Big Ten Football Preview: Michigan State

Wisconsin’s lone misstep in the 2010 regular season came at the hands of the Michigan State Spartans. On Oct. 2 in East Lansing, the Badgers came out flat and weren’t able to recover in time. They fell 34-24 to the Spartans, who were without Mark Dantonio while the head coach recovered from a mild heart attack. While the loss to TCU in the Rose Bowl stung Badgers fans more, the loss to the Spartans effectively knocked UW out of the national title discussion they were edging into at the time.

2010 Season:

Michigan State’s victory over Wisconsin seemingly set the Spartans up for a special year. Four weeks after that game, Michigan State was 8-0 and ranked fifth in the country heading into a game at Iowa. The Hawkeyes crushed MSU 37-6 and the Spartans were knocked back into a four-way race for the Big Ten title with Iowa, Ohio State and Wisconsin. In the end, the Spartans set a school record with 11 wins and split the championship with the Badgers and the Buckeyes. Their first Big Ten title in 20 years earned them a trip to the Capital One Bowl against Alabama. With Wisconsin and Ohio State both getting trips to BCS bowls, Spartan fans felt slighted. However, the 49-7 beatdown the Spartans took against the Crimson Tide did little to convince critics the team deserved a better fate.

The Spartans offense was led by quarterback Kirk Cousins, who threw for 2,825 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2010. Running back Edwin Baker was also a focal point of the offense. He rushed for 1,201 yards and 13 touchdowns. Linebackers Greg Jones and Eric Gordon combined for over 200 tackles as the No.1 and 2 tacklers on the team, and a dominant defensive line rotation set the tone for a much-improved defense over 2009.

Strengths:

• Returning Skill Position Players on Offense: Cousins, a fifth-year senior, returns for his third year starting. Meanwhile, Baker will be back for his junior season. In fact, all three of the leading rushers from 2010 will be back on the field in 2011. While Cousins loses his top passing target to the NFL in wide receiver Mark Dell, seniors B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin and Keith Nichol give the position plenty of depth. The Michigan State offense should be in very capable hands at the play-making positions.

• Defensive Line: A deep and talented defensive line rotation is led by junior defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, who looks to be developing into a playmaker. He had four sacks and eight tackles for a loss in 2010.

Weaknesses:

• Tough Schedule: The Spartans biggest challenge in 2011 might be their schedule. They play Notre Dame, Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa and Northwestern on the road. Add in a challenging rematch at home against a Wisconsin team with revenge on their minds and it makes for a very difficult schedule.

• Replacing Playmaking Linebackers: Baker and Jones, an All-American in 2009, have moved on, leaving the Spartans without their top two tacklers from 2009. It will be difficult to replace their production.

• Offensive Line: The Spartans have to replace three starters on the offensive line. Dan France, a converted defensive lineman, will likely start at left tackle, and redshirt freshman Skyler Burkland will start at right tackle. Blake Treadwell and Travis Jackson are still battling for the starting center job. All three new starters will be tested often against a tough Big Ten schedule.

Expectations:

The Michigan State Spartans certainly expect to challenge for the Big Ten crown again. And, if they do again this year, they’ll have the chance to win it outright. With a championship game slated to end the Big Ten season, there will be no split champion in 2011. The Spartans’ toughest non-conference foe is Notre Dame and that is also their only non-conference road trip. The Spartans beat the Irish in East Lansing last year on a touchdown off of a fake field goal in overtime. MSU kicks off Big Ten play at Ohio State before their off week and then play Michigan and Wisconsin at home before heading to Nebraska in their toughest stretch of the season. They also play at Iowa and at Northwestern later in the season.

Last year, every bounce seemed to go the Spartans way in a surprising 11-1 regular season. While the Spartans will certainly be a tough team in 2011, it’s hard to imagine them reaching 11 wins again. A regular season finish of 9-3 or 8-4 headed into the bowl game is probably a more reasonable expectation. That said, they will likely be one of the top competitors in the new Legends division and with some good fortune again in 2011, they could challenge for a repeat of their Big Ten title.