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Michigan State Football: 2016 Game-by-Game Predictions

By Colton Wesley

Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio celebrates with his team after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio celebrates with his team after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan State won the Big Ten Championship and went to the College Football Playoff in 2015, but can they repeat that success in 2016?

Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio celebrates with his team after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio celebrates with his team after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Michigan State got really lucky last season. They won six of seven games decided by seven or fewer points, Michigan’s punter dropped the ball, it rained in Columbus and Stanford beat Notre Dame in the last week of the season to ensure a playoff spot for the Spartans. Michigan State got all the breaks.

However, the Spartans can’t count on catching those breaks in 2016. Their non-conference schedule has gotten stronger with matchups against Notre Dame and Brigham Young and the Big Ten East is more competitive with the emergence of Michigan as a legitimate national title contender.

There is reason to believe that the Mark Dantonio and the Spartans’ recent success can continue in 2016. Although they will be deploying a new quarterback in Tyler O’Connor and will need to rebuild the offensive line after multiple departures, the offense is built around a bevy of good backs in L.J. Scott, Madre London and Gerald Holmes. The defense returns several starters, led by a couple of established pieces in Malik McDowell and Riley Bullough, and Dantonio has established himself as one of the nation’s top coaches andd recruiters.

With the season opening this week, it is as good of a time as any to go week-by-week and examine the Spartans’ opponents and chances of success in 2016.

Next: Week One: v. Furman

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