Michigan St. Football: 3 Reasons to Stay On the Spartan Bandwagon

Fans of Michigan State were faced with a bitter reality following last weekend's game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The Spartans may not have been as good as we all thought.

This is the same Michigan State team that won the Big Ten Championship just a year ago.

Suddenly, they are starting at a 2-1 record with an ugly loss against a team that was winless up until the matchup.

The once ranked No.15 Spartans are now unranked. It seems that everyone has quickly forgotten just how good this team is.

Here are three reasons to stay on the Michigan State bandwagon:

1. Michigan State Outplayed Notre Dame

The 31-13 score may say otherwise, but the Spartans really did outperform Notre Dame in nearly every aspect of the game last Saturday.

If it wasn't for one kickoff return and a late interception, we would be talking about a different outcome to this game.

The Spartans outgained Notre Dame in terms of total yardage 358 to 275. They held the ball for a longer time of possession and committed less turnovers.

Michigan State really lost this game thanks to poor timing and stupid mistakes. They were the better team.

Bleacher Report writer Benjamin Harris breaks it down further.

2. B.J. Cunningham is the Real Deal

It may have taken him all four years, but B.J. Cunningham is emerging as one of the best wide receivers in the nation.

Over just three games Cunningham has 26 catches for 361 yards and a touchdown.

The amount puts him at sixth in the nation for catches and eighth in the nation for yards.

Most of the players ahead of him are components to pass happy offenses, something that Michigan State is not.

3. Still Undefeated in the Big Ten

It's hard to get past a loss early in the season, but the most important thing to remember is that inter-conference play hasn't even started yet.

Michigan State play their best games in the Big Ten. They match up well against most of the teams with their sound defense and conservative offense.

Michigan State just didn't match up well against Notre Dame. They nearly lost to them last year, and that team was much less talented than the Irish this season.

There is a lot of football left to play, and Michigan State still has a Big Ten title to defend. It's too early to jump off this bandwagon.