The home stretch of the college football season is upon us, which means conference play is set to reign supreme over the next few weeks.
But before clarity presents itself in the form of conference-championship showdowns and, eventually, a finalized College Football Playoff picture, some crucial contests need to take place.
One such clash will take place in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday afternoon, when the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes host the No. 9 Michigan State Spartans in a crucial Big Ten battle.
And since the tilt could have the biggest playoff implications of any Week 12 battle, it's no surprise ESPN's College GameDay is heading to the home of the Horseshoe to thrill the Buckeyes student body and get the rest of the nation amped up for what promises to be some compelling action.
But before previewing the marquee showdown, here's a look at when and where you can catch College GameDay on Saturday morning:
Time: 9 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Preview and Prediction
While the Big Ten East won't be formally decided for a couple of weeks, Saturday's outcome will go a long way toward determining a division winner.
The undefeated Buckeyes control their own destiny at the top of the East, but if the Spartans can pull off an upset and drop Ohio State to 10-1, things get interesting.
Should Michigan State walk into a hostile environment and withstand the Buckeyes' efforts, Mark Dantonio's program will have the inside track when it comes to clinching a spot in the conference championship game.
And if there's one team that should be confident in its ability to knock off the Buckeyes, it's the Spartans. As the Detroit News' Matt Charboneau and Angelique S. Chengelis noted, Michigan State is the only Big Ten program to emerge with a victory against Ohio State since Urban Meyer took over as head coach. The triumph came in the 2013 Big Ten title game.
Led by quarterback Connor Cook, the Spartans' 44th-ranked scoring offense will attempt to crack an Ohio State defense that's allowed a Big Ten-best 89 points in conference play.
"We're facing one of the best quarterbacks in Big Ten history," Meyer said, according to Charboneau. "That's how you evaluate a quarterback, does he win games? That is his job and he wins almost every game he plays."
However, the Buckeyes aren't too familiar with losing games either.
The defending national champions haven't lost a regular-season game in the Big Ten since Meyer took control of the program, and they've imposed their will on opponents at home. Although the Buckeyes have had to sweat out a few games this season, they're still dispatching opponents by an average margin of 22.3 points when they play at the Horseshoe.
With that said, Ohio State has yet to face another playoff-caliber—or even highly touted—team on its quest to repeat.
"The reality is that with what's ahead on the Buckeyes schedule—and the lackluster lineup of opponents they've faced to this point—their 2015 campaign might as well just be getting started," Bleacher Report's Ben Axelrod wrote.
A dearth of quality competition to this point could theoretically hurt Ohio State as it attempts to cement itself as a playoff team, but with questions abounding, don't be surprised if Meyer's side answers the call.
Prediction: Ohio State 30, Michigan State 24
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