Spartan Hoopla: 2010 Michigan State Football Preseason Preview

It comes as no surprise that Michigan State is nowhere to be found on USA Today's college football preseason top 25 poll.

But for Spartan fans, who are used to an underachieving team, the rankings aren't the end-all be-all.

Michigan State was primed to make a run at the Big Ten title last season after coming off a 9-4 campaign in 2008, which was led by running back Javon Ringer and quarterback Brian Hoyer.

The Spartans started off inconsistently in 2009. They lost 29-27 to Central Michigan, 38-30 to Wisconsin, and 33-30 to Notre Dame.

But Michigan State bounced back, and knocked off rival Michigan 26-20 in overtime Oct. 3. The Spartans then enjoyed consecutive 24-14 wins over Northwestern and Illinois, and looked to be back on the saddle.

And then the Iowa game happened.

The Spartans were set to beat the then-undefeated Hawkeyes, but late game heroics by Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi and wide receiver Marvin McNutt deflated a raucous Spartan crowd in East Lansing.

With two seconds to play, Stanzi hooked up with McNutt to lead the Hawkeyes to a 15-13 victory. Michigan State signal-caller Kirk Cousins said the loss was a heart-breaker.

"That was as tough of a loss as I've taken probably in my whole athletic career," Cousins said in a recent interview with hawkeyesports.com. "The game was back and forth and although it was a low-scoring game, there were a lot of exciting and intense moments.

"Then we score after not really doing much offensively all game and then you watch Ricky Stanzi and his magic and bring their team back down. That's the way college football is and that's what, as a fan, made me love it growing up. I guess I was on the wrong end of that one."

The Spartans were a different team in 2009. They were looking for an identity after Ringer and Hoyer left for the NFL.

The problems didn't stop there.

Coach Mark Dantonio had to deal with a depleted roster in the 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl, and directed his team to a competitive 41-31 loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

With questions about the Spartans' ability to get back to their bread and butter—the run game—looming this season, Michigan State supporters can only hope that 2010 holds a favorable destiny.

The Spartans will play a relatively manageable schedule in their first four games, with the exception of their prime time battle Sept. 18 with rival Notre Dame in East Lansing.

It's likely that the Spartans will have an unblemished or one-loss record in their first true test, when the Wisconsin Badgers come to town Oct. 2. Unless an unforeseen meltdown occurs, Scott Tolzein's crew will be 4-0 when it meets the Spartans.

Michigan State was 1-2 against top 25 teams last year. Wisconsin is No. 12 in the preseason polls. The Spartans had trouble defending aerial assaults in 2009, which means watch out for the Tolzein-Nick Toon connection.

If the Spartans can get past Wisconsin and Notre Dame, they could go into the Michigan game 5-0, although a 4-1 record would be respectable.

With two consecutive wins over Michigan, the Spartans' confidence regarding their in-state grudge match is near an all-time high.

This year's duel will be in the newly-renovated Big House (Michigan Stadium) in Ann Arbor, but with the recent questions surrounding Michigan's offense, and defense, the Spartans could be looking at their third consecutive win over the Wolverines.

It's possible, but not likely, Cousins and company could be perfect when they face the Illinois Fighting Illini on Homecoming.

You can bet Michigan State has Nov. 6 circled on its calendar. Last year's matchup with the Minnesota Golden Gophers was beyond disappointing for Dantonio's team.

The Spartans' electrifying utility player, Keshawn Martin, scored on an 84-yard run in the third quarter, but it wasn't enough to thwart Minnesota's efforts. Michigan State fell 42-34.

Cousins proved his gun-slinging abilities in last year's 40-37 triumph over Purdue. However, the Spartans struggled against another prolific unit. Penn State, led by quarterback Daryll Clark, pelted the Spartans, 42-14. The Nittany Lions will be tough Nov. 27, but are one of the most overhyped teams in the Big Ten coming into 2010.

If the Spartans want to avoid a repeat of last year's mistakes, and rise above 6-7, they must take away the big plays. It is also imperative that the Spartans avoid shootouts.

Road games are always hard to predict, but with the talent the Spartans have, and assuming they avoid losing at home, they should go 9-3, and be invited to a major bowl game in 2010-11.

Michigan State's 2010 schedule (obtained from MSU Spartans.com).

09/04/10	vs. Western Michigan	East Lansing, Mich.	12:00 p.m. ET
09/11/10	vs. Florida Atlantic	Detroit, Mich.	12:00 p.m. ET
09/18/10	vs. Notre Dame	East Lansing, Mich.	8:00 p.m. ET
09/25/10	vs. Northern Colorado	East Lansing, Mich.	TBA
10/02/10	vs. Wisconsin *	East Lansing, Mich.	TBA
10/09/10	at Michigan *	Ann Arbor, Mich.	TBA
10/16/10	vs. Illinois (Homecoming) *	East Lansing, Mich.	12:00 p.m. ET
10/23/10	at Northwestern *	Evanston, Ill.	12:00 p.m. ET
10/30/10	at Iowa *	Iowa City, Iowa	TBA
11/06/10	vs. Minnesota *	East Lansing, Mich.	TBA
11/20/10	vs. Purdue *	East Lansing, Mich.	TBA
11/27/10	at Penn State *	State College, Pa.	TBA