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Michigan State Football: 5 keys for making College Football Playoff in 2018

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 29: LJ Scott #3 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates a first quarter touchdown while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Spartan Stadium on October 29, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 29: LJ Scott #3 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates a first quarter touchdown while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Spartan Stadium on October 29, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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The College Football Playoff, and a national title, is the ultimate goal for Michigan State football in 2018, and here are five keys for making a run.

Michigan State enters the 2018 season as one of the favorites to win the Big Ten and make a push for a playoff berth. The Spartans bring back nearly every single starter from a 10-win team a season ago and the expectations are at an all-time high.

Could this be Mark Dantonio’s best team yet? That’s a good possibility, but they’ll have to duke it out with the 2013, 2014 and 2015 versions of the green and white.

Only the 2015 team made the College Football Playoff, but this year’s squad has an opportunity to match that and maybe even get a win in the tourney of four.

Here are the five biggest keys for making a 2018 College Football Playoff run.

5. More solidified, consistent offensive line

The offensive line seems to be taking shape this summer and Mark Dantonio feels good about each of his positions up front, but there’s one that remains vacant: center.

Replacing Brian Allen won’t be easy, but there are a few guys who have been getting reps at center and one is younger brother Matt Allen. He’s entering his sophomore season and could be a perfect replacement. The others are Tyler Higby and David Beedle. Those two are also vying for time at guard while Jordan Reid is also in the mix.

Left tackle is taken by Cole Chewins, right tackle is Luke Campbell and one of the guard spots is for Kevin Jarvis while the other will be either Higby or Beedle.

There’s depth on this offensive line, but it needs to prove to be more stable and consistent than it was in 2017. The running lanes closed quickly and that must change for a successful season.

The teams that usually make the playoff have top-tier lines.

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