Predicting Michigan States Football Record for the 2024 Season
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Michigan State football will be a lot different than the previous years. New coaching staff and new players are coming in to help Michigan State relevant again. This year's schedule isn't as tough as last year, however it is still the BigTen, and more teams have been added to the conference.
According to Josh Pate at 247sports and Fanduel Sports, Michigan State's football record over/under is listed at 4.5. This should be expected as this is a learning year for first year head coach Jonathan Smith and his staff.
With that being said, let's go over the schedule and see if the Spartans can win more than four games next season.
Week 1 - Florida Atlantic - Win (1-0)
Both Michigan State and Florida Atlantic are coming off 4-8 seasons in 2023. However I think Michigan State is more talented than FAU, which leads to this being a relatively comfortable season-opening win for the Spartans.
Week 2 - Maryland - Lose (1-1)
Maryland has beaten Michigan STate in the last two matchups and they will look to make it three. Although they don't have quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa anymore, I think Maryland will make it a three game win streak against the Spartans.
Week 3 - Prairie View A&M - Win (2-1)
Michigan State should win this game against Prairie View A&M and it shouldn't be much of a challenge.
Week 4 - Boston College - Win (3-1)
Dating back to 2017, Michigan State is 1-5 in their non-conference matchups against power conference teams (including Notre Dame), with the lone win coming against Miami (FL) in 2021. This game should be a close game but I think Michigan State gets the win.
Week 5 - Ohio State - Lose (3-2)
Ohio State is arguably the most talented team in the country with a lot of NFL talent coming back from Last year. This will Be Michigan State's first blowout loss of the season.
Week 6 - Oregon - Lose (3-3)
Playing back to back top teams in the country is hard for any team to get a victory. Oregon is projected to play Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship for a reason, this will lead to another blowout loss.
Week 8 - Iowa - Lose (3-4)
Some might have Michigan State winning this game because of how Bad Iowa's offense is. However their defense is arguably the best in the Big Ten and it will be hard for any offense to score any points.
Week 9 - Michigan - Lose (3-5)
This rivalry game should be competitive. Two first year head coaches going head to head is going to be a fun matchup. However Michigan is just too talented for The Spartans as they lose their fourth game in a row.
Week 10 - Indiana - Win (4-5)
Michigan State finally gets back in the Win column against Indiana. While Indian is a sneaky good team this year, the Spartans are going to be desperate for a win.
Week 11 - Illinois - Lose (4-6)
Illinois is losing a bunch from their trenches on both sides of the ball, but they are a well coached team. This is also a trap game for Michigan State as Illinois will want to defend home field.
Week 12 - Purdue - Win (5-6)
Purdue is arguably the worst team in the BigTen. Even though Michigan State basketball hasn't been good against Purdue, that doesn't mean Michigan State football will also struggle.
Week 13 - Rutgers - Lose (5-7)
Rutgers is a sneaky good team this upcoming year and with a chance to become bowl eligible, Michigan state comes up just short.
Final Record 5-7
This is a learning year for Jonathan Smith and his staff. Smith still has to fill out his roster and success won't happen in one season.
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Luke Joseph is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in journalism. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of sports and commitment to storytelling, he serves as a general sports reporter On SI, covering the NFL and college athletics with insight and expertise.