Know Your Opponent: Michigan State is Red Hot as Indiana Comes to Town for Spittoon Battle

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Head Coach: Mark Dantonio

Overall: 113-60 Fourteenth Year

At Michigan State 95-43 (56-28) Eleventh Year

Bowl Appearances at Michigan: 9 (4-5 Record)

2017 Record: 5-1 Last Game: Won 30-27 at Minnesota

Bowl Appearances Since 2000: 12  (6-6)

Mascot: Spartans

Colors: Green and White

Outfitter: Nike

National Titles: 6

Conference Titles: 9

Heisman Winners: 0

Talking Points

1. IS MICHIGAN STATE BACK?

Look, I do not think the Michigan Wolverines are a top 25 team, but I am sure that they are the fourth best team in the division behind OSU, PSU, and these Spartans. I also think IU wins 5/10 times if we played Saturday’s game over that many times. So for me, their win in a rainy Big House was not as impressive as it seemed at the time, despite the national love for the win. John O’Korn is not good enough to make UM balanced on offense, and turning the ball over five times will make you lose no matter how good your defense is. While Michigan State’s turnaround from 3-9 last year to 5-1 this year is noteworthy, I  do think a lot of it has to do with a front-loaded schedule full of soft games. Wins over Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa don’t really get you fired up, and a blowout loss to Notre Dame isn’t a great visual for wanting to be back in the conversation for Big Ten contention either. 

2. THE 2017 GAME MAY LOOK A LOT LIKE THE 2016 VERSION

At the time, IU’s win over a ranked Michigan State seemed like a turning point for the program, but MSU was just not good last year. A 3-9 finish included a loss to Illinois, and Sparty really just had one of their worst seasons in forever. Last year’s game was incredibly well-fought, and it came down to a few big plays from each side. On paper this looks like a very even game despite IU being on the road, and I do expect it to again come down to a big play or two. IU has to focus on turning MSU over to win on Saturday, and winning the field position battle will be crucial as well. A couple nice punts by Whitehead or big returns by J-Shun could make the difference between the Hoosiers leaving 4-3 instead of 3-4. 

3. HOW DOES IU RESPOND?

Last weekend was tough for everyone. IU was right there and had chances to win a big game again on Saturday, but just couldn’t capitalize on them and break the skid against Michigan. The players seemed mostly upbeat following the game and were really looking forward to getting back out on the practice field to start the week. That’s the attitude you want, and the attitude you need to have, and it will be huge for IU to start much better than they have been on the road this year if they want to come out of East Lansing with a win. Peyton Ramsey settled in nicely on Saturday, but his first start in a hostile environment will present a new set of challenges that he will have to be ready for. 

IU is still battling the injury bug as well, and based on what we saw from them against Michigan, it looks doubtful that starters Marcelino Ball, Donavan Hale, and A’Shon Riggins will play against Michigan State either. The O-Line is starting to mesh a bit, and what I saw from them against one of the better D-Lines in the nation from Ann Arbor makes me optimistic for the rest of the season. Keeping MSU from big plays and taking the ball away will obviously be huge for a hungry IU team, and how they come out of the gate will have a large say in whether or not they can do those things. 

WHERE IS SIMMIE COBBS?

After a dominant start to the year, Simmie Cobbs has not been targeted as much as he should be in the last few games. A huge overturn on Saturdaycost him a game-breaking play, but other than that he was really quiet after the first quarter. Michigan State again has one of the best group of corners in the country this year, so Ramsey could have a tough time getting #1 the ball on the outside. IU needs Cobbs to establish himself in these games, as feeding him generally loosens up the defense and allows for Morgan Elliison and co. to run much more effectively on the interior. It has to be frustrating for Cobbs to know he can win all of these matchups and not get looks on drives late in games, but he has done a great job blocking, running routes, and being a good teammate despite that. If IU wants to win this weekend, they need to be balanced, and they need to get Cobbs involved.