Michigan State College Football Preview with 2011 Schedule and Predictions
Michigan State is coming off a season that saw them go 11-2 with wins over Wisconsin and Penn State, all done with an ailing coach as Mark Dantonio experieNCed health problems along the way. When they were good, they were very good. When they were bad, which only happened twice, they were very bad. They lost to Iowa 37-6 and they lost to Alabama in the Capital One Bowl, 49-7.
This year they return 6 starters on each side of the ball iNCluding QB Kirk Cousins and they field a defensive line which may be the best Dantonio has had in his 4 years at the helm. The Spartans are also likely one of the most talented teams in the Big 10 at the offensive skill positions. But working against them this season will be the Schedule.
They will have teams like Notre Dame, Michigan and Wisconsin all looking for revenge. While one of their victims a year ago, Penn State, won’t get their chance for revenge (they don’t play) two teams they didn’t play last year will be on the daNCe card, Ohio State and Nebraska, and they are both on the road.
What coNCerns us about this team is how badly they were outclassed against the best two teams they faced last year, Iowa and Alabama. OUtside of those two Games, their Schedule was fairly weak. As we go Game by Game thru this years Schedule, it’s difficult to give Michigan State more than 7 wins. If the team lives up to it’s billing, they could start the year 4-0. But then things get tricky. Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska all in a row. Throw in Iowa not long after, and there’s the Spartans season. It rides on the 5 Games mentioned above, and that’s if they breeze through the first 4 Games, no guarantee there as Notre Dame will be gunning for them.
We shall see. If this team can beat a couple of the top teams on their Schedule, it can be a 9 win season or more.
2011 Michigan State Football Schedule
9-2-11 YOUNGSTOWN STATE (Fri.)
9-10-11 FLORIDA ATLANTIC
9-17-11 at Notre Dame
9-24-11 CENTRAL Michigan
10-1-11 at Ohio State
10-15-11 Michigan
10-22-11 WISCONSIN
10-29-11 at Nebraska
11-5-11 MINNESOTA
11-12-11 at Iowa
11-19-11 INDIANA
11-26-11 at Northwestern