EAST LANSING, Mich. -- A year ago, Michigan States Tyler OConnor was forced into action in what turned out to be the most significant game of the Big Ten regular season -- an upset win at Ohio State that vaulted the Spartans into the national championship race and ultimately kept the Buckeyes out.As badly as this season has gone for OConnor and his teammates, looking back at that game gives them some hope.When you go back and watch the film, its hard not to implant that image in your head about what we did against them last year, OConnor said. Well take some confidence into this game as well, but at the same time understand how good they are.Michigan State has fallen fast since last seasons Big Ten title. If the Spartans can upset the second-ranked Buckeyes this weekend , theyll merely be playing the role of spoilers in the national championship race, but that should be plenty of motivation in a rivalry thats picked up considerably in recent seasons.And speaking of motivation, Ohio State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) should have plenty of it, for obvious reasons.That was the reason why we didnt accomplish the goals that we had set for last year, so I think a lot of the guys take this game personal, safety Malik Hooker acknowledged.With star quarterback Connor Cook out injured, OConnor and Michigan State won the 2015 game against the Buckeyes on a 41-yard field goal by Michael Geiger as time expired. That ended Ohio States 23-game winning streak.It was definitely a terrible feeling, tight end Marcus Baugh said. Just disappointed we couldnt get that one. You dont want to feel that again.The Buckeyes are No. 2 in this weeks ranking from the playoff committee. A win this weekend would set up quite a showdown against rival Michigan to close the regular season.Saturdays game will be the finale at home this season for Michigan State (3-7, 1-6) -- and a chance for the Spartans to make up for at least some of the disappointments that have piled up this year.Here are a few things to watch when Michigan State hosts Ohio State:HAPPY VISITORS: The home team hasnt won in this series since Ohio State beat Michigan State in Columbus in 2007. The road team has taken all five regular-season games since. The teams also met in the 2013 Big Ten title game, which the Spartans won.HISTORY: If the Spartans are looking for some historical comfort, last seasons game may not even be the best analogy. In 1998, Ohio State was No. 1 in the nation when it lost at home in November to an unranked Michigan State team.Spartans coach Mark Dantonio was an assistant for Michigan State then. The Spartans finished 6-6.We went down and played the number one team in Ohio, at Ohio Stadium, at Ohio State, and won, Dantonio said. Didnt go to a bowl game that year, but everybody seems to remember it, so, I guess thats something.KUDOS FOR RECEIVERS: Ohio State coach Urban Meyer this week praised the work of Ohio States outside receivers. They havent had a lot of flashy catches lately but have excelled throwing blocks that have sprung H-back Curtis Samuel, quarterback J.T. Barrett and running back Mike Weber for big gains.Meyer said those receivers, mainly Noah Brown, Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin, had their best games the past two weeks, even though the box scores might not directly reflect it.Receivers were criticized earlier in the season when the passing game bogged down, but Meyer is now lauding them for their selflessness.Ive been around men who are complete buffoons about that kind of stuff, Meyer said. When you recruit them, you hope theyre not that way. You kind of try to get in their grill and find out if theyre a selfish guy, because our objective is to win the game at all costs.FORECAST: It was windy and rainy last year when these teams met, and the Spartans prevailed 17-14. Michigan State probably wouldnt mind another low-scoring game, and the National Weather Service says it could be windy, rainy and perhaps even a bit snowy in East Lansing on Saturday.MILESTONE: Ohio States Mike Weber, who played high school football at Cass Tech in Detroit, needs 65 yards rushing to become the third Ohio State freshman to reach 1,000. Robert Smith (1990) and Maurice Clarett (2002) were the others.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 .---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister Air Max Australia Free Shipping . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Discount Air Max Australia . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. http://www.shopairmaxaustralia.com/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Clearance Air Max Australia . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. White Air Max Australia . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame?welcomes its latest class this weekend, and among the very distinguished honorees is one Shaquille ONeal. While his cohorts alone are pretty impressive -- Allen Iverson! Sheryl Swoopes! Yao Ming! Tom Izzo! Jerrry Reinsdorf! -- the retired superstar-turned-TNT analyst made sure to take a picture with a former inductee while in Springfield, Massachusetts.The options of who he could have chosen are endless, so I wont make you guess here. ONeal posed with a picture of the late, great Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and then postedd his photo of the pair on Instagram.ddddddddddddWriting #honored as one of his hashtags, its clear ONeal knows his basketball history.Hall of Fame style next to the great Pat Summitt #hof16 #halloffame #nba #honoredA photo posted by DR. SHAQUILLE ONEAL Ed.D. (@shaq) onSep 8, 2016 at 1:04pm PDTWelcome to the Hall, Shaq.See something entertaining on social media that you think deserves to be shared? Let me know on Twitter, @darcymaine_espn. ' ' '