Michigan State Spartans Football: 10 Dream Scenarios for 2011

Michigan State is coming off a terrific 2010 campaign in which they finished 11-2. Mark Dantonio went from a hospital bed to the Big Ten Coach of the Year.

The Spartans are loaded with a bevy of talent returning to East Lansing, and they are favored by many to win the Big Ten Championship outright.

What are some realistic expectations for this roster?

If everything goes according to plan, this could be a monumental season for the Michigan State Spartans football program.

Here are 10 dream scenarios for 2011.

10: Kirk Cousins Wins Offensive POY

Personal accolades can often translate to team success in college football. For that very reason, the Michigan State Spartan's are hoping that Kirk Cousins wins the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2011.

Cousins will be back in 2011 to air the ball out some more, and he is undoubtedly the best returning quarterback in the Big Ten. Cousins had a ridiculous 67 percent completion percentage in 2010, while throwing for 20 touchdowns.

Cousins started every game for Michigan State and averaged over 210 yards passing per game.

Cousins will win the Offensive Player of the Year this season after improving upon an already impressive 2010 campaign.

9: Back-to-Back

Could Edwin Baker earn back-to-back First Team All-Big Ten selections? You bet he can.

Edwin Baker will be a household name by the end of the 2011 season. The true sophomore ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 30th in the nation with his 92.4-yard rushing average per game.

Baker rushed for over 1,200 yards in his second season at Michigan State.

His first-team selection was even more impressive because it came in the run-heavy Big Ten conference.

He has the speed, quickness, agility and power to be a productive NFL back. Those same qualities will make him a legitimate Heisman candidate in 2011.

8: 25 Rushing Touchdowns

Part of the reason why Kirk Cousins was so effective in 2010 was the Michigan State Spartans running game. While Edwin Baker proved to the country that he is one of the best running backs around, Leveon Bell chipped in another 600 yards rushing and eight touchdowns.

Between Bell and Baker, the Spartans racked up over 1,800 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. Bell and Baker averaged 5.7 and 5.8 yards per carry respectively.

With an experienced quarterback and offensive line returning, look for the running game to be even better in 2011.

Twenty-five rushing touchdowns this season is a real possibility.

7: Three-Headed Monster

Edwin Baker may be a Heisman candidate in 2011 and LeVeon Bell is a solid player in his own right, but don't forget about Larry Caper.

LeVeon Bell moved past Caper as Caper nursed a hand injury early in the 2010 season. But don't forget, Caper was the No. 1 back as a freshman in 2009, and he's determined to get himself back into the rotation.

Caper is in the best shape of his life, and three healthy running backs will only make the Spartans more dangerous in 2011.

Look for Capers to burst onto the scene again this season.

6: Run the Table

The Spartans face a brutal four-game stretch from Oct. 1 to Oct. 29. They face Ohio State in Columbus before a bye week, then Michigan and Wisconsin at home and Nebraska on the road.

This stretch of games will certainly decide if the Spartans are contenders or pretenders and what type of mental fortitude that they have. The Buckeyes, Badgers and Cornhuskers are all teams that love to pound the football between the tackles. Will the Spartans be prepared to face the big boys of the new and improved Big Ten?

Coach Dantonio better use his time during the upcoming summer months wisely. If the Spartans can navigate through this four game stretch unscathed, they have a legitimate shot of going undefeated.

5: Reload Not Rebuild

It will be extremely difficult for Max Bulloughs to replace one of the greatest linebackers to have ever played for Michigan State in Greg Jones. How good was Jones?

Well, he was the first Spartan to earn back-to-back consensus first-team All-America honors (2009-10) since Bubba Smith and George Webster in 1965-66. Furthermore, he was only the fourth two-time consensus first-team All-American in Michigan State football history.

Jones was also a First-team All-Big Ten player for three straight years. The guy quite simply was Michigan State.

The Spartans need to be sure that Max Bulloughs is ready to be a premier player on their defense, as he has some huge shoes to fill.

The Spartans are hoping that Bulloughs can step in and help fill the void left by the great Greg Jones.

That would certainly be a dream scenario for the Spartans.

4: Mark Dell Who?

The Spartans lost their leading receiver from 2010 in Mark Dell. He led the team in catches, total receiving yards and yards per catch.

B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin have the athletic potential to be better than Mark Dell ever was at Michigan State. They must establish themselves as the premier wide-outs on the team this season.

If Cunningham and Martin can live up to the hype, Mark Dell will be a distant memory for Spartan fans.

3: More Int's Than TD's

How crazy would it be for the Michigan State Spartan's if their defense has more interceptions than touchdown passes thrown against them? Believe it or not, it's not totally out of the question.

Michigan State had a ridiculous 17 interceptions in 13 games last year, while only allowing 18 TD passes. Could they possibly improve upon those ridiculous numbers?

Trenton Robinson led the team with four interceptions and will be back for more in 2011. Johnny Adams had three interceptions of his own, and the two All-Conference performers will undoubtedly be huge factors in the teams success.

The Spartans defense will be in good hands with their secondary.

2: A Star in the Making

The Michigan State Spartan coaching staff already know that their secondary is in good hands, but an effective pass rush will only make that group better.

Will Gholston has been the player that is getting all of the national recognition, but Tyler Hoover finally started to live up to his own high recruiting rankings as a redshirt sophomore in 2010. This summer will be huge for Hoover to improve his hands along the D-line and get even stronger.

Don't be surprised if 2011 is the season that Tyler Hoover lives up to his All-American potential.

1: Don't Rest on Your Laurels

Could Mark Dantonio be the National Coach of the Year in 2011?

Dantonio became a national darling in 2010 after what he went through. Dantonio suffered an apparent heart attack after last years win over Notre Dame.

Dantonio's team seemed to unite and grow even stronger as a group. He was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and was a legitimate National Coach of the Year candidate.

Dantonio has shown that he recruits quality players that are high-quality people. Michigan State has one of the best in the business in Mark Dantonio.

He is the guy that will lead the Spartans to a perfect record this season and a berth in the national championship.

This may be a dream scenario for Spartan fans, but don't be shocked if this dream becomes a reality.