Spartans Battle-Tested For Next Two Games
The Michigan State Spartans have gone through the toughest part of its schedule with a pair of losses to top ten teams: No. 3 Ohio State (38-7), and No. 6 Oregon (31-10). The talent they faced the past two weeks is the best they will see this year which will prepare them for the rest of the slate.
A necessary bye week is on the horizon for the Spartans as they will get healthy and make several adjustments to both sides of the ball after a few rough weeks. Call it halftime on the season with five games played and six to go.
A major advantage for the Green and White is the fact that five of the final six games will be played in the state of Michigan. Four home games parlayed with a trip to Ann Arbor for the rivalry game with the lone contest outside the mitten coming in Week 11 at Illinois.
Eyeing down the next two opponents for the Spartans, they will match up against comparable Big Ten talent but nowhere near what they had to endure the past two weeks.
The Iowa Hawkeyes come to town in Week 8 with a stout defense but a limited offensive attack. Averaging just 147.5 passing yards per game, the Hawkeyes heavily rely on the run game to burn clock with long, grueling drives.
If the Spartans' defense can shut down the running game, they will have a much easier time competing against a team with severely less talent than the likes of the Buckeyes and Ducks.
In the following week, the Spartans will drive 71 miles across the state to Michigan Stadium, facing the Wolverines. This is the first time in a few years where the Spartans have a legitimate chance at victory.
The Wolverines are very similar to the Hawkeyes in the sense that they have no pass attack and an exceptional defense. Non-existent quarterback play is the biggest issue for the Wolverines as they have juggled between multiple starters and only thrown for over 200 yards one time this year.
The pass defense for the Spartans has been some of the best in the conference, and they will completely take away the Wolverines' ability to pass the ball. It will be up to the run defense and offensive scheme to find ways to score against a few of the best defenders in the country.
The Spartans had recently played two complete teams that have national championship aspirations. The rest of their schedule will not fit that bill, and the confidence level of the locker room must rise as each remaining game is more than winnable.
It cannot be stressed enough how much easier and slower the game will move for the Spartans after playing the nation's top talent and moving on to common Big Ten opponents the rest of the way.
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