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| From MSU Facebook |
@ConnorJayWilton
As
summer comes to a close, that can only mean one thing, college
football is back. With the season only 12 days away, I’ve decided
this is a great time to preview the upcoming Michigan State football season and
provide predictions and players to watch for each game.
Mark
Dantonio and the Michigan State Spartans are coming off back-to-back 11 win
seasons. Despite this success, the Spartans have yet to win the Big Ten
conference outright. This will only add to an already very motivated
Spartan team as they look to finally get over the hump and win the Big Ten
title.
Game-by-Game
Analysis
August 31st - Boise State at Michigan State
Player to Watch: QB Andrew Maxwell
I
think all Spartan fans will be very curious to see how Andrew Maxwell comes out
in his first game as starter. Replacing Kirk Cousins is no easy task, and
expecting him to perform up to Cousins standards may be unfair at this point in
the year. However, the success of the Spartans will rely heavily on the play of
Maxwell and all eyes will be on him August 31st.
Preview: The Spartans aren’t doing themselves any favors with their
opening matchup. MSU takes on the pesky Boise State Broncos. Boise
has had great success over the past six years under head coach Chris Petersen
including two BCS bowl game victories. With that being said, this is a much
different Boise State team. With the loss of standout QB Kellen
Moore and 14 other starters, Boise State could struggle mightily against the
vaunted MSU defense. But remember, this is Boise State and they
relish the underdog role. The game will be competitive throughout
most of the game, but I believe the Spartans will pull away late and kickoff
their season with a victory.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 24-14
September 8th – Michigan State at Central Michigan
Player to Watch: DT Tyler Hoover
After
battling injury last season, Hoover decided to add 20 pounds in the offseason
to make the switch to defensive tackle from defensive end. Hoover
impressed in 2010 at defensive end but it will be very interesting to see how
he handles the defensive tackle position. At 6’7, Hoover is a huge presence in
the middle and someone who could greatly help the Spartan D down the road.
Preview: Michigan State fans still have bad memories of what occurred in
2009 when the Chippewas of Central Michigan shocked the Spartans in East
Lansing. State fans should have nothing to worry about this
year. CMU is coming off a dismal 3-9 season which included a blowout
loss to MSU 45-7. If Spartans play up to their abilities, it will be
more of the same this season.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 42-10
September 15th – Notre Dame at Michigan State
Player to Watch: WR DeAnthony Arnett
If
you follow Spartan football, you likely already know of DeAnthony Arnett.
Arnett transferred from Tennessee this season so he could be closer to his
ailing father. He was granted a hardship transfer by the NCAA, allowing him to
play without siting a year. This is huge for the Spartans, since they already
have major inexperience at the WR position. Arnett is only a sophomore, but
with a year of SEC football under his belt, there is no reason to think he
won’t contribute in big ways for the MSU passing attack this season.
Preview: Another difficult non-conference test will come from rivals
Notre Dame in their annual showdown. After being embarrassed in South Bend last
season, expect MSU to come out seeking revenge and try to overwhelm the Irish
from the get-go. Notre Dame always has the talent, but for some
reason, they never seem to live up to the hype. Notre Dame will keep
it close with their talented defense led by Manti Te’o, but I expect the
Spartans to prevail.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 31-20
September 22nd – Eastern Michigan at Michigan
State
Player to Watch: RB Nick Hill
Nick
Hill is slated to once again be the KR for the Spartans this season. With the
departure of Edwin Baker, Hill is now third on the depth chart at RB behind
Le’Veon Bell and Larry Caper. With a blowout against Eastern likely,
this could allow Hill to get a substantial amount of carries late in the
game. If Dantonio likes what he sees, this could allow Hill to get
some more touches as a change of pace back or third down back.
Preview: Like I said, I don’t expect Eastern Michigan to be
competitive in this game. As long as Michigan State comes out ready to play,
they will have absolutely no problems beating the Eagles. If anything, this
game will provide an opportunity for some young players to gain some
experience.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 38-3
September 29th – Ohio State at Michigan State
Player to Watch: LB Denicos Allen
Allen
really came on to the scene last season after his phenomenal game against Ohio State,
which was capped by a highlight-reel sack where he leaped over an OSU blocker.
Allen finished the 2011 season with All-Big Ten Second Team honors and is
expected to wreak havoc from the outside once again this season. Being
an Ohio native, it seems Allen really loves playing the Buckeyes. Look
for another standout performance out by Allen against OSU this season.
Preview: Under new Head Coach Urban Meyer, Ohio State will be a difficult
team to beat this season, despite their inexperienced players. Due
to NCAA violations, the Buckeyes are not qualified to compete for the Big Ten
title. This makes them even scarier in my opinion, since they have nothing to
lose. However, the fact that this is a home game for MSU gives just
enough the advantage they need to defeat the Buckeyes.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 24-17
October 6th- Michigan State at Indiana
Player to Watch: DE Lawrence Thomas
Thomas
is another player who is making a position change this season. Playing
primarily LB in high school, Thomas made the switch to DE for this season.
Thomas was a very highly rated prospect in high school so his talent is
evident. Even though he won’t be starting, I believe Thomas can make an impact
on the Spartan defensive line later in the season.
Preview: Coming off a terrible 1-11 season, Indiana returns 19
starters. Stephen Houston is a talented RB that could cause some
problems for the Spartans, but not nearly enough to upset MSU. Indiana
is a team that is slowly turning things around, but don’t expect them to give
MSU any problems.
Prediction: Michigan State win 31-14
October 13th – Iowa at Michigan State
Player to Watch: RB Le'Veon Bell
Le'Veon
Bell is probably the best weapon the Spartans have on offense and will heavily
rely on Bell this season. If the MSU offense is successful this
year, Bell may be the number one reason. Bell had a fantastic game
against the Hawkeyes last season totaling 112 yards and a TD. With
Iowa losing their entire defensive line last year, I anticipate Bell
will once again surpass the century mark in yards.
Preview: Spartans will be relieved to see Iowa coming to East Lansing
this year, as oppose to making the trip to Kinnick Stadium where the Spartans
have had little success. With Iowa returning nobody on their defensive line, I
expect MSU to run the ball early and often, which should eventually open up the
play action pass game. I expect a similar game to last season. Not
domination, but a clear Michigan State victory.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 28-14
October 20th – Michigan State at Michigan
Player to Watch: DE William Gholston
After
a very solid season as a true sophomore last season, Gholston is touted to have
an All-American worthy season this year. But the reason he is my player to
watch is for what he did against this very team last season. Gholston
created headlines after last season’s game for his dominating play and illegal
punch to Michigan QB Denard Robinson’s head. This resulted in a
one-game suspension for Gholston. It’ll be interesting how aggressive Gholston
plays this time around, and if Michigan will seek any retaliation.
Preview: For me, this game is ultimately going to decide who wins the
Legends Division. I also think this game is nearly impossible to predict at
this point. This game is going be a bitter bloodbath and will probably be the best
game in the Big Ten all year. The reason for Michigan State’s past
success against U of M is they have found the formula to stop or limit QB
Denard Robinson, especially in the running game. They have to slow down Denard big time again if they want to come out on top. But when it’s all said
and done, I believe Michigan will finally get over the hump and take back the
Paul Bunyan trophy. My reasoning? They are the home team and the law of
averages. I believe Michigan and Denard Robinson are due, plain and
simple. This is Denard’s final chance to finally beat State and I’ll think
he’ll come out and take it.
Prediction: Michigan wins 27-24
October 27th – Michigan State at Wisconsin
Player to Watch: LB Max Bullough
Heading
into his second year as the starting MLB, Bullough will be called upon to
orchestrate the Spartan defense this season. If the Spartans want to
beat Wisconsin, they will have to shut down Ball and the Badger run game. Bullough
is arguably the best MLB in the Big Ten and he will be a major factor in this
defense becoming good or great.
Preview: We all remember what happened last season when these two teams
met. First, there was the remarkable Michigan State victory in East Lansing
capped off by “Rocket”; which was followed up by a back and forth affair that
ultimately resulted in a Wisconsin victory. State’s emotions will be
running high heading into this game. Michigan State will have to be on their
A-game to defeat the Badgers at Camp-Randall, especially at night. Even
though Wisconsin loses QB Russell Wilson and 11 other starters, they return
Heisman finalist Montee Ball, someone who has done extremely well against
State. I fear it will be more of the same for Ball and Wisconsin who will hand
the Spartans their second consecutive loss.
Prediction: Wisconsin wins 31-17
November 3rd – Nebraska at Michigan State
Player to watch: TE Dion Sims
After
a having a nice season last year and a fantastic spring, a lot is expected out
of Dion Sims. He is not your typical tight end though, as he weighs
285 pounds. This allows him to be effective as both a pass-catcher
and blocker. A tight end is often referred to as a QBs security
blanket. Maxwell may need that security blanket more than ever when
they play in hostile environments like Camp-Randall Stadium and Michigan Stadium. Sims could be very important against Nebraska in setting up the play-action, which can keep the Cornhuskers defense off balance.
Preview: After getting thoroughly outplayed by Nebraska last season, the
Spartans will seek payback on their home turf this season. Nebraska
returns 16 starters this season and could be a sleeper candidate to win the
Legends Division. Like Wisconsin, State will have to shut down
Nebraska’s running game and force QB Taylor Martinez to throw the ball, where
he is extremely inconsistent. State also needs to get off to a much better start than they did in Lincoln last season. If State can grab an early lead and
force Nebraska to eventually abandon the running game, State will be
victorious.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 27-17
November 17th – Northwestern at Michigan State
Player to Watch: CB Johnny Adams
To
be honest, I think Johnny Adams will be someone to watch in every single game
this year. A preseason All-American, Adams very well may be the best
CB in the entire country. Adams will be another very important part
of the Spartan defense. Having a shut down corner like Adams will
give State’s front 7 plenty of time to disrupt the QB. With this
being his final game at Spartan Stadium, I would expect Adams to go out in a
big way.
Preview: The final two games for MSU are relatively easy following the
brutal three game stretch of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. They
face Northwestern in what will be their home game of the season. Northwestern
has played MSU tough in the past, but this game is not in Evanston. I
see absolutely no way that Michigan State loses at home to Northwestern,
especially on senior day.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 31-7
November 24th – Michigan State at Minnesota
Player to watch: S Demetrious Cox
Demetrious
Cox is the most high profile recruit of the Dantonio’s 2011-2012 recruiting
class. Cox is not the most gifted safety, but he closes quickly and has great
awareness and vision. Assuming he isn’t redshirted, I could see Cox
getting some playing time late in the year to provide rest for starters Isaiah
Lewis and Jairus Jones. Cox is the future of the MSU secondary and we may get a
little glimpse of him this season.
Preview: Michigan State finishes off their regular season against the
Golden Gophers of Minnesota. Minnesota is arguably the worse team in
the Big Ten after finishing last season 3-9. They are a team
that has a never quit attitude, much like their head coach, Jerry Kill. Unfortunately
for Minnesota, effort does not win football games. I expect the Spartans to
finish the regular season on a high note, with a thumping of Minnesota.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 34-10
Final Record: 10-2
Michigan
State has one of the most difficult schedules in the Big Ten this season so to
expect a Rose Bowl appearance may be too much for the Spartans to handle. With
that being said, the Spartans are a good enough to once again reach double
digit wins and earn a birth in a good bowl game. Even with the question marks
that MSU faces at QB and offense in general, there is one thing not to question with the Spartans, and that is their dedication and motivation;
two things that can take a team a long, long way.
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