Michigan State Players To Watch

It's Week 8, and the state championship is upon us once again. Personally, I don't think it could have come at a more opportune time. Michigan State has won the last 4 games, 3 in the RichRod era and last one was in the first year for Brady Hoke. Michigan comes into the game with the higher ranked defense, 3rd ranked pass defense, and a whole lot of demons to exorcise.

I wish I could say Michigan was ranked coming into the game but due to the inherent controversy that is the BCS, they are not. Winning this game could swing the difference towards that aspect. I have gone through a few message boards, and also comments from Spartan friends of mine, and they all are coming to one conclusion. This year will be the one that Michigan reasserts itself in their rightful place in the pecking order. So far MSU is ranked 104th in the nation in scoring points at 21.0 per game but also 14th in the nation at total defense, which is far behind of what I'm sure they want to be.  Don't be fooled by the 4-3 record that MSU has, but rather look deeper into the stats of some players:

Previewing Big Ten Football: Michigan State

2012 is going to be a a benchmark year for the Spartans, and many questions exist. Can they replace their star quarterback? Who is going to be catching the balls? How will William Gholston fare without Jerel Worthy? Not to mention, can Dantonio finally put the Spartans among the elite in the country?


2011 Record: 11-3, 7-1 Big Ten

Returning Starters: Offense – 4, Defense – 8

The 5 Toughest Michigan Games For 2012

A lot has been made of Michigan's 2012 schedule.  Some are calling it the nation's toughest and CBS has even placed it at #4 in terms of schedule difficulty in the entire country.  With non-conference opponents like Alabama, Air Force, and Notre Dame, there certainly aren't a lot of easy games on the slate for 2012.  Add in some tough road games against teams like Nebraska, Purdue, and Ohio State and next year's schedule becomes one of the toughest in recent memory for Michigan.


Despite Michigan's tough schedule throughout the season, fans are still wondering about which games will be the toughest. For instance, Michigan has to go on the road to Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Ohio State, but Michigan beat all three teams last year.  Results from last year don't guarantee anything for this season, but this has to be something going through the minds of Michigan fans and the teams.  Yes, there are some tough challenges ahead, but how tough?  What I've done is list the games that I believe are the most difficult for Michigan to win in 2012.