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Michigan State

Pre-Snap Read: Michigan State vs Michigan - so you're saying there's a chance?

On3 imageby: Jim Comparoni15 hours agoJimComparoni
Michigan State tunnel nick king 2
Michigan State football photo by Nick King. | USA Today Network

EAST LANSING, Mich. - I’ve kept an eye on Michigan this year but I didn’t really study their last three games until last night. I was surprised to find that they aren’t consistently very good. They have the potential to play good football. But they haven’t been very good. The problem for Michigan State is that the Spartans haven’t been ANY good.  Some people don’t want to hear this, and I hate to tell it to you, but Michigan State has a chance to win this game - IF the Spartans can cobble together four quarters of responsible defense. That’s a mammoth IF. Why will some Michigan State fans hate to hear this? Well, a percentage of fans are already panning the country for the Spartans’ next head coach. A Michigan State victory would strengthen Jonathan Smith’s job security. And a Michigan State victory could usher Sherrone Moore out sooner than Spartan fans would like. Those two divergent paths might not sit well with some long game Spartan fans.  But this is college football. Michigan could just as easily win this game by 17 points or more, skate through a highly manageable remainder of the schedule and be another upset victory over Ohio State away from getting to the College Football Playoff. The margins are so ridiculous in this sport, and that’s why we’re crazy about it.  FINAL ANALYSIS FIRST The bottom line is this: A few weeks ago, I wrote that it didn’t require a good team to beat Nebraska. And I’ll say the same thing about Michigan. You don’t have to be a good team to beat the Wolverines, especially when they are on the road. But the other half of that equation in this weekend’s matchup is whether Michigan State is a good team. No the Spartans aren’t. But if Michigan State rallies to become something just south of a good team, would that be enough to take this game into the weeds in the fourth quarter? I think so. (MORE inside SpartanMag. Join SpartanMag now - $1 for the first week - and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership.)