The 2024 season was a forgettable one, for the most part, for Jonathan Smith and Michigan State football. It was his first season in charge of the program and he didn't quite have the success he was hoping for when he took the job.
But nothing good and sustainable is built in one day (or season).
Michigan State finished 5-7 and missed a bowl game for a third straight season but Smith told the media this offseason that the Spartans are going to be improved in a lot of areas in 2025. We have to take his word for it, no matter how juice-less the program feels currently.
The 2025 schedule sets up nicely for the Spartans and it feels like they could step up and surprise some people. It's an easier slate than 2024, but there are some really tough games to watch for.
These are the three toughest, in my opinion.
1. Penn State (Nov. 15)
While this is at home and not at Ford Field or Beaver Stadium, this still has to be considered the toughest game on the schedule. Penn State is a legitimate top-five team heading into the 2025 season and it might be Jameas Franklin's best chance to win a national title as the Nittany Lions will be the biggest threat to Ohio State in the Big Ten.
Depending on how Michigan State fares in its first nine games, the crowd for this one will either be raucous or it'll be a graveyard at Spartan Stadium -- no in between.
Michigan State will need to play perfectly to upset Penn State on Nov. 15.
2. Michigan (Oct. 25)
This was an obvious choice for No. 2 because Michigan always gives Michigan State a battle even in the days when Rich Rod and Brady Hoke were still in charge, for the most part.
This year will be no different.
Michigan State is coming off three straight bowl-less seasons and Michigan is two years removed from a national title. The programs feel like they're trending in opposite directions. But if Michigan State can make freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood uncomfortable in a hostile environment, anything can happen.
The Wolverines will be better than they were in 2024, but Michigan State should be, too.
3. at Indiana (Oct. 18)
I never thought I'd have Indiana as the third-toughest game on the schedule heading into a season in which the Spartans also play teams like USC, Iowa, and Nebraska on top of Penn State and Michigan, but here we are. We can call this the Curt Cignetti Effect.
The Hoosiers made the College Football Playoff last season and were one of the biggest surprises in the sport thanks to the former James Madison head coach. They took it to Michigan State in East Lansing in 2024 despite a hot start from the Spartans in that game and Jonathan Smith will be out for revenge in Bloomington on Oct. 18.
Obviously this won't be an easy matchup for Michigan State, but we've seen sophomore slumps from coaches after surprisingly successful first full seasons at a new school before.