Why Michigan State's Strength of Schedule is a Nonissue
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The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans extended their winning streak to 13 games after their 22-point victory over Minnesota on Tuesday.
Despite the recent success, there have been critics who believe the 9-0 start to Big Ten play should be discounted because they have not faced the highest competition.
However, the Spartans should be credited for handling business against these teams at the bottom of the conference standings.
The Spartans have a top-50 strength of schedule, ranking No. 47 in KenPom's net strength of schedule ranking, they also have a record of 4-2 in Quad 1 games.
Against Minnesota, Michigan State has beaten the Golden Gophers by an average of 20 points per game over two meetings. Minnesota has proven to be a frisky team, earning upset victories over Michigan and Oregon this past month.
Penn State gave the Spartans fits at the Breslin Center, staying with Michigan State for all 40 minutes, but ultimately didn't have enough firepower to overcome the Spartans, who are undefeated on their home court this season.
The Nittany Lions are 3-7 in Big Ten play, but they have a big win over the Purdue Boilermakers, the biggest threat to overtake Michigan State as the No. 1 team in the standings.
Michigan State’s biggest margin of victory in conference play was a 34-point win over the Washington Huskies. The Huskies have struggled in their first season in the Big Ten, but they were able to beat the Maryland Terrapins, a team that is 6-4 in the conference and has begun to surge over the past few weeks.
The Spartans’ first win of 2025 was a road victory against the Ohio State Buckeyes, which is a tough environment in Columbus. Ohio State is possibly the sleeping giant in the conference. Yes, they are 4-5 in Big Ten games, but their last three losses have all been decided by two points or less.
The Buckeyes have tournament-level talent and have beaten Purdue, Iowa and an impressive out-of-conference win over No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats, who are in contention for the highly competitive SEC title.
After two undefeated months of basketball, Michigan State will face a tougher level of competition in February. But its stretch of elite play should still be praised because every other contender in the Big Ten has slipped up at least once against a lesser team.
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