What a Loss to Iowa Would Mean for Michigan State

Michigan State has had a chance to rest and recover from the season's first six games. How they return to the field will be very telling.

Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Michigan State is coming off its bye week, which it entered with a three-game losing streak. In Coach Jonathan Smith’s first season, the Spartans had many successes and errors, which they had to fix after their bye week. 

During their 3-0 start to the season, the Spartans usually performed well on game days but still showed room for improvement. During their three-game losing streak, they displayed even more things that must be corrected immediately. 

A coach’s first season at a school is usually challenging. The Spartans have a chance to make Smith’s first season in East Lansing successful, even after losing their last three games. After starting the season 3-0 and then going on a three-game losing streak, the Spartans will undoubtedly be tested against a formidable Iowa team currently 4-2. 

Michigan State faces Iowa in the middle of a challenging stretch of games that saw the Spartans face two of the top teams in the country in less than seven days. While the Spartans are coming off their bye week, Iowa is coming off a 26-point win over the Washington Huskies.

Michigan State and Iowa are at different spots in their football programs. Iowa is undoubtedly more established, but Michigan State has made it clear that it has long-term potential after Smith gets a few more of his recruiting and transfer classes to East Lansing. 

The Spartans have a shot to beat Iowa, but few would be surprised if they did not do so. While Michigan State wants to win the game and certainly has the potential to do so, it is not the end of the world. A win against Iowa would do much more for the Spartans than a loss would do for them. 

Smith and the Spartans have pulled off one upset this season and nearly upset Boston College on the road a few weeks later. While Iowa is arguably a much more formidable opponent, Michigan State has a chance at pulling off another upset against the Hawkeyes.

However, even if they do not beat Iowa, the Spartans' most realistic goals as a team, mainly playing in a bowl game this season, are still attainable. They will simply have less room for error in attaining those goals.

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