Michigan State Football: 3 bold predictions for Peach Bowl vs. Pitt

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Nov 27, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne (10) looks to pass the ball during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Payton Thorne approaches 400 yards passing

I’m a big believer that with Kenny Pickett and Kenneth Walker III out, Payton Thorne is going to become a star on the big stage.

Pitt replaces Pickett with Nick Patti and Michigan State replaces Walker with Elijah Collins, Jordon Simmons, and Harold Joiner. It’s easy to see why I’m of the belief that Thorne is going to have a career game against the No. 105 passing defense in college football.

Sure, you could say the same about Patti against Michigan State’s last-ranked passing defense, but he doesn’t have the experience of Thorne nor is he proven like the Spartans’ gunslinger.

Thorne is going to have the best game of his career with his top two receivers finally at full strength for the first time in four games and supporting guys like Tre Mosley, Maliq Carr, and Keon Coleman taking pressure off Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor. He’s going to have a heck of a game passing the ball and I wouldn’t be shocked if he had 25-30 completions for nearly 400 yards and 3-4 touchdowns.

We’re going to see Thorne become a household name in the first New Year’s Six bowl of the 2021 season.

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