EAST LANSING, Mich. — A season’s fading days and rising stakes could be detected in Tom Izzo’s grimace and disgusted tone.

“We just didn’t play like I want us to play,” the Michigan State coach said.

His Spartans had just won by 20 points, yet Izzo sounded like his dog had run off into the night.

“It was more discouraging than encouraging,” he said. “I haven’t felt this way in a while. I guess I’m getting ready for a big game.”

Izzo apologized for being grouchy after a 77-57 victory over Penn State last night, but the dean of Big Ten coaches already was thinking about what lies ahead on Saturday when his 11th-ranked Spartans come to Columbus for a showdown with No. 3 Ohio State.

First place in the Big Ten will be on the line, and Izzo knows that his team’s occasional sloppy play — easily erasable at home against the Nittany Lions, losers of five straight and eight of nine — could be fatal on the road against the Buckeyes.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do in two days,” Izzo said. “But this is a fun time. We’ve put ourselves in a position to win a big game.”

Four victories in five games has the Spartans (19-5) alone in second place at 8-3, one game behind Ohio State. The teams will meet twice in the final seven games of the regular season, with the Buckeyes playing on March 4 at the Breslin Center, where Michigan State is 15-0.

“It’s going to be a great game,” said Penn State coach Patrick Chambers, whose team lost 78-54 at Ohio State on Jan. 25. “They are two different styles. It’s going to come down to the wire. I’m not going to pick a winner. I don’t get paid to do that.”

The Spartans won last night despite allowing Penn State to shoot 54 percent in the second half and close to 57-51 with 7:19 to play after the Nittany Lions trailed by 22 nine minutes earlier.

After that stretch, which caused Izzo to later grumble, Michigan State pulled away behind the versatile play of burly forward Draymond Green. The senior finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

“We’re definitely looking forward to going down there (to Ohio State) to try to steal a game,” Green said. “Last year was a battle. We went down to the wire there. No one expects to just walk in there and walk through them. We've got to bust through there.”

One of the Spartans players busting through of late has been freshman forward Branden Dawson. He showed his improvement again last night by chipping in with 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots.

And Michigan State received better play from point guard Keith Appling. He missed 17 of his 19 shots the previous two games but settled down against Penn State with 10 points, seven assists, and just one turnover.

“Appling did everything pretty good,” Izzo said. “He’s getting more comfortable. I was happy with the way Keith played.”

Izzo was also pleased by his team’s defensive effort in the first half, when the Spartans limited the Nittany Lions (10-15, 2-10) to just 21 percent shooting while building a 33-19 lead at the half.

Defense is nothing new for Michigan State. Only two teams have made half of their shots in a game against the Spartans this season. Penn State was the 17th opponent to make less than 40 percent.

And, as usual, Michigan State pounds the glass. The Spartans’ plus-10.5 rebounding average entering last night led the Big Ten and ranked third in the nation, and they out-rebounded the Nittany Lions 44-25.

“We’re playing a lot better defense than last year,” Green said. “That’s our staple. Defense and rebounding are what this program was built on.”

Michigan State opened the season with losses in the first week to then-No. 1 North Carolina and then-No. 5 Duke, and the Spartans won at Gonzaga in December. They don’t figure to be intimidated by the atmosphere on Saturday.

“I think we’ll respond,” Izzo said. “We’ve played big games this year, and we’ll lean on that. I’m sure that place will be humping and rocking, but that’s why you come to this place: To play in games like that.”

tjones@dispatch.com