Michigan State Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2021 season

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Oct 24, 2020; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Isaih Pacheco (1) runs the ball for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

Winning that second straight Big Ten team will give Mel Tucker’s team some momentum heading into its final non-conference game against Western Kentucky.

This, too, should be a fairly easy win, especially since it’s in East Lansing.

The Hilltoppers went 5-7 last season and finished with one of the better defenses in the country, but they lost seven starters on that side of the ball. They had a horrid offense, however, ranking last in Conference USA in multiple categories, including total yards per game and scoring.

Final Score: Western Kentucky 17, Michigan State 35 (4-1)

I truly have a tough time picking this game because I think Rutgers is going to be a problem in the Big Ten this season. The Scarlet Knights beat the Spartans last season for the first time since joining the Big Ten, but it was also just the first game of the Tucker era. Things have changed since.

Greg Schiano has this team back on track and I think we should see the Scarlet Knights pushing for a bowl game this season and this is a game that could go either way.

But the momentum will be on Michigan State’s side because the Scarlet Knights will be fresh off back-to-back losses to Michigan and Ohio State.

Final Score: Michigan State 30, Rutgers 23 (5-1, 3-0)

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