Sitting at 3-0 to start the season, you'd be shocked to see the amount of hate and doubt Michigan State football receives on a daily basis on social media.
After a letdown defensive performance against Youngstown State, followed by a Boston College loss at Stanford, fans took to social media to spew some hot takes, and many of them were in regards to the direction that the season might be headed. As you can imagine, a fanbase that hasn't seen a bowl berth in three seasons is predicting more of the same in 2025 despite that 3-0 start.
Is it a mirage? We're about to find out as the Spartans head out west to take on No. 25 USC as heavy underdogs. They will have some key advantages, however.
1. Field position battle
Is this a lame advantage to have? Sure, but it's definitely going to help.
Believe it or not, but USC has only punted in one game this season. Against Georgia Southern in Week 2, senior Sam Johnson had three punts for 129 yards, averaging 43 per boot. That's not bad at all, and two landed inside the 20, but he's no Ryan Eckley.
The Michigan State punter has pinned multiple kicks inside the 5-yard-line already this year, and his field position mastery has led to some big defensive stops for the Spartans, including a safety in the season opener against Western Michigan. Say what you want about this advantage, but it's going to pay major dividends.
2. Nick Marsh
While USC has a Nick Marsh of their own in Makai Lemon, this is more about an advantage that the star sophomore has over the USC secondary. The Trojans haven't seen a receiver the caliber of Marsh yet, and they've already given up chunks of yardage through three games.
USC allowed brand-new FBS program Missouri State to pass for 159 yards on 20-of-28 completions in Week 1. The Trojans then allowed 235 yards and three touchdowns through the air against Georgia Southern. And finally, against Purdue, the Trojans surrendered 305 yards and a touchdown, but they did pick off three passes.
Marsh is the best receiver this secondary has faced this year, and the Trojans allowed two 70-yard receivers a week ago. A healthy Marsh could dice this secondary up.
3. Nothing to lose
Michigan State is playing with house money early on in the season. Vegas doesn't expect the Spartans to make a bowl, experts picked them to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten, and plenty of people expected them to lose to Boston College in Week 2. Not many saw a 3-0 start coming, and now being 18.5-point underdogs at USC is proof that no one respects MSU yet.
That's when a team can be the most dangerous.
The Spartans are undefeated and labeled as the "worst" 3-0 team in the country by ESPN, while USC has been the biggest surprise in the Big Ten thus far, sliding into the AP Top 25 this week. This has all the makings for a letdown game for the Trojans and a statement performance for the Spartans.
The team that plays more freely usually wins. I think that could be MSU.