Joe Rexrode

Detroit Free Press

EAST LANSING -- It looks like Michigan State senior linebacker Mylan Hicks will be back just in time for Ohio State.

Hicks, a career reserve who was having a breakout season before suffering a broken arm in an Oct. 4 win over Nebraska, practiced Tuesday, linebackers coach Mike Tressel said before today's practice.

"He went through practice yesterday; we anticipate him being able to play," Tressel said. "Obviously, he's been out for a couple of weeks, so a little bit of rust to shake off. But hope to have him."

Hicks' speed as a coverage linebacker on third down could be an asset for the No. 7 Spartans (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) against the No. 13 Buckeyes (7-1, 4-0) and their high-tempo, talent-stocked offense. He has 12 tackles and two pass break-ups this season.

"He does a great job in space, and you've seen the type of speed he plays with," Tressel said of Hicks. "So any type of jump start you have, in terms of speed and energy, you want to use that. That's what it means."

Miller responds: MSU senior linebacker Taiwan Jones said Tuesday that Ohio State redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett is a "way better quarterback" than injured OSU senior Braxton Miller, and Miller took to Twitter on Wednesday to respond. Miller tweeted: "Never heard of the kid #34 ... 4 yrs unnoticed." Also included in the tweet were emojis of a small green frog and a cup of coffee, for what it's worth. Former MSU cornerback Darqueze Dennard then responded to Miller on Twitter, tweeting "Barking up the wrong tree big dog!!! #SpartanDawgs"

Specialist attention: Tressel also coaches special teams for MSU and said that struggling kicker Michael Geiger and punter Mike Sadler both need to regain some confidence. He said he feels good about both at this point.

"The one thing I'll say about Sadler is it's much like Geiger," Tressel said. "For a while there, as mentally tough as he is and as smart as he is, he lost a little bit of his confidence. And all of a sudden, your tempo changes from snap to snap, your consistency changes, you're starting to think too much about doing things perfectly as opposed to it being natural, it being unconscious, second nature, and that's where you start to get things going in the wrong direction."

GameDay details: Fans who want to attend the ESPN live airing of "College GameDay" on the MSU campus should park for $20 at the Trowbridge Road ramp, just south of the Communication Arts and Sciences Building. The ramp opens at 7 a.m., as does the "GameDay" set on Dem Hall Field. The show airs from 9 a.m. to noon. MSU fans are permitted to start parking and tailgating at 1 p.m. for the night game.

Perles wins: Democratic incumbent and former MSU football coach George Perles won re-election to the university's Board of Trustees, preserving its Democratic majority. "I think we did a pretty good job the last eight years and should continue to do it," Perles said this morning.

Contact Joe Rexrode: jrexrode@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @joerexrode. Check out his MSU blog at freep.com/heyjoe. The Lansing State Journal contributed.

Beat writer Joe Rexrode will answer your questions about MSU in a live chat at 10 a.m. Thursday at freep.com/sports. Submit early questions here.. Then join us for a live chat during the MSU-Ohio State game Saturday night.