Michigan State Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017

According to the numbers, this should be the closest game of the year for Michigan State with both projected to be near the six-win mark. And that’s not a huge surprise as these teams usually play a similar brand of football.

However, the Hawkeyes lost C.J. Beathard and a new quarterback wasn’t selected in mid-August between sophomore Nathan Stanley and junior Tyler Wiegers. That shouldn’t stop Iowa from being a good team, though, as it will continue to pound the ground game with four offensive linemen returning. In the backfield, Akrum Wadley (1,081 yards, 10 TDs) is joined by grad transfer James Butler from Nevada, who has run for 1,300-plus yards the last two seasons.

This is yet another home game that the Spartans have a decent shot to win, but it won’t come easy. Iowa’s defense should be the first legit one Michigan State sees and that could cause problems. If Brian Lewerke isn’t where the Spartans need him to be, it’ll depend on LJ Scott and the rushing attack, which won’t be easy with three senior linebackers roaming the field for the Hawkeyes.

The goal for MSU will be to stack the box against an inexperienced quarterback and hope the rest plays out the right way. This comes a week after going against Penn State, so I’ll assume Iowa will be a tad too tired to close out this game in the final minutes.

Score Prediction: Iowa 13, Michigan State 17 (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten)