Michigan State Football: Staff score predictions vs. Indiana in Week 11

Indiana and Michigan State football will meet in Week 11 as the Spartans are looking to pull off the massive upset of the Hoosiers in East Lansing.

Has a 1-2 record ever felt so good before? Michigan State might have a losing record, but in a lost year and with a win over a ranked Michigan team in Ann Arbor already, things are just fine in East Lansing.

Plus, the Spartans knew they’d be undergoing a massive rebuild thanks to a new coaching staff so this record isn’t exactly earth-shattering.

But now Indiana comes to town and the Hoosiers are ranked No. 10 in the country. A win here would go a long way to adding to that confidence of a young Spartan squad. Michigan State might catch the Hoosiers slipping here.

Let’s dive into some staff predictions.

Connor Muldowney: Am I crazy? Yeah, probably, but I’ve said this since the final seconds ticked off the clock in a 49-7 loss at Iowa: Michigan State will beat Indiana. Why? Because this season makes absolutely no sense so this would just fall in line with that. Michigan State is the underdog on its own turf which isn’t a surprise seeing as Indiana is ranked No. 10 in the country, but I just see this team pulling off an upset because Mel Tucker keeps these guys level-headed — much like he did after a Rutgers loss. This team plays well when no one thinks it’ll win.

Final Score: Indiana 27, Michigan State 30

Carter Landis: Indiana has played close with Penn State, convincingly beat Rutgers and convincingly beat Michigan. Michael Penix Jr. is one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten and Michigan State will have their hands full with him, as well as their tough defense, I don’t see MSU getting it done.

Final Score: Indiana 34, Michigan State 24

Jack Williams: MSU found out last week that this team’s disrepair was not fixed after their win against Michigan. This is a bad Michigan State team, and that’s OK. The Spartans will keep it close while Indiana tries to establish the run, but will ultimately be dink-and-dunked by Michael Penix Jr. until MSU’s defense is completely devoid of all confidence and hope.

Final Score: Indiana 38, Michigan State 17

Stephen Robb: Last Saturday’s game was the train wreck of all train wrecks for Spartan fans. It was John L. Smith-esque. I did appreciate Coach Tucker’s response. Now in comes Indiana. The Hoosiers have great receivers and I think the Spartans’ secondary gets roasted again. The question is can Tucker rally this team. My opinion is no.

Final Score: Indiana 45, Michigan State 14

Carlos Araoz: You would be hard-pressed to find a better backfield in the Big Ten than the terrific tandem of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and tailback Stevie Scott III. In the past two games alone, the Hoosier offense has scored 37 and 38 points, respectively. Indiana has emerged as one of the nation’s most pleasant surprises.

Any way you slice it, defeating Penn State and Michigan in the same season is a tremendous accomplishment. Indiana can already check that feat off their list. Their next goal is to avenge the defeat the Spartans handed to them last season. There’s a chance that Michigan State could rebound from the Iowa loss much like they did after the Rutgers defeat but this Indiana team is nothing like the Hoosier football teams of old. I’m not sure we have the firepower to keep up with them.

Final Score: Indiana 34, Michigan State 34

Conner Linsner: Indiana is hot right now and they have made their way into the top ten. Michael Penix Jr will come out and do what he does best. Carve up bad defenses. Michigan State will come out with a lot of passion this week, as last Saturday versus Iowa left a bad taste in Mel Tucker’s mouth. Ultimately thought, Michigan state will come up short, so I’m sticking with the hot hand.

Final Score: Indiana 41, Michigan State 28