Michigan State football has started the year on a high note, sitting at 3-1 through four games, but a dreadful stretch in the month of October awaits.
It’s been well-documented how tough October has been for the Spartans over the years, with a losing record in the month since 2018, but Jonathan Smith and Co. are preparing for different luck this time around. The Spartans will need to maneuver through another tough slate with two ranked opponents and another ranked game.
Engineering through October with a winning record won’t be easy, but this team is hoping it can forget the struggles in the past and come away with a positive month.
It all starts with Nebraska next weekend.
How do the October games rank, in terms of difficulty?
1. at Indiana (Oct. 18)
After watching Indiana dismantle Illinois, it was clear that the Hoosiers, led by Fernando Mendoza, were going to be a massive problem this year. They came back down to earth this past weekend at Iowa, but Indiana is one of the top teams in the Big Ten.
Going to Bloomington for this battle against a top-10 team won’t be an easy task, but it could be a good spot for Smith to record his first ranked win as MSU’s head coach.
2. vs. No. 20 Michigan (Oct. 25)
Every Michigan State fan has this game circled on their calendars, and it has been since last year. Smith took the game a little more lightly than fans would’ve hoped, and that rubbed some people the wrong way.
This year should be much different in East Lansing, and Smith even said that he now knows what kind of energy and intensity goes into this game.
Michigan is good, but we’re not quite sure just how good yet. This would also be a good spot for Smith’s first ranked win.
3. at Nebraska (Oct. 4)
You know the schedule is tough when a road game against a good Nebraska team is ranked third on the list, but that’s just how lucky the Spartans got with this year’s scheduling.
Dylan Raiola and the Cornhuskers have one of the best offenses in the country, and you know Michigan State’s defense is going to have a tough time.
4. vs. UCLA (Oct. 11)
This being last out of the four games should go without saying. UCLA fired its head coach this season after a few losses, and the Bruins just lost at Northwestern on Saturday afternoon. It’s been a rough year for the program, and this is the closest thing to a “sure thing” for Michigan State this season.