REPORT: According to the Numbers, Does MSU Have a Chance Against Oregon?
Michigan State moved to 3-2 on the season after losing to Ohio State by over 30 points on Saturday in East Lansing.
The Spartans have lost two in a row after winning their first three games. It is a different feeling from when the upstart Spartans upset Maryland on the road a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately for Coach Jonathan Smith and Michigan State, injuries have ravaged the team at critical positions, directly relating to the team’s consecutive losses. However, after staying home to face Ohio State, one of the best teams in the country, they get to face another highly-ranked team: the Oregon Ducks.
Bill Connelly of ESPN predicts the outcomes of all games via ESPN SP+ weekly. Unfortunately, the analytics Connelly uses for ESPN SP+ show that the Spartans are in for another long game, this time on the road at Oregon. The ESPN SP+ system predicts that Oregon will win by 30 points, similar to how Ohio State beat Michigan State.
Early in the season, Michigan State got off to as good of a start as they could have asked for. They started 3-0 and headed to Boston College, hoping to pull off an upset like the one they pulled against Maryland a week or two prior. However, Michigan State has started a stretch of games that are widely considered losses for the Spartans.
It was well-known that Michigan State would struggle overall, especially during this part of its schedule. The Big Ten may be the best college football conference, and Michigan State has ample competition as it moves forward. It will be up to Smith to ensure the team is as mentally and physically healthy as possible through the next few weeks.
The good news for Michigan State is that it has nothing to lose. Most expected it to fail, so a loss does not mean much. However, if Michigan State can go on the road and beat Oregon or win one of the team’s next few opponents, anything is possible.
The Spartans have shown they have the right coaches and the right players. They will all be tested over the next few weeks.
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Ezekiel is a former Sports Editor from the Western Herald and former Atlanta Falcons beat writer.