Michigan State football: 3 implications of massive win over No. 6 Michigan

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Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs against Michigan defensive back R.J. Moten (6) during the second half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. /

1. If MSU wins 11 games, Kenneth Walker should win Heisman

Syracuse’s Sean Tucker still leads the FBS in rushing yards after his 207 against Boston College on Saturday, but Kenneth Walker III is close. Beating Michigan’s defense is much more impressive than beating Boston College’s, though.

Against Michigan, Walker stepped it up: 197 yards, five touchdowns, 8.6 yards per attempt.

Being a Heisman candidate is about being valuable to your team and games they win. On Michigan State’s schedule, they have Purdue, Maryland, Ohio State, and Penn State remaining.

The Spartans are better than Purdue and Maryland, those should be easy victories. Those wins alone would put them at 10. It would be unthinkable to suggest that Michigan State has no chance against Ohio State.

I’m not suggesting they will beat Ohio State, but Ohio’s own Logan White, who hosts Sports Illustrated’s Browns Digest podcast, covering the Cleveland Browns, says he’s “nervous” about the Buckeyes. The only good team they’ve played this year was Oregon, and they lost. They still have Michigan and Michigan State to play, in the last two games of the season. It’d odd to think they can get nervous, but it could happen.

If Michigan State does beat Penn State, in addition to two teams they should easily win against, Kenneth Walker III will be the Heisman favorite. He’s shown the toughness, the talent, and the will. Michigan State would not be undefeated without him.

Which brings me to my second point.

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