Where Can the Spartans Find Wins After Bye Week?
The Michigan State Spartans and anyone paying attention knew that the 2024 season was about establishing a new identity.
Jonathan Smith and his talented and meticulously assembled regime were to get out on the recruiting trail, implement new systems on both sides of the ball, and most importantly, keep the Spartans competitive.
Getting to a bowl game would be the cherry on top, but as long as there was improvement from the abysmal and bleak final season of the Mel Tucker era, the season would not be a lost one. So far, Year 1 has played out as expected. This is a team that is young, a little bit of a patchwork roster.
They are clicking in some areas, and in others, they are struggling. Quarterback Aidan Chiles has shown the hype was warranted -- his arm and running ability are both elite, and when he is playmaking, it is simply electric. Slipping out of danger, picking up big gains, or making an NFL-level through.
However, the youthful errors leave some frustrated. Trying to do too much, poor mechanics that factor into errant passes, drive-killing turnovers that have left countless points off the board.
The defense has been the strongest part of this team -- the linebackers are everything the Spartans expected. Jordan Turner has proven to be the transfer gem. Khris Bhogle is a force. Charles Brantley has emerged as the best defensive back.
The offensive line is banged up and the run game is nearly non-existent for the Spartans, perhaps the most disappointing part of this team.
Heading into their bye week, the Spartans have lost three straight -- a tough, mistake-filled heartbreaker to Boston College, and two beatdowns at the hands of Top 10 opponents Ohio State and Oregon.
Coming out of their bye, where do the Spartans find wins? They get Iowa at home, a tough defensive team with the usual Hawkeye struggles on offense. That game could likely be a win for the Spartans, with the Rossi defense again stepping up. If it was in Iowa City, I'd favor the Hawkeyes.
The Spartans get two weeks to prepare, too. Traveling to Ann Arbor will be tough. The Wolverines have a good defense but their offense has struggled mightily this season. Poor quarterback play has been the culprit.
The Spartans have wanted the Wolverines all season, it was obvious even since Big Ten Football Media Days. The Big House hasn't historically been too big an advantage for Michigan in this rivalry, and worse Spartans teams have beaten better Michigan ones. It should be a one-score game either way.
The hardest truth is that the Spartans could very well be outmatched against Indiana and Illinois, a laughable statement 10 years ago. Their best bets will be their season-ending homestands against Purdue and Rutgers.
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