We get you ready for Saturday's game agains Michigan State in this week's 3-2-1 column.

• Three things we learned this week.

• Two questions.

• One prediction.

Ohio State’s ready to face Kenneth Walker III

Ohio State’s rush defense faces a big challenge Saturday afternoon.

Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III has been one of the more consistent and explosive running backs in the Big Ten. In his first year with the Spartans after transferring from Wake Forest, he’s averaging 147.3 yards per game — 40.9 more yards per game than any other back in the Big Ten — leading the conference with 17 rushing touchdowns.

“They have a very good offense and he’s a big part of it, makes a lot of guys miss in the hole,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said. “You are going to need to do a good job up front in defeating blocks and it’s going to take more than one guy to bring him down.”

Ohio State has not faced a top-nine running back in the Big Ten, yet this season, limiting Indiana’s Stephen Carr, who sits at No. 10, to 13 yards on 10 carries. But the Buckeyes have the chance to face Walker, along with the duo of Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum, if healthy, for Michigan in the final game of the regular season.

Walker has rushed for at least 135 yards in each of his past three games against Michigan, Purdue and Maryland, averaging 6.3 yards per carry with eight touchdowns.

The Michigan State back has two 200-yard games this season against Northwestern and Rutgers.

Ohio State has allowed one opposing running back to record more than 100 yards in a game this season: Oregon’s C.J. Verdell, who recorded 161 yards on 20 carries, scoring twice in the round game and once on a 14-yard pass from quarterback Anthony Brown.

But the Buckeyes are confident. The rush defense has allowed nine rushing touchdowns all season with opposing backs averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Since the bye week, Ohio State has allowed only two rushing touchdowns along with an average of 2.3 yards per carry.

Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison knows Walker poses a challenge that the Buckeyes have never seen before. But the approach in stopping him remains the same as before.

“He’s a legit running back,” Harrison said. “He’s explosive, he’s a big guy, he can run through tackles. That’s something we have to key in this week on and make sure our run fits and our fundamentals are right.”

Offense keeps focus with Michigan State’s struggling pass defense

Ohio State knows the stats.

The Buckeyes know that Michigan State is ranked last in passing yards allowed, giving up 329 yards per game — 67.5 more passing yards per game than any other team in the Big Ten. They know it’s a defense that has allowed more than 350 passing yards in each of its last three games, giving up eight touchdowns compared to two interceptions.

But that doesn’t mean the offensive plan has changed for Ohio State.

“They do a great job, man, they are not just scrubs when it comes to pass coverage and things of that sort,” redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “I’m not sure what the stats are with that, but at the end of the day, you have to focus like you are playing the best players because you will go in there and get punched in the mouth.”

But Ohio State knows it’s coming in with the massive advantage offensively.

The Buckeyes come in with the No. 1 total offense in college football, recording 550.4 yards per game, 8.04 yards per play — the only team in the country that is recording more than eight yards per play — and 53 touchdowns.

In the passing game, Ohio State is No. 6 in the country with 353.6 yards per game, just ahead of Purdue, which torched Michigan State for 538 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Day feels like Michigan State is completely different than it was at the beginning of the season, revamping their roster with transfers, putting them in a position to be in the hunt for a Big Ten title and a chance at a College Football Playoff spot.

But 10 games into the season, the Ohio State head coach knows what to expect now.

“Once the schedule came out, you knew you had the season to try and get a feel of who you are, who they are, and that’s a different challenge than just coming in for the first few games of the year and you have the whole offseason to change who you are — your personnel, your scheme, your coaching,” Day said. “Now there is a body of work there.”

‘This is why you come to Ohio State.’

Ohio State’s final home game of the year really couldn’t be any bigger.

Ohio State and Michigan State are in a grudge match for a spot in the Big Ten championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

“This is what it’s all about,” Day said. “It’s November, having GameDay in town, a top-10 matchup, this is why you come to Ohio State.”

But for Chris Olave, it’s a lot bigger than that.

The senior wide receiver will be playing in his final game at Ohio Stadium. And in it, he has a chance to make history.

Olave is two touchdown receptions away from breaking David Boston’s record for most receiving touchdowns in Ohio State history, which he set between 1996-98. Olave is already one of three Ohio State receivers — Boston and Devin Smith — to have more than 30 receiving touchdowns in his collegiate career.

“When I first got here, I didn’t think my career would go like this,” Olave said. “I just kept my head down, kept working and working. I’m here now. It’s my last game in the Shoe and I’m definitely not going to take it for granted. It’s a huge blessing, but I can’t wait to play in it.”

Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson is also one touchdown away from tying and two from breaking Maurice Clarett’s 2002 record for most touchdowns recorded by an Ohio State freshman.

What about the Michigan State pass game?

With one of the top running backs in the country at his disposal, Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne has done his job for the most part.

He's thrown for 250 yards or more in six of his 10 games this season, throwing multiple touchdowns in five games, four of which were wins.

Thorne is coming off a 287-yard performance against Maryland where he threw four touchdowns and had a season-high 73.3% completion rate.

Jayden Reed has been a solid weapon for Michigan State on the outside too. In the absence of Jalen Nailor, who has not played since Oc. 30 due to injury, Reed had had at least four receptions in each of his last four games, averaging 84.3 receiving yards per game with two touchdown catches against Maryland last week.

The one thing about Michigan State's pass offense that could favor Ohio State is Thorne's turnover capability. The Michigan State quarterback has thrown seven interceptions in his last five games. Much of that seemingly has to do with the amount of pressure Thorne is put on in the backfield, taking eight sacks in his past four games.

Can Ohio State run the ball against Michigan State?

While the Spartans pass defense has been awful, their rush defense has actually been solid.

Michigan State is No. 5 in the Big Ten in rush defense, allowing 115.2 yards per game, 3.3 yards per rush and seven rushing touchdowns all season.

The Spartans are led by safety Xavier Henderson, who leads the team with 10 tackles for loss, while defensive end Jacob Panasiuk has added 8.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries. Defensive end Jeff Pietrowski leads the team with three forced fumbles.

Michigan State has not allowed one single 100-yard rusher this season, with the highest individual total coming from Northwestern back Evan Hull, who recorded 87 yards on nine carries in the season opener.

This season, Henderson has averaged 7.34 yards per carry, second highest in the country behind Texas A&M's Devon Achane.

Both Chris Olave and TreVeyon Henderson will set school records against Michigan State

It's inevitable, right? It's going to happen this season.

Olave is two receiving touchdowns away from breaking Boston's school record for most receiving touchdowns in school history, while Henderson is two touchdowns away from breaking Clarett's record for most touchdowns by a freshman in school history.

Based on the combination of it being senior day and Michigan State having the worst pass defense in the country, both records have a chance of being broken Saturday afternoon.