Joe Rexrode: MSU graduates from pest to Ohio State’s peer

COLUMBUS, Ohio – It was one comment, and it was made by a redshirt freshman quarterback from Texas who might have assumed “Woody and Bo” was a “Toy Story” reference before he got to Ohio State.

But J.T. Barrett did say Saturday night after his team’s 55-14 rout of Illinois: “This is why you come to Ohio State, to go play Michigan State at Michigan State. This is what it is. It’s big-time.”

How about that? No, Barrett was not taking a shot at rival Michigan there. He was talking about the privilege of playing in big games. And the fact is, in each of his two seasons as a Buckeye, there’s none bigger than Michigan State.

There’s no program more in Ohio State’s way, either, for the first time in … decades? If ever. - Read more at Freep.com