If No. 7 Auburn’s trip to Florida to take on the No. 10-ranked team in the nation is arguably the pick of the crop, the matchup between Ohio State and Michigan State is no less intriguing.

The Buckeyes climbed to No. 4 in the rankings this week, overtaking LSU after thrashing Nebraska 48-7 on the road last weekend.

The Cornhuskers were meant to be the first big test of Ohio State’s season, but things panned out very differently.

Nebraska failed to score in three quarters, while the Buckeyes offense was on a roll. Justin Fields completed 15 of 21 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns, adding 72 rushing yards and a score.

The sophomore quarterback has amassed 1,092 passing yards for 16 touchdowns and zero interceptions so far this season, with a quarterback rating of 95.4—the third-best in the country.

While Fields has hit the ground running since transferring from Georgia to Ohio State in the offseason, coach Ryan Day suggested the signal-caller had the potential to get even better.

“I try not to have too many expectations because all that matters is getting better every day and seeing where it goes,” he said in his press conference this week, as reported by USA Today.

“He’s played well.

“He’s been growing, and the more experience he gets, the better he’ll be.”

Fields’ performances so far this season have put him firmly in contention for the Heisman Trophy, but his credentials could be sorely tested this weekend.

Michigan State ranks seventh in the country in terms of total yards allowed per game and 14th in terms of points conceded per game.

The Spartans, the No. 25-ranked team in the nation, are 4-1 after beating Indiana 40-31 at home last weekend.

Day professed himself to be an admirer of Michigan State’s secondary and warned his team would face arguably his hardest test of the season so far.

“They’re really good at knowing what the defense is. They’re not super complicated, but they have answers to everything that you do,” he explained.

“These are guys who have played in this system for a while and there are coaches who have coached in this system for a while, so it’s a tremendous challenge.”

For his counterpart, Mark Dantonio, the challenges come from within, after running back Connor Heyward and linebacker Brandon Bouyer-Randle both left the team and moved to different schools.

Dantonio, however, tried to remain philosophical about it all.

“Nothing is easy about college football,” he was quoted as saying by the Detroit Free Press. “There’s nothing easy about it. It’s challenging. It’s competitive. There’s a big-time management thing that you’ve got to deal with.”

Here’s all you need to know ahead of Saturday.

When and where is the game?

The Ohio State Buckeyes host Michigan State at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, October 5.

Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

TV coverage

The game will be broadcast nationally by ABC

Live stream

A live stream will be available via the ABC’s digital platforms, as well as via fuboTV.

Series record

Ohio State leads the all-time series against Michigan State 32-15 and has won the last three meetings against the Spartans.

Last year, Ohio State won 26-3 in Michigan, and a year earlier it thrashed the Spartans 48-3.

Odds

According to Oddschecker, the Buckeyes are 20-point favorites and are 19/20 to win and cover the spread, while Michigan State is a 31/4 underdog. The over/under bar in terms of total points scored is set at 48.5.