Spartans Illustrated caught up with Tom Izzo to discuss how his team is doing after the non-conference portion of the schedule finished up. Izzo also shared his thoughts on how the Big Ten teams stack up against each other, how the injuries and tough schedule might help the trajectory of this team, and what he views as his team's biggest strengths and weaknesses.

Be sure to read Carter Elliott's preview of Michigan State's game vs Nebraska and Marvin Hall's photo gallery from the Spartans' victory over Buffalo. Also, be on the lookout for part 2 of our interview with Tom Izzo later this week. If you aren't already a Rivals subscriber, you can sign up here to make sure you don't miss any of our coverage. Be sure to join the conversation in our forums.