Advertisement
Published Sep 19, 2020
Michigan State's football schedule: Five Quick Takes
circle avatar
Jim Comparoni  •  Spartans Illustrated
Publisher
Twitter
@JimComparoni

The takeaway from Michigan State’s football schedule, which was announced Saturday morning:


1. Two of the toughest opponents - Ohio State and at Penn State - are in the final two weeks of the season.


This gives Michigan State a better chance to collect some wins and confidence in the front half of the schedule.


The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions have to be faced every year at some point. Might as well push them to the end so that first-year coach Mel Tucker can try to gain some traction.

Advantage Michigan State.


2. Michigan State's rivalry game at Michigan is in week two on Oct. 31. Michigan State presumably will still be trying to settle on a starting quarterback, among other things.


This game is always physical and usually nasty. It’s better for Michigan to get this game played early in most years, and that definitely would seem to be the case this year.

Advantage Wolverines.


3. MSU’s two Big Ten West crossover games are against Iowa and Northwestern. Avoiding Wisconsin, and possibly Minnesota, seems to be the most advantageous route this year. Michigan State managed to avoid both, although Iowa could pan out to be better than the Gophers and Badgers. You never know on these things. At this time last year, we thought Wisconsin could be a bit down. The Badgers turned out to be outstanding. A year earlier, Wisconsin was supposed to be College Football Playoff material, but instead stumbled to a 7-5 regular season record. And last year, no one anticipated Minnesota beginning the year with a 9-0 record and an 11-2 season.

So it's foolish to assume to know everything about Northwestern and Iowa at this point, but avoiding the Gophers and Badgers seems like the path of least resistance. Michigan State managed to do that.

Ohio State drew Nebraska and Illinois. That figures to be the easiest crossover slate for any Big Ten East team.


4. MSU’s three most manageable opponents figure to be Rutgers, Indiana and Maryland. That’s the case in most seasons.


This year, Michigan State will play those three teams in its first five games, sandwiched around tough games against Michigan and Iowa.


Michigan State doesn’t have to be great in order to come out of the first five games at 3-2. That would be a nice beginning for a team that I felt might have a tough time approaching .500 at any point this season.

The possibility of being 3-2 going into a week six game at home against Northwestern should be regarded as a palatable progression for Spartan fans.


5. The Dec. 12 game at Penn State pits the Spartans against the “unrivaled” Nittany Lions in the final game of the season once again.


Penn State people don’t have to call it a rivalry if they don’t want to. But I like traditions, and this game feels comfortable late in the year for most meat-eating football fans.


Penn State vs Michigan State met in the final week of the Big Ten season every year from 1994 to 2010, and again in 2014, ’15 and ’16. At least a share of the Big Ten title was on the line for one of the teams in seven of those games.


Usually the game coincides with a chilly Thanksgiving weekend, often with a dusting of snow. This time, on Dec. 12 in Happy Valley, the Spartans might need teams of dogsleds to get to Beaver Stadium.

6. Bonus Take: Michigan State vs Rutgers in the opener makes complete sense for both programs.

They are the only two teams in the Big Ten with first-year coaches.Neither team/coach had spring practice. Both teams had extended interruptions since mid-July. Putting these teams against each other in week one gives them each an equal playing field.

I hope the Big Ten was actually smart enough to consider these things and put it into motion and it wasn't a random act of intelligence.

Michigan State 2020 Football Schedule
DateOpponent

Oct. 24

Rutgers

Oct. 31

at Michigan

Nov. 7

at Iowa

Nov. 14

Indiana

Nov. 21

at Maryland

Nov. 28

Northwestern

Dec. 5

Ohio State

Dec. 12

at Penn State

MichiganState
FOOTBALL
Scores / Schedule
footballfootball
5 - 2
Overall Record
0 - 0
Conference Record
Upcoming
N. Carolina
4 - 2
N. Carolina
Michigan St.
5 - 2
Michigan St.
Finished
Michigan St.
63
Michigan St.
Memphis
71
Arrow
Memphis
Michigan St.
72
Arrow
Michigan St.
Colorado
56
Colorado
Advertisement
Michigan State
2025Commitment List
Updated: