Through the first month of the 2025 season, Michigan State football is 3-1, and the Spartans are about right where people expected them to be.
Michigan State beat Boston College in a thrilling Week 2 matchup, and vibes were sky-high because everyone just expected the Eagles to be a fringe contender in the ACC. Unfortunately, the Eagles lost at Stanford the following week and sit at 1-2 on the year.
The vibes are wavering, especially after giving up 24 points to an FCS team in Week 3 and giving up 45 points to USC in Week 4. The defense is nowhere near where it needs to be.
Jonathan Smith is seemingly still on track in his rebuild, however. The Spartans are 3-1 with eight games left, and all they have to do is go 3-5 in the final eight to make a bowl. With Maryland, UCLA, and Minnesota still on the schedule, that's a possibility. Heck, it should be likely.
What is the current vibe through one month of play and with Michigan State entering its bye week?
Vibe check for Michigan State football through first month
I would say the vibes are slightly higher after putting forth a respectable effort against USC than they were after that forgettable performance against Youngstown State, but they're still lower than they were before the season and after the Boston College win.
The vibes are totally dependent on how each position group has performed compared to their preseason expectations. Here's how I think they're compared (better or worse) to preseason expectations, by position.
Quarterback: Better
Running backs: Better
Receivers: About the same (which is good)
Tight ends: About the same
Offensive line: Better run-blocking; worse pass-blocking
Defensive line: Worse
Linebackers: About the same
Secondary: Worse
Special teams: Better
Overall, I'd say the team is better than what we expected in the preseason with 4.5 position groups (the 0.5 being half the offensive line) exceeding preseason expectations. The defense being primarily worse is not ideal, however.
The current vibe surrounding the program is that the offense looks really good, but it has some shortcomings on the offensive line. The defense, however, has been a nightmare. Joe Rossi's group has put a damper on the 3-1 start to the season, and I think if the defense looked like it did in Week 1 in the following three games, we'd all be talking about MSU needing to be ranked.
If the defense improves after the bye, I see people buying back in. That's a big 'if' though.