My prediction for the Rose Bowl

It’s been quite a season for Michigan State, but I don’t see it ending on a positive note.

The Spartans have worked hard to get back to the Rose Bowl, and that in itself could be all the accomplishment that Michigan State is looking for.

Stanford has been in this situation, while MSU can clearly get lost in the moment.

It doesn’t help that the Spartans are without defensive leader Max Bullough, either.

Stanford poses the toughest physical test Michigan State has had this season. The Spartans have struggled against physical running backs, and they will see one in this game in Tyler Gaffney. Unlike what Ohio State did with Carlos Hyde, Stanford won’t stop feeding Gaffney. With Bullough out, the Spartans are likely to have a tough time stopping the Cardinal ground game, which should keep the MSU offense off the field.

If Stanford is able to control the ball on offense, it may cause MSU to press on offense, which likely won’t go well. Connor Cook has been composed this season, but is facing a tough defense. His mistakes will be amplified against Stanford. While Jeremy Langford could have another solid game, I don’t think he will be able to do enough on his own to win the game.

Ultimately, the experience of Stanford and the Cardinal’s ability to match MSU’s physical play will lead them to victory. 

Stanford 27, Michigan State 16

Prediction for Michigan vs. Michigan State

The Michigan-Michigan State game is about 24 hours away and my feelings on the game haven’t changed throughout the week.

It is funny how, after a few weeks into the season, I would have bet everything I had that Michigan was going to beat the Spartans in East Lansing this year. My how times can change.

It may extreme for me to say I don’t see how Michigan can win, but I see it as very unlikely for the Wolverines.

Michigan can win if Connor Cook has an awful day or if Devin Gardner is able to hit on a lot of deep balls, but Wolverine fans can’t feel very assured about that.

Cook doesn’t have to be great for MSU to win, he just needs to avoid big mistakes and convert some key third-down passes. The pressure isn’t on him as much as it is on Gardner to beat the talented MSU defense. Pat Narduzzi will certainly look to test Gardner early and hope to create a turnover on a quarterback that has been prone to giving the ball away.

I think the story of the game will be Michigan State dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. I expect the Spartans to be able to run the ball efficiently and sustain a handful of drives throughout the game. Defensively, Michigan State should keep Michigan from establishing much of a run game and put plenty of pressure on Gardner, forcing him into bad throws.

Michigan will find some points, but Michigan State will find more. The Spartans have looked like the better team in recent weeks and I feel like they will be the better team on Saturday.

Prediction: Michigan State 24, Michigan 13