Ohio State is playing a much-needed game against Michigan State on Saturday: one that keeps not only the Buckeyes' Big Ten championship hopes alive, but also their aspirations for a College Football Playoff berth.
Should Ohio State miss one more game (through no fault of its own), it will be ineligible to participate in the 2020 Big Ten championship game. The Buckeyes have already had to deal with cancellations from Maryland and Illinois this season, meaning they must play against Michigan State and Michigan to close the season. Anything less than that will keep the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten title game, severely damaging their CFP hopes in the process.
That said, Ohio State has likely never been happier to travel to East Lansing to take on the Spartans.
MORE: Watch Ohio State vs. Michigan State live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
Still and yet, Ohio State appears the vastly superior team on paper. Even in limited action, quarterback Justin Fields has looked like one of the best quarterbacks in college football, completing 90 of 113 passes for 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. That said, each of those three came against a close 42-35 win over Indiana, so he's likely itching to get out and prove the subpar performance was merely an aberration.
Michigan State has been a mixed bag in 2020. The Spartans have suffered demoralizing losses to Rutgers (38-27), Iowa (49-7) and Indiana (24-0) while racking up ranked wins against rival Michigan (27-24) and Northwestern (29-20). Like Ohio State, the Spartans have had a game canceled against Maryland; but they don't have nearly the pressure on them as do the Buckeyes, who must remain undefeated to preserve their CFP hopes. Will that pressure manifest on the field Saturday?
Only time will tell. With that, here's everything you need to know to watch Ohio State-Michigan State, including kickoff time, TV channels and more.
What channel is Ohio State vs. Michigan State on today?
- TV channel (national): ABC
- Live stream: fuboTV
Ohio State vs. Michigan State will air live on ABC starting at noon ET. Bob Wischusen and Dan Orlovsky will be on the call.
Ohio State vs. Michigan State start time
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 5
- Kickoff: Noon ET
Saturday's game will be the fourth national broadcast for Ohio State, and second on ABC. It will be Michigan State's third nationally broadcast game, and second on ABC.
Ohio State football schedule 2020
| Week | Date | Game |
| 8 | Oct. 24 | Ohio State 52, Nebraska 17 |
| 9 | Oct. 31 | Ohio State 35, Penn State 25 |
| 10 | Nov. 7 | Ohio State 49, Rutgers 27 |
| 11 | Nov. 14 | at Maryland (canceled) |
| 12 | Nov. 21 | Ohio State 42, Indiana 35 |
| 13 | Nov. 28 | vs. Illinois (canceled) |
| 14 | Dec. 5 | at Michigan State |
| 15 | Dec. 12 | vs. Michigan |
Michigan State football schedule 2020
| Week | Date | Game |
| 8 | Oct. 24 | Rutgers 38, Michigan State 27 |
| 9 | Oct. 31 | Michigan State 27, Michigan 24 |
| 10 | Nov. 7 | Iowa 49, Michigan State 7 |
| 11 | Nov. 14 | Indiana 24, Michigan State 0 |
| 12 | Nov. 21 | at Maryland (canceled) |
| 13 | Nov. 28 | Michigan State 29, Northwestern 20 |
| 14 | Dec. 5 | vs. Ohio State |
| 15 | Dec. 12 | at Penn State |
