Is Spartans' Record Reflective of Who They Are?
They say, "You are what your record says."
But that might not be the case for Michigan State football, a team that has had one of the toughest schedules in all of college efootball.
There's an argument both sides of the question regarding whether or not Michigan State's 4-5 record is truly telling of its season.
On one hand, when you look at the Spartans' five losses, two were games they should have won, had it not been for self-inflicted wounds. And when a team is hurting itself, that's as much of an indication as any of a team's quality of play.
Then there's the other three losses, all of which were blowouts, including two at home. When a team has lost three games by at least three possessions, it's fair to assume it just simply isn't a "good" team.
On the other hand, though, there's the quality of opponent factor. Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana are the three best teams in the Big Ten and all rank top 10 in the nation, with just one loss between the three of them.
This Michigan State team, under first-year Spartans coach Jonathan Smith, was not built to beat top-10 teams.
And yes, sometimes it's a matter of how you lose. But even against Ohio State and Oregon, there were moments the Spartans held their own. The Indiana loss was really the only performance of the three that should be deemed inexcusable. To blow a 10-0 lead and proceed to allow 47 unanswered points is, quite simply, pathetic.
As for the Boston College and Michigan losses, aside from the Indiana game, which is in a category of its own -- these were probably the most telling losses when you look at where the Spartans could be, and why they aren't.
The Boston College game is a difficult one to compare to the rest, as the circumstances were different. The Eagles, at the time, had recently been in the AP top 25, and Michigan State was coming off three straight wins, still not quite sure of what its identity was.
But as previously said, the Spartans were the reason they lost that one.
What it all boils down to is this Michigan State team consistently getting in its own way. So is its record telling of where it stands? Probably. Because it hasn't done enough to show it is a bowl-worthy team yet.
And again, that can be attributed to its strength of schedule, but ultimately, this team's record is its own fault.
The Spartans' destiny is in their own hands the rest of the way. If they do deserve a bowl game, they will show it.
