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Michigan State Spartans Look to Play Spoiler at Home

Aidan Chiles — © Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten Conference) will travel to East Lansing, Mich. to take on the Michigan State Spartans (4-4, 2-3) at 3:30 EST on Nov. 2 at Spartan Stadium. Typically, at this point in the year, Bloomington, Ind. fans are only gearing up for basketball, but not this season. Hoosier hysteria will be spread across the gridiron as well as the hardwood.

A Season Not Many Expected

Not too many thought the Hoosiers would have a chance to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff this season. In 2020, the Hoosiers finished the season seventh in the final CFP rankings, but that wasn’t then head coach Tom Allen’s first season like it is for current coach Curt Cignetti.

Curt Cignetti — © Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Michigan State: Year of Growing

For Michigan State, the first year under head coach Jonathan Smith has gone fairly well. The Spartans were never going to be a team that would be ranked in the top 25 this season, but their year has nonetheless been a success. The Spartans started the year off 3-0 but tailed off after a close loss against Boston College which was followed by two straight defeats against No. 4 Ohio State (6-1, 3-1) and No. 1 Oregon (8-0, 5-0). The Spartans were playing with house money in both of those games so double-digit losses were not unexpected. A win against a tough Iowa (5-3, 3-2) team and a close loss to the Michigan Wolverines (5-3, 3-2) this past week showed growth, which at this point in the season, is a good sign for Spartans fans.

Michigan State fan — © Dale Young-Imagn Images

If Michigan State wants to give its fans something more to cheer about this year with an upset win at home over the 13th-ranked team in the country, the offense will need to move the ball against a very stout Hoosiers defense. Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles has had an up-and-down season. He’s thrown for an average of 228 yards per game, but has thrown 9 interceptions and only 7 touchdowns.

At this rate, it’d be a big win if Chiles throws more touchdowns than interceptions, but he’ll be tested by one of the best defenses in the Big Ten Conference. A defense that’s holding teams to 269 yards per game and just 183 yards through the air.

While a surprising Spartans win would lift the spirits of the faithful in East Lansing, it put a damper on Indiana’s CFP hopes