Michigan State Has Hold on Ohio State

A year ago, Ohio State was upset by Michigan State. This time, it was no upset. The Spartans were clearly superior.

Bill Burke passed for 174 yards and two touchdowns as No. 19 Michigan State rolled to a 23-7 victory over the 20th-ranked Buckeyes on Saturday at East Lansing, Mich.

The loss may have cost Ohio State a shot at a New Year’s Day bowl game.

“You just saw an old-fashioned butt-whupping,” Ohio State Coach John Cooper said.

The Buckeyes, 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten, had been pointing to this game for almost a year, ever since their hopes for the 1998 national championship were dashed by a 28-24 loss to the Spartans in Columbus last season. But they were completely outplayed by Michigan State (7-2, 4-2), which used an off week to get over a two-game losing streak.

The Spartan defense, tops in the Big Ten against the run, held Ohio State to zero yards rushing and four first downs. The Buckeyes finished with 79 yards, all in the air on eight of 23 passing with one interception.

Ohio State quarterbacks were sacked six times.

It was the Buckeyes’ worst rushing performance since finishing with minus-22 yards rushing in a 32-7 loss to Michigan State in 1965. The last time Ohio State had less total offense was in 1963 when Penn State held the Buckeyes to 63 yards.

No. 16 Michigan 37, Northwestern 3--The Wolverines (7-2, 4-2) finally took control of a game and didn’t let up, routing the Wildcats (3-6, 1-5) at Ann Arbor, Mich.

There was no second-half comeback by Northwestern, no big plays to rattle Michigan’s confidence and no reason not to play backup Drew Henson or even his backup, Jason Kapsner.

“We needed this game,” Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said.

Illinois 40, Iowa 24--Neil Rackers kicked four field goals and caught a touchdown pass on a fake field goal as the Illini (5-4, 2-4) held off the Hawkeyes (1-8, 0-6) at Iowa City.

The fake field goal came in the second quarter, after an Illinois drive bogged down at the Iowa 18. Holder Steve Fitts, the team’s punter, passed to Rackers for a touchdown that gave Illinois a 13-3 lead.