Michigan State Football: Top 10 plays of the regular season

Nov 21, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Michigan State Spartans place kicker Michael Geiger (4) makes the game-winning field goal on the final play of the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. The Spartans won 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

3. Michael Geiger game-winner vs. OSU

Watching Connor Cook go down with a shoulder injury against Maryland the week before the Ohio State game was every Spartan fans’ worst nightmare. What would happen if the senior quarterback couldn’t play in the biggest game of the season — let alone a road contest.

All signs were pointing to MSU’s leader to start for the entire week. He said he felt good, the coaching staff said he was good and he claimed that nothing would keep him from playing. Well, that wasn’t the case as the huddle broke before the Spartans’ first offensive drive and Tyler O’Connor trotted onto the field from the sidelines for Michigan State.

You could almost here a collective nationwide gasp when it was reported Cook would not be available at all against the No. 3-ranked Buckeyes.

It looked as if the Spartans’ 2015 playoff hopes would be dashed, yet again, by Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes who were going to roll all over the Spartans at home, or so everyone said.

Michigan State’s defense played its best game of the season, holding Heisman candidate and star running back Ezekiel Elliott to just 33 yards on 11 carries and J.T. Barrett couldn’t get the pass game going, either.

The score was tied heading into the final Spartan drive of the game when LJ Scott picked up first down after first down and Michigan State was in Michael Geiger’s field goal range. Lined up from 41 yards out and three seconds to play, the junior kicker drilled the biggest kick of his life as MSU won, 17-14, in Columbus.

The best part of this was his celebration. He didn’t even watch the ball go through the uprights, Geiger knew it was good.

Next: 2. LJ Scott's reach