2012-13 Football Previews – (Big 10) – Michigan St. Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans have won 22 games in the past two seasons. The team won a Big Ten Legends Division title and picked up their first bowl win since 2011. There is no doubt that the last couple years have been two of the most successful in the school’s history. Mark Dantonio started a rebuilding process when he showed up four years.
Big 10 Conference 2012-2013 College Football Previews: Michigan State Spartans
Head Coach: Mark Dantonio
2011 Record: 11-3
Michigan State Gambling Odds from JustBet to win BCS Championship: +7,000
Michigan State Gambling Odds from JustBet to win Big 10 Conference: +800
MSU Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2012 Schedule –>
The rebuilding process is now complete. Can the Spartans take the next step?
Dantonio has lofty goals for the Spartans football program. All through the offseason he has been talking in the media and with the team about this group winning a national title. You have to love his enthusiasm and high expectations, but taking another step higher in the national picture will be extremely difficult. The Spartans Hail Mary win over Wisconsin was one of the most memorable games of last season, and their triple overtime win over Georgia was another brilliant finish. Let’s take a look at how things look for the Spartans in 2012.
Team Strengths:
An area that has plagued the Spartans in the past has been the offensive front, but this appears to be a major strength for the team in 2012. Six guys in the offensive line rotation have starting experience, and this veteran leadership should be a major asset for Michigan State’s offense.
Le’Veon Bell and Larry Caper give the Spartans a terrific one-two punch in the backfield. Bell looks like a guy who will be playing on Sunday’s in the future, and Caper is a great receiver and blocker in the backfield. These two should do a lot of damage behind this strong offensive line. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The entire defense has the potential to be very good. The Spartans have two great cornerbacks, which allow their defense to take more risks. In addition, William Gholston is one of the best defensive ends in the nation. The linebackers are great play makers. Michigan State’s defense should be one of the best in the nation this year.
Team Weaknesses:
Losing Kirk Cousins is a huge blow to this team. Cousins set record after record at quarterback for Michigan State during his illustrious career. Andrew Maxwell looks like a player who could be very well-suited for this offense, but there are always question marks when you bring in a guy who doesn’t have experience.
The Spartans group of wide receivers is a major area of concern. Michigan State lost its top three wideouts from a year ago, including two guys who were drafted in the NFL. It’s hard enough to have a young quarterback, but not having any proven wide receivers makes it that much tougher.
2012-2013 Michigan State Spartans Football Prediction: 9-3
Michigan State is an interesting team because they have so many major strengths, but they do have a couple major question marks. Dantonio is a terrific coach, and I expect this team to improve as the season goes along. Still, the Spartans will likely have to rely too much on the running game this year. When they play the best teams in the Big 10 they can’t simply run it every single down. The two-game stretch in late-October where they play Michigan and Wisconsin in back-to-back weeks will be the games to watch. Look for another solid season, but I don’t think this team can win the Big 10 Conference.
2012 MSU Schedule
8/31/12 8:00 PM ET BOIST
9/8/12 3:30 PM ET @CMICH
9/15/12 8:00 PM ET NOTRE
9/22/12 TBD EMICH
9/29/12 TBD OHIST
10/6/12 TBD @IND
10/13/12 12:00 PM ET IOWA
10/20/12 TBD @MICH
10/27/12 3:30 PM ET @WISC
11/3/12 TBD NEB
11/17/12 TBD NWEST
11/24/12 TBD @MINN
