Michigan State Football: Mark Dantonio’s 15 most memorable games
5. MSU vs. Ohio State (2013)
Quite possibly the biggest ‘upset’ of the Dantonio era for the good guys, Michigan State was the overwhelming underdog against Ohio State in the 2013 Big Ten Championship Game, facing an undefeated Buckeyes team in Urban Meyer’s second year as head coach.
Ohio State was bowl ineligible the year before because of the whole Jim Tresses debacle and still managed to finished 12-0. The Buckeyes followed up Meyer’s perfect first season with a 12-0 regular season in 2013 to win 24 straight games.
Michigan State wasn’t even supposed to make the game close as Ohio State was looking to just march to the national championship, but Dantonio had other plans.
The Spartans were aggressive from the get-go and the offense put some points on the board early and forced the Buckeyes to play catch-up. Michigan State took a 17-0 lead in the second quarter thanks to a pair of touchdown passes from Cook to Keith Mumphery and Tony Lippett.
The Buckeyes scored 24 straight points over the next 20 minutes and a field goal and Josiah Price touchdown later gave the Spartans a 27-24 lead. A huge stop by Taiwan Jones on 4th-and-one with about five minutes left set up a Jeremy Langford touchdown run to seal it.
Michigan State would finally make it back to the Rose Bowl.
Next: 4. Ohio State (2015)