After a brief hiatus, welcome back to the film room. We take a closer look at Michigan State's 38-16 road loss to Illinois on Saturday,

I know, it's been frustrating for MSU fans. Preseason, I held that MSU would be ensconced in the 7-5ish range, with an outside shot at 8-4. With a 6-6 record now being the best case outcome in the regular season, it goes without saying that I was a bit too optimistic.

I also held that quarterback Aidan Chiles would absolutely lose MSU a game they otherwise would have won to due to the many risks he takes: Boston College comes to mind. I also thought that he would lead MSU to a season-defining win over Michigan, which I think is probably a trade most fans would make. With MSU coming in under my expectations, this film room focuses on why, and isolates some bright spots.

Notably, Chiles took care of the ball against the Fighting Illini, playing a turnover-free game and arguably his first complete game of the season. Growth is never linear, and it's been a longer road than I had hoped, but I saw Chiles hanging in pockets, delivering some confident throws and keeping Michigan State alive on multiple occasions.

The full room video is available to watch below: