an athlete and will line up at either end position, which will pose a serious challenge to both Taylor Decker and Jack Mewhort. Luckily for both tackles they have faced a monster at defensive end/linebacker once this year with Khalil Mack. Calhoun is not quite the athlete that Mack is, none the less he will have an impact Saturday in pass rushing Miller, and stopping Miller and Hyde in the run game.

Denicos Allen, Outside Linebacker #28- Allen has the size of a safety at 5-11 218 pounds, but he plays much larger than that at outside linebacker. He is the play maker for this Sparty defense as he leads the team in tackles (83), and is second, by one in, tackles for loss (15). Allen’s impact on Saturday may be felt more if Narduzzi decides to use him as a spy on Miller. While spying Miller has not always proved to be the most efficient method of defending him, since Miller is an improved passer, it may help to contain one of the two headed monsters in the Buckeyes rush attack. Also watch for Allen to blitz off the edge, as Narduzzi likes to dial up exotic blitzes on second and long or third and long.

Ohio State

Corey Linsley- While this may not be the sexy pick, Linsley may be the most important factor in determining the success of this Buckeye offense. Linsley calls out the protection and identifies blitzers which is vital against this aggressive defense. Not only that, but the majority of the Spartan defense blitzes come through the A gap. Watch Linsley on Saturday night as he will be a busy busy man. If Linsley is successful in reading potential blitzes and adjusting protection properly, then the offensive line and offense should be quite successful.

Braxton Miller- Miller’s intelligence and preparation will be tested this week. He will face a defense that is loaded with NFL talent and is very disciplined. The Spartans will line up mainly in man coverage, and challenge the Buckeye wide receivers one on one. There will come a time in this game where Miller will have to throw open one of his receivers, and that is where we will see the improvement he has made as a passer. Miller has transformed himself in to a quarterback that is an athlete, and Saturday night will be one of his greatest tests. Miller will have to make big time throws, take care of the ball running and throwing, navigate the pocket and scramble when necessary, and make the correct reads in the option game. A lot will be rested on Miller’s shoulders Saturday night. Buckeye fans will see how far this young man has come in mastering the art of quarterbacking, and where he will need to improve to reach his full potential.

Devin Smith- The Devin Smith that is playing in this game this year is twice the receiver he was last year against Sparty. Smith’s main improvement has come in his route running ability and preparation. He and Braxton have developed a chemistry on their timing patterns, especially on come back routes and back shoulder throws. Smith has also improved on running his deep patterns. He understands how to manipulate safeties and corners to create more space for Braxton to throw in to. Smith was huge in this game last year. He will most likely be matched up against the Spartans best corner, Darqueze Dennard. Dennard will present a good physical challenge to Smith, has he will try and jam Smith at the line, and then turn and run with Smith as he gets vertical. Smith and Dennard will be a very entertaining match up on Saturday night.

Carlos Hyde- Hyde will face his greatest challenge yet this Saturday night. The front seven of Michigan State is daunting. They play their linebackers close to the line, and make a living off of stuffing the run. Hyde’s draft stock and hype could simmer down or sky rocket depending on his performance Saturday night. If his offensive line is able to get off their initial blocks and get to the Spartan linebackers, expect Hyde to be very successful. In my opinion, I think that will happen. I expect Herman to inject a lot of tempo Saturday night, and I do not think the front seven of Michigan State has seen a large and athletic offensive line like Ohio States. Hyde should have a good amount of success against this front, as the Spartan front will have to account for Miller as well. If the Buckeyes can stretch the field vertically with Smith, Hyde should have even more success. Hyde’s importance in pass protection can not be understated either. Hyde struggled late in the game against Wisconsin as Chris Borland often blew Hyde in to Miller on blitzes, but Hyde should be in better shape and able to withstand the duties of pass protection as well as toting the rock 20 times.

The Buckeye Defense- As a whole, this unit was abysmal last week. Good news for this defense; this Spartan offense is pedestrian at best. They live off of short throws and yards after the catch. Their run game is decent, but nothing like Wisconsin’s. Their offensive line is solid but can be moved. Bottom line for the Buckeye D: there is no reason for the Spartan offense to have success Saturday night. If the defensive line does not get home then they will need to get their hands up to deflect passes. I do not expect any surprises from MSU. They make take more shots down field, but their receivers should not get separation from Grant or Roby. They run it right at you, and when they run play action it is generally only with two receivers running the routes. Linebackers should not bite on the play action since the Spartan run game should not be very effective. The secondary will face one of the few receiving core, in the Big Ten, that does not have a premier receiver. This defense has more talent, speed, and size than the Spartan offense, what they have been lacking is discipline and focus. If they can muster up a tiny bit of that Saturday night they should have a successful night against a very basic Spartan offense.

For a full list of all the players you can go to BTN.COM

Three Yards and a Cloud of Links is Men of the Scarlet and Gray’s newly renamed, semi-regular curated look at items that would interest the casual and hard-core Ohio State fan. These include news items, interesting blog posts and the occasional meme you’ve probably already seen. It’s all here and it’s all for you. Have a tip that should be included in the next TYAACOL? Drop us a line at motsag@gmail.com or through our Contact Page.

A Big Upset with Big Implications: As the Buckeyes headed home from the state up north back to Columbus, they watched #4 Auburn stun #1 Alabama in one of the most entertaining games I’ve personally ever witnessed. Luckily for us, Buckeye wideout Frank Epitropoulos was recording the reactions around the bus when the Tigers scored the game winning touchdown. Here’s the joyful reaction from the team he posted on his Instagram account: Buckeyes Celebrate Auburn Win

The team is obviously happy because the Buckeyes are now the #2 team in the country. With a win against Michigan State in the B1G Championship (no easy task), Ohio State could be playing for the BCS National Championship. But let’s worry about the Spartans before throwing a party.

Let the Debate Begin: Florida State and Ohio State are the only two remaining undefeated teams in BCS conferences. Conventional wisdom says we have our two teams for the national title game. But of course ESPN and the rest of the national media want to tell another narrative to anyone who will listen. Should a one-loss SEC champion jump an undefeated Ohio State team? Cleveland.com gives the fairest look at this situation, laying out the facts of both teams’ respective season. Of course it’s just a bunch of nonsense and there is no way that Ohio State is going to be jumped by a one-loss SEC champion. But it’s something that needs pointed out or rather you should be forewarned about because the national media is going to beat this drum all week long. My advice? Avoid ESPN and other media outlets that don’t like Ohio State, which is pretty much almost everyone. I know you won’t see me on social media as much this week.

Buckeyes on the Court: The Buckeyes’ men’s basketball team had a great performance on Friday, destroying North Florida by a score of 99-64. The shooting for the Bucks was red hot, as they made 69.2% of their shots. This is the sixth best shooting percentage in a game in school history. Ohio State was also pretty sharp behind the arch, hitting 14 three-pointers. LaQuinton Ross finally broke out of his shooting slump, hitting four three pointers and finished with 17 total points. Amir Williams had the most points with 18. Amedeo Della Valle had a career best game with his 17 points, while also leading the team in three-point shooting (five three-pointers). It was a great performance for a Buckeye team that had been struggling offensively this season and coach Thad Matta had to be encouraged by his team’s play. Hopefully this was the game that awakened the team offensively.

Beating TTUN: I saved the best for last. Ohio State players took to Twitter to express their feelings on beating TTUN. It ranged from pure jubilation to thankfulness to the realization of what is now at stake after a hard fought victory. Reactions:

All Glory goes to God! #ILoveMyTeam #History #GoBucks

— Carlos Hyde (@El_Guapo34) November 30, 2013

I appreciate the love and support. Thanks to the offense for bailing us out. Great team win. Let's go get 25. Love my teammates till the end

— Not Mike Bennett (@mike63bennett) November 30, 2013

99 problems, but a loss ain't 1. 24-0 BUCKEYE NATION we love all of you!

— JEFF HEUERMAN (@JHeuerman86) November 30, 2013

Wasn't pretty but was a great game! #InstantClassic. Love this team y'all watching history in the making

— Bradley Roby (@BradRoby_1) November 30, 2013

Win over TTUN and seeing bama lose! What a weekend to remember!! Love my team and #BuckeyeNation

— Devin Smith (@dsmithosu) December 1, 2013

Gold pants number 2!

— Evan Spencer (@LiLSpencee) November 30, 2013

Proud of @elflein65 for stepping up when we needed him today in a tough environment

— Jack Mewhort (@jackmewhort) November 30, 2013

And finally I think wide receiver coach Zach Smith said it best:

It's a ONE Game Season — Get to 13-0 #TheChaseisOn and #TheChaseisREAL

— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) December 1, 2013

The chase is certainly on. And the Buckeyes with a win this Saturday will cap off another magical season and a shot to win it all.

1. #3 Ohio State at Michigan (11am CST ABC): Outside of possibly South Carolina, Michigan has been the most unpredictable teams in the country. They have impressive wins over Notre Dame and Minnesota, but nearly lost to Akron and Connecticut (who have 5 wins combined) in back-to-back weeks and needed 3 overtimes to beat a dissipated Northwestern team (which hasn’t won since Mike Greenberg gave them a “pep talk” prior to playing my Buckeyes). All that being said, this game is at the Big House and the Wolverines would love nothing better than to finish their regular season by ending the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak and essentially their national title hopes. The only thing I worry about is Jeremy Gallon having a big game as the Buckeyes’ secondary have given up several huge individual receiving performances this season (i.e. Wisconsin’s J. Abbrederis with 10 receptions, 207 yards, 1 touchdown and Penn State’s A. Robinson with 12 receptions, 173 yards 1 touchdown. Gallon is 16th in the nation in yards per game so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about him having a big game on Saturday. The Wolverines have lost four of their last six games this season and eight of their last nine against the Buckeyes (they won in ‘11 in the Denard Robinson “spoon-feeding game”). That means Coach Meyer’s focus this week was likely to ensure his team doesn’t approach this game as if it will be one that will just be given to them. He will make sure they don’t look ahead to their matchup with the Spartans in the Big Ten Championship game. This is a classic trap game and if we combine that with it being one of the most intense rivalry games in the country, this game will surely be closer than it should be on paper. Vegas has my Buckeyes favored by sixteen points but I’m not so sure about that. I hope the Wolverines get a huge dose of Carlos Hyde and Braxton Miller has a big day on the ground. Buckeyes win, but I don’t think they cover the spread.

2. #24 Duke at North Carolina (11am CST ESPN2): We move from the biggest rivalry in college football to the biggest rivalry in college basketball … only in football. This is a matchup that doesn’t usually means much to anyone beyond the fans of these two teams, but this season it means a lot. If the Blue Devils win today, they clinch the Coastal Division of the ACC and will play Florida State in the championship game. They can still win the division if they lose today, but they would then need help from Miami and Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels started the season 1-5, but have reeled off five straight coming into today. Although, their second half of the season was easier than their first half, the offense seemingly has finally figured out Larry Fedora’s spread offense. Going into the season I was big on Tar Heels quarterback Bryn Renner, but he was hurt, and Marquise Williams has played well in his place (60.8% passing, 13 TDs, 4 INTs). I think this is the reason Vegas is favoring the Tar Heels over the Blue Devils (-6) despite having three fewer losses on the season. All that being said, I love what David Cutcliffe has built at Duke. They beat Virginia Tech and Miami (albeit without their best player). What I think will be the difference is that I think Duke will commit fewer turnovers and that they will have at least one big fourth down conversion (their 7th in the nation in fourth down conversions). I have Duke winning outright and by a touchdown.

3. #1 Alabama at #4 Auburn (2:30pm CST CBS): I’d like to start by saying that I wish ESPN had been successful in their pursuit of this game; they wanted to make it the night game. I have no problem with the start time, but I hate that Gary Danielson and Verne Lundquist will be calling the game. Those guys get on my nerves — Danielson in particular. Let’s start by saying that I think Gus Malzahn will certainly be in the running for coach of the year (is Ed Orgeron eligible?) because we cannot forget that the Tigers were winless in the SEC last season and nearly lost to Louisiana-Monroe. This year, they walk into the Iron Bowl with a chance at the SEC West title! Also impressive is that Auburn is second in the nation in rushing yards per game because the top three is usually reserved for teams running the triple option (i.e #1 is Army and #3 is Navy). If you like these kinds of stats, Alabama has never beaten and Auburn team with nine or more wins (0-2). I’ve never been a fan of those kinds of things especially with a sample size of just two, but ESPN has mentioned it for two weeks. Alabama will play a lot of man-to-man on the outside, with floating safeties, and loading the box against the run. I also expect CJ Mosley to spy Nick Marshall for a lot early in the game. Saban will want Marshall to beat him with his arm if he’s going to beat him. That’s the right strategy, of course, but it’s the exact same one he executed against Cam Newton in 2010 (held him to just 39 rushing but allowed three passing touchdowns). The difference here is that Saban has the advantage of learning from that game. One of his mistakes in that game is that he let his foot off the gas with a 24-point lead at halftime and then had trouble getting his team energy back up in time. This time, if he gets up early, I don’t see him becoming passive. Some might disagree with me (I think those people may say VT or MSU), but I think this will be the best defensive line Alabama has faced all season. Dee Ford, Carl Lawson, and Montravius Adams are beasts and I think McCarron may either get sacked a few times or get hurried into a bad throw or two. All that being said, I think Auburn may see two things that not many teams have seen thus far this year from the Tide. 1. 5 WR sets 2. Chris Black making a name for himself. I think OJ Howard will be the player of the game as I think he’ll have at least two touchdown catches. If I were Nick Saban, I would have spent some time preparing for Jeremy Johnson at least a little bit this week because I really believe he’ll make a few appearances in this game. Saban will force them to throw the ball and Johnson can sling it. Alabama wins, but Tide fans will definitely have moments of nervousness, until they pull away late in the game.

4. A few more picks: Clemson over South Carolina (to break their four-game losing streak), Missouri over Texas A&M (because that Aggies defense can’t stop Franklin and company, but Johnny Football will play well today), Stanford over Notre Dame (won’t be close), USC upsets UCLA (Marqise Lee goes off), Georgia Tech over Georgia (we’ll miss you Aaron Murray!), and Florida State over Florida (I think we’ll see some Sean Maguire at QB today).

5. If I were playing fantasy college football: I’d start Taylor Kelly at QB (vs Arizona), Andre Williams at RB (at Syracuse), Marqise Lee (vs UCLA) and Dorial Green-Beckham (vs Texas A&M) at WR, OJ Howard at TE (at Auburn), and I’m going to separate defense and special teams. I’m starting Michigan State’s defense (vs Minnesota) and I’m taking Kansas State on special teams (at Kansas).

Ladies and Gentleman of Buckeye Nation. The greatest fan base in the Nation. We are less than 24 hours away from the kickoff for The Game.

Thanks to Ohio State Football for putting out this video.