MSU in 2014, 2015, 2016+.... the good, the bad, and the ugly The Enlightened Spartan: MSU in 2014, 2015, 2016+.... the good, the bad, and the ugly

Saturday, May 18, 2013

MSU in 2014, 2015, 2016+.... the good, the bad, and the ugly

OK, so the Big Ten announced its expanded schedules for 2014 and 2015, with the addition of Rutgers and Nebraska. Below is the Spartans’ schedule those two years, and a sneak-peak at non-conference games in upcoming years. 

2014
Aug. 30 JACKSONVILLE STATE
Sept. 13 at Oregon
Sept. 20 WYOMING
Sept. 27 EASTERN MICHIGAN
Oct. 4 NEBRASKA
Oct. 11 at Purdue
Oct. 18 at Indiana
Oct. 25 MICHIGAN
Nov. 8 OHIO STATE
Nov. 15 at Maryland
Nov. 22 RUTGERS
Nov. 29 at Penn State

2015
Sept. 12 OREGON
Sept. 19 at Western Michigan
Sept. 26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Oct. 3  at Nebraska
Oct. 10 PURDUE
Oct. 17 INDIANA
Oct. 24 at Michigan
Nov. 7 at Ohio State
Nov. 14 MARYLAND
Nov. 21 at Rutgers
Nov. 28 PENN STATE

What does this say for 2014 and 2015?  Love MSU hosting Michigan back-to-back in 2013 and 2014, especially  with Dantonio making the Spartans no longer a push over in the series... with the Doctor going 4-2 against scUM.

More interestingly…. 

The good
2014 makes for a great schedule for MSU.  In the Big Ten, MSU gets Nebraska, Ohio State, and Michigan at home.  Love the addition of Maryland and Rutgers in the Big Ten East division to the Spartans’ schedule which helps give the Big Green a breather.   If MSU is going to make a run for the title game, it’s gonna need to be in 2014 – potentially a Connor Cook senior year at QB.  But, in 2015…

The bad
The ’15 schedule is a flip of the ’14 schedule, playing at Nebraska, Ohio State, and Michigan is a murderer’s row.  Further, playing at Oregon will be nothing short of an arse whipping.  It will help the Spartans’ strength of schedule, but the ES was lucky enough to travel to Eugene the last two times MSU played at Oregon:  a 48-14 whipping in 1999, and a 35-7 shellacking in 1980.  Expect the same at Autzen Stadium in 2014.  Argh.  At least we get them at home in 2015… speaking of which…  

The ugly
Other than the opening game vs Oregon in 2015, why bother purchasing tickets?  CMU, Purdue, Indiana, Maryland, and Penn State round out an ugly schedule.  Only 11 games are on the schedule, so there is an open date the first week of September… expect MSU to fill that game somehow, someway.  Hopefully against a quality BCS opponent.

Jacksonville State and Wyoming in 2014…. in the Sagarin final 2012 rankings, Jacksonville State finished #133 out of  246 Division I football teams; Wyoming wasn’t much better at #121 (MSU finished #34).  On its website, MSU has adding Furman in 2016 (below) - which is also very ugly.  But, with the Big Ten going to nine conference games beginning in 2016, its' the ES bet that game will be dropped for a Big Ten opponent (Northwestern or Minnesota)… see a sneak peek of future opponents below.

2016
Sept. 3 at Alabama
Sept. 10 EASTERN MICHIGAN
Sept. 17 FURMAN
Sept. 24 NOTRE DAME

2017 ALABAMA, vs WMU
2018 vs. Notre Dame, vs CMU
2019 vs. Notre Dame, vs WMU
2020 vs. Miami-Florida, at EMU
2021 vs Miami-Florida
2022 vs. Boise State, vs. Notre Dame
2023  vs. Boise State, vs. Notre Dame

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