Michigan State football was a punchline in 2016 and deservedly so. The Spartans had all the ingredients necessary to elicit ridicule. First you must be formidable enough that you’re both relevant and a big target. You can’t beat up on the little guy, and MSU entered last season with big expectations.
Coming off a final four appearance the prior season MSU football was back in the national spotlight and thus a well known brand.
That brand has a little bit of tarnish on it right now, as State declined, both on and off the field, with rapid degeneration. Perhaps this season, we’ll see an uptick again.
There really isn’t any coach in the B1G on the hot seat, but the one who’s chair is at least luke warm belongs to Mark Dantonio.
It’s not just that his team was bad last year, they were bad despite sky high expectations and in the course of being bad appeared very disinterested.
Michigan State football lost, sometimes lost big and often looked like they didn’t really care a whole lot during the 3-9 disaster that was 2016. Spring brought a sexual assault complaint against three players, and if you start to see more off-the-field issues in East Lansing, supplementing the on-the-field failings, then it’s a pivotal season for Coach D.
The preseason college football preview magazines are predicting a positive turnaround, or at least a righting of the ship. Street & Smith’s forecast Michigan State football to finish fourth in the B1G East and a Foster Farms Bowl match-up against Mike Leach and Washington State.
The long road back begins with a matchup against Bowling Green on September 2nd. To set the tone early, they need to pull a KellyAnne Conway and achieve a “Bowling Green Massacre.”
Then it’s Western Michigan and Notre Dame, so this will certainly not be easy. Lindy’s projects the Spartans to finish 4th in the B1G East, be the ninth best team in the league, but also a respectable 48th nationally. After last season, Michigan State football fans will certainly take it. Yes, the Golden Era was short lived, but it was fun while it lasted, and it could still return in a couple years, as Dantonio is still a force to be reckoned with, both on the recruiting trail and with the Xs and Os.
Athlon projects Michigan State to finish 6-6, 4-5 in the league, and 4th in the division. They see Sparty as the 49th best team overall and slotted to the Quick Lane Bowl Wake Forest.
In other words, expect Michigan State football to at least break even in 2017, probably finish better than that and reach a minor bowl game.
By the time this season is done and dusted, expect things to be trending in the right direction again for Dantonio’s program.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes to WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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