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Ohio State out to slow down Ringer, Michigan State

Oct 18, 2008 - 10:16 AM (11) Ohio State (6-1) at (17) Michigan St (6-1), 3:30 pm EDT

EAST LANSING, Michigan (Ticker) -- Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is looking forward to Saturday's trip to East Lansing.

The 11th-ranked Buckeyes look to snap No. 17 Michigan State's six-game winning streak Saturday when the teams clash for at least a share of first place in the Big Ten Conference.

Ohio State (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) and Michigan State (6-1, 3-0) enter the contest tied with Penn State atop the conference standings.

The Buckeyes also will look to slow down Michigan State workhorse running back Javon Ringer, the leading rusher in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 1,112 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"We do know those guys that coach over there and we know they'll have them tremendously prepared," Tressel said. "We're going to their house, which is difficult in the Big Ten to go away. We know we'll have our hands full and we need to be ready for it."

The Spartans have relied heavily on Ringer, and so far he has not broken down despite averaging 35 carries per game. He has had two games where he had touted the ball more than 40 times.

Just seven games into the campaign, Ringer become the first Michigan State running back with back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons since T.J. Duckett in 2000-01. Ringer now has 3,782 rushing yards, which ranks No. 3 on the school's all-time list.

Ringer carried 35 times for 124 yards in last week's 37-20 win at Northwestern, and may face a similar work load against a team has traditional been tough against the run.

"We aren't complacent," Ringer said. "We aren't settling or relaxing at all because we are bowl eligible. We know we have some big tests left throughout the season. Now we are really going to start testing the team we have, but we are expecting big things."

Ohio State is 23rd against the run this season, yielding 103.6 yards per game. In last season's 24-17 win over Michigan State, the Buckeyes held Ringer to 49 yards on 18 carries.

Ohio State built a 24-0 lead midway through the third quarter before Michigan State's late rally fell short.

The Buckeyes have reeled off four straight wins since their 35-3 drubbing at Southern California, but the offense struggled in last week's 16-3 win over Purdue. Ohio State was held without an offensive touchdown.

Chris "Beanie" Wells rushed for 94 yards on 22 carries, but freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor had his first sub-par game since replacing Todd Boeckman as Ohio State's starter four games ago. Pryor completed 10-of-14 passes for just 97 yards.