2008 Michigan State Football By the Numbers

Next year, while Michigan State obviously loses a starting quarterback and tailback, they return the starting fullback, the tight end, and three of five offensive linemen. At receiver, only one backup—Deon Curry, with just five receptions playing in seven games—will graduate. Every other starting receiver and backup receiver will return.

Defensively, two of the four starting linemen and two of the four defensive backs depart. All three starting linebackers return, two of whom—Greg Jones and Eric Gordon—are sophomores that finished ranked No. 1 and No. 11 in the conference for tackles. Ohio State's two-time All-American senior James Laurinaitis, soon likely to be a high NFL draft choice, finished second behind Jones.

Note that the running game actually performed better with more than one back carrying the load. That will be the case next year. Despite losing Javon Ringer, it is possible that the rushing attack will get stronger. The key is likely finding two or three Jehuu Caulcricks on the team, and not necessarily finding another gem like Javon Ringer.

Likewise, the new quarterback—either Kirk Cousins or Keith Nichol—will have a full set of experienced receivers to throw to. Each quarterback also has playing experience, though Nichol's was at Oklahoma, where he failed to beat out Sam Bradford for a starting job (no shame in that.)

There is, in short, a lot of promise that a good team can get a whole lot better very soon.

Saving the best for last, the Big Ten schedules rotate, and the change is very generous. The Spartans will take a two-year break from Ohio State and Indiana and face Illinois and Minnesota instead.

In the non-conference, the tough season opener on the road versus Cal becomes a home opener against Montana State, with also—in likely order of difficulty—Central Michigan, Western Michigan, and Notre Dame.

No disrespect to those I-AA teams, as we know how they love coming to Michigan, nor to two of the MAC's very best programs right now, but nobody on that list is likely to compare to what Cal was this season. (Notre Dame, I will flatly predict right now, is going to rival this year's mediocrity unless there is a leadership change.)

Taking a break from the Ohio State juggernaut is obviously huge. If the 2008 Spartans had instead played the teams on the 2009 schedule during this season, it's not implausible that they would be 11-1 right now, having lost only to Penn State at the very end. That might have been good enough for a BCS game.

This spring, I looked at the season and saw eight wins and a fourth place finish. I got nine wins and third place, guessing only one game wrong in that early estimate (Wisconsin.) Again looking forward at this very early date, even better things for 2009—including a conference title—are not out of the question.

The future is bright. The State of the Spartans is strong.

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