Michigan St. Spartans 2010 Season Preview/Prediction
The College Football season may be 6-7 weeks away but our man Kyle Hunter has been deep in study and will provide his take and 2010 College Football Predictions on as many NCAA teams as he can before the 2010/11 season kicks off.
We start from the top and move our way down so keep checking in for more college football previews for the 2010-2011 NCAA Football Season!
2010 NCAA Football Predictions – Teams | Analysis | Previews Online
Big Ten 2010-2011 Football Previews: Michigan St. Spartans
Coach: Mark Dantonio
2009 Record: 6-7
Michigan St. Gambling Odds from Sportsbook.com to win BCS: +10000
Hopes were high that 2009 would be a great year for Michigan State, but it didn’t turn out that way. An on campus brawl at the end of the year marred the season as well, but it appears that most of the key players that were suspended will be back in 2010.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW KYLE HUNTER’S DAILY EXPERT SPORTS PLAYS —–>
The team has a solid nucleus returning and has the ability to make a move up in the Big Ten.
The Spartans will have 15 returning starters from last year eligible for this season.
Can the Spartans finish what they started this year? Last year, they were in position to win most of the games they lost, only to fail to close out those games.
If the Spartans are going to make a big move up in the Big Ten, they’ll have to become closers. 
Team Strengths:
Kirk Cousins has proven to be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten. Cousins threw 19 touchdowns last year and only 9 interceptions, while leading the offense to a successful season.
There is no single running back that stands out as the starter, but the Spartans are very deep at the position. Larry Caper, Edwin Baker, and Ashton Leggett will all see quite a bit of action in the backfield. The Spartans are also looking strong at tight end, where they have Charlie Gantt, Dion Sims, and Brian Linthicum.
All are expected to play frequently, and all three should be very solid pass receivers.
On the defensive side, Greg Jones is an absolute beast at middle linebacker. Some consider him the best linebacker in the nation, and his attitude and athletic ability are a terrific formula for success.
Team Weaknesses:
The offensive line will need retooled after the Spartans lost three of their starters. In the spring game, the offensive line had serious trouble keeping the defensive off the quarterback.
In order for their offense to reach its full potential, they’ll need some of the young and inexperienced guys to step up.
The defense was bad last year despite having an All-American in Greg Jones. I would expect the secondary to be a real issue once again this season. The second corner spot is completely up in the air and the safeties haven’t proven that they can help much in pass defense.
Michigan State ranked dead last in the Big Ten in pass defense last year and unless they can improve on that some, they’ll hurt their chances against the best squads in the league.
2010-2011 Michigan St. Football Prediction: 7-6
The Spartans have an easy out of conference schedule minus their date at home against Notre Dame, but they have some tough conference games on the road. The two games that stick out to me as key in the Big Ten schedule are the games at Michigan and at Northwestern.
The Spartans must win at least one of these two to have a chance to make some noise and finish in the upper half of the Big Ten.
They’ll miss out on Ohio State, but Penn State and Iowa on the road won’t be any fun. I think this team will be improved, but the secondary will keep them from making large strides forward.
Kyle Hunter sports picks – A degree in finance and a great ability to follow important trends and statistics set him apart from the rest.Check out his plays today.
