They were right to hide this one on Friday night.
Michigan State has not played well late, but based on our tier projections, every game has actually gone according to script. Spartans just weren't gifted with the friendliest of schedules this year. Granted, when it came out, I doubt anyone was complaining about seeing Indiana rather than Wisconsin, USC, Nebraska or Washington. Sometimes thems the breaks.
That said, they are now projected to win their last 2 games, so if they don't win those concern can reasonably grow.
They can still get to a bowl, and get the extra practices. And particularly in the trenches that is needed. I said in the preseason that I thought MSU's starting 22 was better this year than last, but they were WAY thinner. That is particularly showing up in the back seven defensively, where last week against Illinois, 5 of the projected starting 7 were out. The defensive line is healthy...it's just bad. Combine those things, and MSU now has the longest drought without a sack of any FBS team since 2005.
Purdue is bad, but if you think MSU got a bad draw in schedule, let me show you the Boilermakers. Yes, the results have been ugly, but they've had at Wisconsin, at Illinois, Oregon, Northwestern, at Ohio State, Penn State over the past 6 games. They went 0-6, but took Illinois and Northwestern to OT, which is essentially a coin flip. They win those coin flips, their resume looks a lot like MSU's.
MSU is the better team, and playing at home, with something still to play for, I think this is more of a referendum on how engaged this team is than anything
Michigan State 35, Purdue 17
