CBS Sports reveals Michigan State football's best and worst-case 2025 scenarios

Michigan State's Aidan Chiles runs for a gain against Iowa in the second quarter on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
Michigan State's Aidan Chiles runs for a gain against Iowa in the second quarter on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 season is right around the corner as we're in the home stretch before Michigan State football takes the field to begin Jonathan Smith's second year.

Michigan State went 5-7 in Smith's first season which could be considered close to the worst-case scenario. The best-case scenario for the Spartans in the first year of Smith would have been 7-8 wins based on the previous two seasons of disappointment. Unfortunately, the Spartans fell short of their goals and Aidan Chiles struggled in the process.

The best-case for the 2025 version of the Spartans has to be around the same win total, but maybe more like 8-9 wins rather than 7-8 victories.

What's the worst-case scenario? I'd say five wins again.

CBS Sports weighed in with their best and worst-case scenarios for each Big Ten team, including Michigan State which aligned with my thought process.

It listed Michigan State's best-case scenario as a 9-3 season and the worst-case scenario is a shocking 3-9. That would be a 2016-esque disaster because of the favorable schedule the Spartans are facing and the fact that Smith is returning a talented quarterback and an offense that should be vastly improved. A 3-9 season would likely signify the need for change (again).

According to that best-case scenario, Michigan State beats Michigan but a loss to Penn State crushes playoff hopes, but Chiles' 2026 return ignites some national respect.

On the flip side, the worst-case would be a Chiles regression and an early loss to Boston College which leads to the team spiraling out of control similar to the 2024 campaign.

A "successful" year, in my opinion, would be at least seven wins and a bowl victory.