Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Iowa showed something on Saturday, but came up short.

Night Kinnick magic or legitimate improvement?

Pretty good test here against an MSU that looks improved over last year but still deeply flawed in mental fragility, with insanely costly turnovers and penalties.

MSU with a loss here is possibly in deep trouble with regards to their bowl bid, considering I don't see anyway they beat UM, OSU or PSU.  Basically means they have to go 4-1 against the remainder of their schedule, which includes trips to Minneapolis and Evanston.

I bet MSU will beat at least one of UM, PSU, and OSU

Sparty's schedule through mid-November is murder.  Better hope they can catch a Hawkeye team still down after that stunning loss to the Nitts.

I bet MSU will beat at least one of UM, PSU, and OSU

I'd take that bet.  I bet they don't stay within single digits of any of those.

feels like a potential season changer here, both teams coming off tough losses for different reasons.

back 2 back loses sometimes can start to lead to bigger problems. almost an impossible game to pick. is Iowa dejected after being basically a second from a huge upset, or is Sparty more dejected after getting taken to the woodshed?

my guess is if one team comes out swinging, they might land a knockout punch before halftime.

what's up with LJ Scott FYI? I thought he was going to be the next in what's been a pretty decent string of RB play for Sparty, seems pretty average right now.

He could never pass block, and now he can't hold onto the ball.
If the coaches can't trust you in those aspects, it's hard to get on the field enough to do anything else.

Both Iowa and Michigan State had a chance to make a statement last weekend, and both came away with results that didn't really answer the question one way or the other.  Iowa really had no business even being in the game with Penn State, being outgained 579-273, getting doubled up in time of possession, losing first downs 29-11.  But they won the turnover battle, got a missed field goal, a lot of Penn State penalties...and it nearly added up to a win...except it didn't.  So who is Iowa?  A team that was dominated on the scoresheet?  A team that nearly beat Penn State anyway?  Or a team that is kind of mediocre and nearly pulled an upset in front of a crazy home crowd?  Same for Michigan State.  They showed flashes of being a much improved team, and dominated Notre Dame on the scoresheet.  But they also showed the same mental fragility we saw last year.  Too many incredibly inexcusable turnovers and penalties.  This is not 2013-15 Michigan State, but we saw less talented early Dantonio teams be successful by winning in the margins where this team is failing.  They were good enough to get away with it against Bowling Green or Western Michigan, but not against Notre Dame, and not against Iowa.  Michigan State's early schedule may have looked friendly with a 4 game home stand to open, but the two big games are against teams they seemingly like to play away from East Lansing.  Notre Dame has won 2 in a row, and 5 of the last 7 in East Lansing, but Michigan State had won 7 of the last 10 in South Bend.  Likewise, Iowa has won two in a row in Spartan Stadium, but Michigan State has won the last 3 road/neutral meetings.  The last three games in East Lansing have come down to the final possession, and then obviously the 2015 Big Ten Championship Game ending.  Michigan State maybe doesn't have to win the turnover battle, but they can't lose it decisively again, and they can't afford the type they had last week, where all 3 were almost directly tied to 21 points in swing.  Three games in though, it's enough to think it's part of this team's identity, and not just one of those flukes that regresses to the mean.
IOWA 24, MICHIGAN STATE 21

I am strangely confident that Iowa is going to win easily against MSU.  Iowa's defense has been showing signs they are starting to figure it out.  

Iowa's offense doesn't do much all game and then all of a sudden.  BOOM!  TOUCHDOWN seemingly out of nowhere.  Iowa usually gets about 2 TD's like that a game.

Iowa 26,  MSU 14