2011 College Football Preview: Michigan State Spartans Analysis and Projections

The Michigan State Spartans put together one of the more magical seasons in recent memory to finish their 2010 campaign with an 11-2 record and clinch a share of their first Big Ten Conference championship since 1990. 

Head coach Mark Dantonio earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors despite missing two games after suffering a heart attack shortly after the Spartans' 34-31 overtime victory against Notre Dame. 

The potent running back tandem of Edwin Baker and Le'Veon Bell alongside the efficient play of veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins made Michigan State's offense one of the best in the Big Ten, which scored at least 30 points in nine of their 13 games last season. 

The Spartans burst onto the scene as a legitimate Big Ten title contender after an upset over highly ranked Wisconsin and earned their third consecutive victory over nationally ranked arch rival Michigan in back-to-back weeks. 

Michigan State improved to 8-0 after a 26-6 blowout against Illinois and a fourth-quarter comeback in a 35-27 road victory over Northwestern. 

The pressures of being undefeated and ranked No. five in the national polls proved to be too much for the Spartans as they saw their perfect season go up in flames in a 37-6 road debacle against Iowa. 

Three straight wins over Minnesota, Purdue and Penn State helped the Spartans secure a spot in the Capital One Bowl for the second time in the past three seasons. 

Alabama beat down the Spartans in the bowl game and provided a heavy dose of reality for Michigan State and its fans as to where they were at in comparison to some of the top teams in the country. 

The loss has motivated Michigan State throughout the offseason and with expectations growing in East Lansing, Dantonio and his staff know the team needs to continue to improve in 2011. 

"We have to get to the point where we can measure up against anybody, anywhere in this country," Dantonio said at the end of July. "Until we get to that point, we have not arrived at everything we intended to do when we came to this program."

Offense

Michigan State will have to break in their new offensive coordinator Dan Roushar, but do not expect their scheme to look much different than it did under Don Treadwell last season. 

The Spartans return six starters on the offensive side of the ball in 2011, including Cousins, Baker and Bell. 

The remarkably efficient Cousins, who is entering his senior year and second consecutive season as one of Michigan State's captains, completed close to 67 percent of his passes last season and threw for 2,285 yards. 

Wide receivers B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin, Bennie Fowler and Keith Nichol all return and make the Spartans' receiving corps one of the deepest in the Big Ten. 

The backfield will be strong once again with Bell and Baker both having the potential to rush for 1,000 yards a piece in 2011, but the Spartans have major question marks on their offensive line heading into the season. 

Michigan State needs to replace two tackles along with a center and no one seems to have seized the starting jobs heading into the 2011 campaign. Cerritos Community College transfer Fou Fonoti has been practicing at right tackle, but could move to the left side of the line if Dan France struggles. 

Redshirt freshman Skyler Burkland and senior Jared McGaha are also competing for a starting spot on Michigan State's offensive front. 

Whether or not the Spartans can fill the voids on the offensive line and open up holes for the running backs will be the deciding factor for how many games Michigan State wins in 2011.

Defense

If the Spartans hope to be as stout defensively in 2011 as they were a year ago, they will need linebackers Max Bullough and Chris Norman to play out of their minds for the entire year.  

Replacing All-American Greg Jones and unheralded four-year starter Eric Gordon will be a tall task, but Bullough has had a great offseason and will be the leader of the Spartans' group of inexperienced linebackers. 

The secondary ranked 60th in the country last season against the pass and returns second-team All-Big Ten selections Johnny Adams at cornerback along with Trenton Robinson at free safety. 

Defensive tackle Jerel Worthy and defensive end William Gholston are also back in 2011 to help bolster the Spartans' relatively inexperienced front seven, which struggled to put together a strong pass rush on a consistent basis in 2011.

Prediction

This season will be an accurate barometer for how far the Spartans have progressed under Dantonio, and whether or not they will be able to stack up against the elite programs in the country year in and year out. 

Michigan State racked up 11 wins in 2010, but played just four ranked opponents and were beaten badly by two of them. The schedule this season does not do the Spartans any favors in 2011. 

Youngstown State, Florida Atlantic, Central Michigan, Indiana and Minnesota should provide easy victories for Michigan State, but beyond those games, winning will be a tall order. 

The Spartans have to make road trips to nationally ranked Notre Dame, Ohio State and Nebraska. Additionally, Michigan State must return to Iowa and Northwestern for the second consecutive season, pay a visit to rival Michigan and take on national championship contender Wisconsin. 

Having to replace two of their best defensive players and three offensive linemen from 2010 will be too much for the Spartans to overcome in their pursuit of a Legends Division title this season, but Michigan State should be competitive in even their toughest games of the season.

Go to the next slide to see the Spartans projected win-loss total for the 2011 season!

How Many Games Will the Spartans Win?

Projected Record: 8-4 (5-3 Big Ten, Tie-Second Place Legends Division)

9/2 - Youngstown State - Win

9/10 - Florida Atlantic - Win

9/17 - @ Notre Dame - Loss

9/24 - Central Michigan - Win

10/1 - @ Ohio State - Loss

10/15 - Michigan - Win

10/22 -Wisconsin - Loss

10/29 - @ Nebraska - Loss

11/5 - Minnesota - Win

11/12 - @ Iowa - Win

11/19 - Indiana - Win

11/26 - @ Northwestern - Win

Zach Dirlam is a Big Ten Columnist for the new website Sports at Work. Check out his blog, Dirlam’s Dirty Dugout Sports Blog, which features this story along with other articles and video reports on the major sports. You can also follow his blog on Twitter, which will provide you with the latest updates about what will be posted on the blog!