Reaction to Michigan State's 21-6 win over South Florida

There isn’t much for me to say other than what I said in my column for The Oakland Press.

Michigan State has an outstanding defense. It is a defense that is capable of winning championships.

Only problem is, that defense is attached to an awful offense.

Sure, it is only the second game of the season, but the problems the MSU offense has had thus far are nearly identical to the problems it had last season. Not to mention that the Spartans have faced to below average defenses and not been able to score. What is MSU going to do when it starts facing a defense that can actually play defense?

Mark Dantonio seems a little desperate. He is trying any combo of quarterbacks, receivers and running backs he can to get the formula right. The only problem is, it seems to be getting Michigan State further from finding the answer.

If Michigan State ultimately has a mediocre season, it will really be kicking itself. These past two seasons, Michigan State has had a defense that was one of the best in the nation. To not be able to accomplish more would be a shame. It’s not often a program is able to have a defense that can truly be dominant, but MSU has something very close to that. If the Spartans could just develop a mildly consistent offense, it could find itself going to Pasadena for the first time in a long time.

However, I don’t hold out much faith that that will happen. The MSU quarterbacks, receivers and offensive line don’t appear to be up to the task of taking Michigan State to the top of the Big Ten.

Predictions for MSU vs. USF and Michigan vs. Notre Dame

South Florida at Michigan State

Despite the offensive struggles Michigan State had last weekend, the defense still looked very strong. Now the Spartans face a South Florida team that had just 342 yards of offense against McNeese State while allowing 424 total yards to the Cowboys. If Michigan State can’t consistently move the ball against the Bulls on Saturday afternoon, then there should be some real concerns about the MSU offense. I expect the Spartan defense to make some big plays early on, maybe even score a touchdown, and allow the offense to play with less pressure. No matter who is under center for MSU, they should be able to lead the offense to multiple scores.

Michigan State 34, South Florida 13

Notre Dame at Michigan

The Fighting Irish and Brian Kelly have given Michigan every reason to be pumped up for this game. Kelly gave the Wolverines the bulletin board material by saying Michigan wasn’t a “historic” rival for the Fighting Irish. Brady Hoke has probably been beating his players over the head with that. Adding to it all is the fact that this game is on national television and under the lights at the Big House. The crowd should be electric and carry Michigan to a strong start. If Devin Gardner can avoid turnovers, Michigan should be able to win this game. The Wolverines’ defense will be able to apply pressure to Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees. From there, it will be up to Rees to make good decisions, which I don’t think he will. With an early lead, the Michigan offense can control the ball and have steady drives on the ground and through the air. I don’t think the Wolverines will run away with this one, but I do think they will lead for nearly all of the game.

Michigan 27, Notre Dame 17

Week 2 Odds for Michigan and Michigan State

The first week of the college football season is closing today and the second week is nearing. Here is a look at the odds for Michigan and Michigan State this week.

Michigan State –18.5 vs. South Florida

The Spartans remain in East Lansing to host South Florida this upcoming Saturday. Michigan State is coming off its 26-13 win over Western Michigan where the offense struggled and the defense looked strong. South Florida, on the other hand, looked awful, as the Bulls were hammered at home by McNeese State, 53-21. The Bulls gave up 424 yards of offense to McNeese State while amassing just 342 yards. One would think that the Spartans will be able to move the ball better against the Bulls and South Florida should struggle to move the ball against the MSU defense. The 18.5-point spread wouldn’t be much for MSU to cover, but the offense didn’t give us much faith that it can put up points.

Michigan -3 vs. Notre Dame

Michigan looked good in its 59-9 win over Central Michigan, but the Wolverines can play better. Notre Dame had a 28-6 win over Temple at home on Saturday in which the Fighting Irish amassed 543 yards of offense. Notre Dame gave up 362 yards of offense to Temple, so there is a sense that Michigan can move the ball against the Irish. The question will be can Devin Gardner make the key throws and avoid turnovers? Turnovers destroyed Michigan’s chances of beating Notre Dame last season and could tell the tale of this game. The Michigan defense will be tested by Notre Dame’s offense, but don’t look for the Irish to pile up 500 yards against the Wolverines. As the spread indicates, this should be a close game.