Michigan State football picks vs. Purdue: Can Spartans get back on track?

With just two games left, Michigan State football is in need of two wins to lock up bowl eligibility and a semblance of momentum heading into the offseason.

The Spartans’ season got off to a relatively good start with a 3-0 record and an upset win on the road over Maryland, but MSU has since gone 1-6 with two separate three-game losing streaks.

Jonathan Smith’s squad has certainly shown flashes in Year 1, even in big losses, but over the last month it feels like those moments have been waning, and one way to solve that would be to lock up a bowl game appearance, and with it, another month of practices.

First, the Spartans must take care of a struggling Purdue squad (1-9, 0-7), and then knock off a frisky Rutgers team in the final game of the year, with both games at Spartan Stadium.

Five Free Press sports writers have some thoughts on the Spartans’ home game against Purdue on Friday night (8 p.m., Fox).

Aidan Chiles of the Michigan State Spartans escapes pressure from the Illinois Fighting Illini defense during the second half at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Champaign, Illinois.

Carlos Monarrez

In the Friday primetime game nobody asked for, this one could be a snoozefest. Neither team can score, so the game will come down to the better defense, which belongs to Michigan State. At 1-9, Purdue has nothing but pride to play for. At 4-6, the Spartans have tons to play for. Their last two games are very winnable and will let them become bowl-eligible. The pick: MSU 23, Purdue 17.

Rainer Sabin

Since beating Iowa on Oct. 19, MSU hasn’t won. Three consecutive losses to Michigan, Indiana and Illinois have caused outsiders to lose faith in the Spartans as they near the end of Jonathan Smith’s first season in charge. But as bad as MSU has been in the past month, it hasn’t sunk to the depths of Purdue.

The Boilermakers, who have won only once this season, are putrid. They have scored the fewest points and given up the most in the Big Ten. On a cold night in East…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-state-football-picks-vs-150106417.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2024-11-22 15:01:00

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