Michigan State Football: Yes, a winning season in 2020 is possible

Everyone is assuming Michigan State football is only good for 2-3 wins in 2020, but with the new schedule here, a winning season is possible.

Before you read the title and write me off as a lunatic, hear me out.

The Big Ten released its official eight-game schedules on Saturday afternoon and very early assumptions were that Michigan State would finish with a .500 record at the very best, but 2-3 wins is more than likely.

These aren’t exactly unfair predictions, but there were some Spartans who thought fans being content with a 4-4 season was “disrespectful”.

So that got me thinking. Is a 5-3 season really that farfetched?

My first reaction was “that would require a miracle” because although this team has some intriguing pieces who could piece together a surprise season, winning five games would require the Spartans to steal one against Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State or Penn State. All of those games will see Michigan State as an extreme underdog.

But that’s not entirely impossible. Michigan State could start the season with a nice win over Rutgers and then use that momentum to make life difficult for first-year starting quarterbacks at either Michigan or Iowa. They’re both hoping to not take a step back, but that’s possible based on the success under center.

Win one of those two games and take care of that mid-season stretch of Indiana, Maryland and Northwestern and that means you start out 5-1 with a stretch against Ohio State and Penn State to end the year.

It’s possible.

Even if Michigan State loses to both Michigan and Iowa and wins the three games in the middle of the year that it probably should, it’ll improve to 4-2 and drop those two games to Ohio State and Penn State. A 4-4 record heading into a crossover matchup with the Big Ten West could still give Michigan State a winning record if they win that.

So yes, five wins before bowl season is entirely possible and people need to stop assuming this team will be hapless. There’s enough talent to make things interesting for at least the first six games of the season.

Alright, now you can call me crazy and try to talk me out of this.