Did any team have a more disappointing 2016 season than the Michigan State Spartans? Notre Dame and Oregon are the only teams which came appreciably close, but it’s hard to offer another better answer. Michigan State didn’t merely fall to 3-9 after making the College Football Playoff and winning the Big Ten championship the season before; the program got into a lot of trouble off the field and is swimming in controversy as the new season begins. Head coach Mark Dantonio has done an incredible job of lifting Michigan State from mediocrity to greatness, but the task of rebuilding a program which has been shaken to its foundations will be even more difficult than what he has already managed to achieve in his highly successful career.
How Did They End 2016
Michigan State beat Notre Dame early in the 2016 season… and basically did nothing after that. The Spartans lost nine of their last 10 games. They beat Rutgers and no one else over that span. They lost to lowly Illinois. They lost to Indiana. They lost to Maryland. They put up a good fight against Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, which only made it that much more perplexing that they couldn’t beat the lesser teams in the Big Ten. The offense collapsed and the defense simply wasn’t able to stand tall for 60 minutes – often for 30 or 40, but not for the full 60. It received no help from the offense in most cases. The season cratered and turned into a total disaster for a program which had been enormously successful over the previous five years.
Offseason Changes
Malik McDowell, a defensive terror who made Michigan State very hard to deal with, has moved on to the NFL – and that’s just the start of the misery facing this program. Several players were suspended but names were not given because of an ongoing investigation related to sexual assault. This story has not quieted down over the offseason, and it has placed a very dark cloud over Dantonio’s program. People in and around Michigan State have had a hard time explaining the depth of this problem or speaking in ways which reflect full accountability on the part of the Michigan State athletic program. This is no context in which a team is likely to rebound from a bad season. A toxic atmosphere pollutes East Lansing, where hope is not found in abundance at the moment.
Team X-Factor
Damion Terry or whoever becomes quarterback has to find a way to channel Connor Cook from 2015 and previous years. As soon as Cook left, the team’s offense lost stability and direction. Cook was not the most talented player in the room, but he was an excellent leader who knew where to get the ball. That level of confidence and knowledge was conspicuously missing last year. Michigan State needs maturity and poise at quarterback in the worst way. Someone needs to step up.
What To Expect From The Spartans This Year
The on-field ineptitude and the off-field controversies appear likely to swallow up this program and create a hugely difficult 2017 season. Do not expect this program to bounce back, despite its track record of success.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 3-9
2015: 12-2
2014: 11-2
2013: 13-1
2012: 7-6
Schedule and Outlook
The Spartans get to ease into their season the first two weeks but then things ramp up. Nobody is expecting them to slip up against Bowling Green and Western Michigan at home, but given how this team performed last year, there are no guarantees. From there, they’ll host Notre Dame in their third contest. After that, it’s Iowa and then a visit to Michigan. The Michigan road trip starts a spell where they’ll play five of their final eight games on the road.
There are too many tough games in the Big Ten, and too many questions about this roster, to place any faith in Michigan State. It will be tough merely to make a bowl game. This program has a lot of dirt to shovel away in 2017. The best it can hope for is a rebound season in 2018.
Regular Season Win Total Prediction: Under 6.5
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