Michigan State Football Must Find a Way to Get Off to a Good Start to 2024 Season

Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith inch closer to the start of the season.

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith talks the media on the first national signing day for college football recruits Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith are entering the first season of what many expect to be a years-long rebuilding process. Coach Smith and his coaching staff inherited a roster filled with voids on both sides of the ball. That was the case even before the Spartans lost over 15 players to the transfer portal.

This offseason, the focus is rightfully on the recruiting trail and transfer portal. However, soon, the Spartans will begin shifting their focus. The first game of the college football season will kick off soon, and the Spartans must be prepared. They will have many obstacles ahead of them — more than most college football teams — but they have the chance to overcome them as well.

As Smith and the Spartans focus on the upcoming season, they will undoubtedly look forward to some games more than others. Michigan State has a four-game stretch that consists of playing Ohio State at home, Oregon on the road, Iowa at home and Michigan on the road. That would be a tough stretch of games for any team in the country and a tough one for the Spartans. 

The Spartans are digging out of a hole that most teams do not have to worry about before the season even begins. They will likely struggle with that difficult stretch of games, which makes their first four games of the season so important. The Spartans open the season with Florida Atlantic at home, then travel to Maryland the week after.

Following its game against Maryland, Michigan State will play Prarie View A&M at home, followed by a road game against Boston College the next week.

The Spartans' worst-case scenario is that they should finish their first four games with a record of 2-2. The best-case scenario would be to beat Maryland or Boston College and finish their first four games with three wins and a loss. Either way, Michigan State must find a way to get off to an excellent start to its season, as its second stretch of four games may be one of the most difficult four-game stretches in the country.

If the Spartans hope to have a productive season, they must find a way to get off to a good start.

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