In 100 days, Ohio State will hit the road for the first time.

After five home games to begin the 2022 season — Notre Dame, Arkansas State, Toledo, Wisconsin and Rutgers — the Buckeyes are off to East Lansing to take on Michigan State.

Here's three things you need to know about the Spartans heading into the 2022 season.

Mel Tucker seemed to set the tone this offseason.

Even before Michigan State had completed its 11-2 2021 campaign, finishing as the No. 9 team in the country and with a win against Pitt in the Peach Bowl, the Spartans' head coach signed a 10-year, $95 million contract through the 2031 season.

It was a dramatic turnaround for Tucker, coming off a 2020 season in which Michigan State won only two of its seven games. And it was a sort of a return to form for a Spartans team that won at least 10 games in six of the eight seasons from 2010-17 under head coach Mark Dantonio, including a College Football Playoff berth in 2015.

But it's still a matchup that Ohio State has had an advantage in as of late.

Since 2016, coming of a run of the Spartans winning three out of five matchups against the Buckeyes — twice in Columbus and once in the Big Ten Championship — Ohio State has not lost to Michigan State, winning six straight while never allowing more than 16 points.

Last season, with the Spartans coming into Columbus as the No. 7 team in the country, Ohio State responded with a 56-7 statement victory in which the Spartans mustered 224 yards and one passing touchdown compared to the Buckeyes' eight touchdowns and 655 yards of offense.

Michigan State had a solid offensive performance in 2021.

The Spartans finished as one of three teams in the Big Ten to average more than 30 points per game, while finishing as one of six teams in the conference to average more than 400 yards per game, joining Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan, Maryland and Purdue.

Much of that success was helped by having one of the best running backs in the Big Ten on its roster.

After two seasons at Wake Forest, Kenneth Walker III broke free for 1,725 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 6.3 yards each time he touched the ball. Walker seemed to be the Spartans' entire game plan on offense, touching the ball 276 times from scrimmage, with quarterback Payton Thorne finishing second with 83.

Despite Thorne and one of his top receiving threats in Jayden Reed returning in 2022, the Spartans still have a massive hole to fill at running back, one they are looking to fill in from the transfer portal once again.

Redshirt sophomore Jalen Berger looks to be in line for the bulk of the carries, transferring to Michigan State from Wisconsin after recording 419 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons with Wisconsin.

Redshirt junior Jarek Broussard will also get his chance at carries, transferring after two seasons at Colorado in which he averaged 5.3 yards per touch and recorded seven touchdowns.

For a defense that finished in the bottom half of the league in scoring with 25.3 points per game and last in total defense, allowing 441.9 yards per game, much of that had to do with Michigan State's inability to stop opposing passing games.

Not only did the Spartans finish at the bottom of the league in pass defense, but they were the the worst in the country by 13 yards, allowing 324.8 passing yards per game, 7.29 passing yards per attempt and 11.11 passing yards per completion.

It's something Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was able to exploit this past season, completing 32 of his 35 pass attempts for 432 yards and six touchdowns.

Heading into 2022, how much of that defense is returning? It looks like it will be the majority of the starters.

Redshirt senior cornerback and former Alabama transfer Ronald Williams Jr. will be back after finishing the 2021 season with 38 tackles, an interception and a team-leading eight pass deflections. Redshirt senior safety Xavier Henderson is also set to return, tying for the team lead a season ago with linebacker Cal Haladay, who will also be back, with 96 tackles.

One of the only newcomers will be sixth-year cornerback Ameer Speed, who transferred to the Spartans after playing in 48 games in four years at Georgia, winning a national title in 2021.