Game Prediction: No. 10 Michigan State Spartans vs. Indiana Hoosiers

Kenneth Walker is having an incredible season. Can Indiana's defense slow him down and ruin the Spartans' Big Ten Title hopes?

Author:
Brendan Gulick
Oct 15, 2021 4:55 PM EDT

It's harder to figure out which is the bigger surprise this year: the fact that Michigan State is still unbeaten on October 15 or that Indiana is totally out of the Big Ten title chase. Kenneth Walker has been incredible and has made Mel Tucker look like a much, much better hire. Can the Spartans take that ground attack to Bloomington for another big game on Saturday?

MICHIGAN STATE at INDIANA – Saturday, 12:00 p.m.
Spread: Michigan State (-4.0)
O/U Total: 48.5

Brendan Gulick: Michigan State 34, Indiana 20

I tend to think that both teams aren't as extreme as they appear ... Michigan State is having a good year, but I don't believe them to be THAT good yet, and I think Indiana is better than their record would indicate. They've played a miserably hard schedule and now their conductor is hurt as Penix's orchestra has played some bad notes this season.

If Penix were healthy, I'd pick IU, but I don't believe they can score enough without him on the field to get by Sparty. MSU is coming off a game in which they had a 300-yard passer, a 200-yard rusher, and a 200-yard receiver in the same game. That hasn't happened since 2008 in FBS play and it's only the fifth time it's ever been done. Sparty rolls again this week.

Andrew Lind: Michigan State 31, Indiana 20

Don’t let the Hoosiers’ record fool you, they’re a better team than their 2-3 record shows, as the three losses have come at No. 2 Iowa, against No. 3 Cincinnati and at No. 7 Penn State. Few teams in the country would come away from that slate unscathed.

The Spartans, meanwhile, have one of the best running backs in the country in Kenneth Walker and the best wide receiver in the conference not named Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson or Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That offensive firepower will be too much for Indiana to keep up with – unless Michigan State gets conservative as it looks toward its next game against rival Michigan.

Ohio State’s Ryan Day Now Highest-Paid Head Coach In Big Ten

Caleb Spinner: Michigan State 33, Indiana 17

Michigan State now has a spotlight on them after joining the three-team tie for top of the Big Ten East. The Spartans now have to keep adding to their win streak, especially against conference opponents. Enter the Hoosiers, a team currently on a lose-win-lose pattern since the start of the year. Indiana has especially struggled against ranked opponents, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a highlight going into the year, has more interceptions than touchdowns (4 TDs and 7 picks). Michigan State wins this game and remains in the running for the conference title, 33-17.

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